Gereration Gap? Or not?

Years ago when I was in my teens we often heard the term “Generation Gap”.  Because my generation was dealing with the Viet Nam war, Civil Rights, the murder of two Kennedys… President Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, and the murder of Martin Luther King (just to name a few).  America was changing and we were a part of those changes and the way we thought of ourselves.  At the time, the older generation didn’t like the changes we were bringing on.  They especially didn’t like that we expressed ourselves which was different (I guess) than the generations before us when children were seen but not heard.  We were heard!  No doubt that seemed rude to the generations before us.

Now I am of the baby boomer generation… now it is one of the older generations (it wasn’t before)  I have been in workshops lately regarding how to work with other generations and how they are different. 

My generation tends to feel that we should be respected for what we have learned and can teach.  We have the communication style of a storyteller.  We liked to communicate and will take time to make sure that the message is received and understood.  My generation wants acknowledgement for what we lived, learned, and know.  My mother’s generation wants respect and the best way to get their attention or get on their good side is to refer to them in a formal manner by using Mr. or Mrs. 

My daughter’s generation seems to not like to talk very much.  “Just the facts” would be their motto.  They grew up when technology came into our lives.  They are more willing to text than to talk which can be a little irritating to my generation who wants details.  Of course, we are irritating to them because they would like us to get to the point of the story quicker.

The 20s-30s is a little kinder to us (me).  They will be a bit more patient with the story telling but when with each other they seem to work in bullet mark thoughts.  They like having information to bullet mark… so the more info the better. 

The teens seem to want everything NOW!  You can understand why actually.  They have grown up with so much at their fingertips… the internet, fast food, etc.  They have choices usually in everything and can’t understand when there is a situation which allows them no choice.  They also tend to not take responsibility but will react with “blame”.  Kari will respond with a “Really?” or a “Wowwww….” .  I have seen her with the kids she works with.  Her one word seems to do more than the hundred words I come up with on the spot about their lack of respect.

I had a teen today on the phone who made a mistake of not dropping a class.  The waitlist put him into the class right before the quarter began… he never went, yet he never dropped it.  So, he received a 0.0 grade.  He blamed me for the grade, the college website not having the information, and when I couldn’t fix right away based on his word (which would be tampering with records) he told me he would like to talk to someone else who knew something because obviously I don’t.  I decided to use Kari’s response rather than my own baby boomer response… “Wow”.  I thought that would be better than what I wanted to say.  However after I got over my want to launch into how rude he was… I explained to him that if he had been responsible he would have known what was on is schedule and would have taken care of anything that shouldn’t have been there a lot earlier than trying to get something off his record after the quarter has already been completed.  (OK, that was more baby boomer style)  Can you believe the nerve?  He was 5 when I began working at the college. 

What makes a person think that blaming or arguing is going to ever be the best way to persuade another person?  I don’t know about you but that just causes me to not want to help them.  I understand that he wasn’t happy and immature but not being happy doesn’t mean one has to take it all to a level where there is rudeness to someone they don’t even know!  Unacceptable!

OK, so what do you think?  What do you think of what I said about the generation differences?  Do you notice anything yourself between the age groups? 

Have a good day!

Welcome Summer 2012!

We are beginning summer today and we are considering we are lucky with having a sunny day in the 70’s.  The news said it would be officially Summer at 4:09 pm which is about the warmest part of our day.  Maybe it is a sign that this Summer will actually be like a Summer (warm weather etc.)  Last Summer we had cool weather all summer and we all felt as if we missed out.  All around the country people were reporting hot days and we were still wearing a light jacket.  We didn’t have a long period without rain like we usually do in the Summer.  And then it was September and we had missed it all.

Usually summers here are the envy of the nation.  The skies are bluest skies, it is warm but not too warm, the days are longer than usual, and there are perfect places to camp, hike or do other outdoor activities.  I don’t even think of leaving Seattle in the summer to visit California.  It is in the Spring when I want to do that and get away from the cold and the rain.

I have been planning all day what to do this Summer.  I had this wonderful list of “Things to Do” and I have been trying to find it.  I must have sent it to my computer at home.  I put things on it like go to the drive in, go to the beach, eat at Ivar’s outdoor fish/ chip stand, have dinner at Alki Beach… my list goes on and on. 

Now that the boys are off from school, it seems like a great time to start checking off things on my to do list. J 

Graduation and Father's Day

I can't sleep so I thought I would post this morning.  The birds here are singing as early as 4 am and as the sun rises they sing louder.  I love this time of the year because of the fact the days are long.  The sun begins to show itself early and it goes down about 10 pm or so.  This week summer begins and we begin to lose light again :-(  And as much as I love the long days, I hate the cold short ones.

Anyway, last Friday we had graduation.  I work at a local community college and so graduation is a big thing.  We have such large graduations now that we can't have them at the college.  We use to have them there but the grads could only ask 4 people to their graduation because of the lack of room.

In California, there was always room at a college or high school... usually outside in a football field or something.  But here, not every college or school has a football field... plus the weather is so wet still during June, we still are forced indoors. 

Now we hold our graduations at ShoWare.  ShoWare is an event center in Kent WA... it is the home of the Thunderbirds (ice hockey).  I have been there for a few events but never ice hockey. I've gone there to listen to speakers, or a concert... and graduations.  Kari did go with the boys this year with the Royal Rangers to see ice hockey.  It seems to be very popular.

At ShoWare we don't have to tell our students graduating that they can only bring four guests.  There is also a large area to hand out their name cards to be announced and to line them up.  The bagpipers are off to the side of the back area to practice and get ready to go into the building.  And finally, around 7 pm they begin to walk into the event center and the staging area suddenly grows silent.

We (those from the office) stay around for a while waiting to see if we have any late grads... and this year we had three running in trying to find their way.  Afterwards, we then head out a block down the street to Mama Stortini's for dinner.  We don't often get together outside of work except for now and at Christmas.  We always talk about doing it more often but the six months seem to fly by and we don't.  But it is nice.

Sunday was Father's Day.  It is sort of a strange day around here for us.  My dad is in heaven.  Kari's dad isn't here... and neither are the boy's dads.  So, we keep it a low profile day.  We don't go to church because of the focus of Father's Day so the boys don't wonder where their dads are.  And my ex use to play the role of their "papa" and he is now no longer in their lives by his choice.  Most of their past Father's Day was all about him.  The church, like school, have the children make gifts etc.  So instead we went to the movies and had some family fun together. The boys choose Madagascar 3 and ate popcorn.  It was a good time.

Have a wonderful week... mine should be more quiet this week because of the fact the students are gone on a break. 

Once a Week?

First of all, the blog has a different look for a moment.  I couldn't get the last template off my side of things.  You all could see something different which I put up there for a while until I could figure out this newer Blogger way.  Still working on it but for now, I will work with this.

I am so surprised how fast the weeks are flying by and this will be the first time this week I have written for the blog.  I really don't have a good excuse except for I haven't yet got back into the groove of writing more often here.

Last weekend we didn't really do much except we met up with Barb and Russ Duncan and their family to celebrate their daughter passing the GED on Sunday.  We all met at a mexican restaurant in Tacoma and it was great to visit them, laugh, and be together. 

Barb is the first girlfriend I met when I moved here. She wasn't married at the time.  She was attending the church I began attending and we became instant friends.  Barb was the one that took me off to Seattle and showed me all the tourist sights too.  Soon she met Russ and they married, and I was her maid of honor.  Reagan, her daughter, was born and I was there.  Then later her son, and I was there.

About the time I began seeing my ex (name who won't be mentioned), she and Russ moved "across the water" (Puget Sound) and I wasn't to see her again for years.  It wasn't so easy to plan seeing her when I was involved with a new life with my ex and his son.  Plus, I was starting to have grandsons who needed my attention. 

However, about two years ago they moved back and we have been seeing each other when we can.  She went back to college and now she is working in sleep labs.  Her schedule is being up mostly at night and sleeping during the day.  That is what happens... life.  So you see how nice it was visiting with everyone again.

That is about all that has happened since last week.  I work til 7 pm on Monday and Tuesday.  Summer is just around the corner.  Changes are coming with the boy's days and schedule so I will have more to write about later.  Hope your week has been a good one.

Cold Start to June

It is a cold day here in the Pacific Northwest.  It is about 54 degrees today.  A lot cooler than it has been.  I am freezing today.  Can't wait for the warm summer days to come.

Saturday was a day we spent at home.  Kari went out to run some errands but I stayed mostly at home.  Then later we went out to check out the new Yogurtland in the area.  It is a yogurt bar.  There isn't many yogurt places here in WA like there were in CA so we had to try it out.

Sunday was a busy, busy day.  We were late to church but I had a meeting after church regarding teaching Sunday school this summer.  Then the boys were invited to a pool birthday party.  And they spent an hour swimming in the shallow end of one of the city's pool.  I seems to me that Riley is really ready now to take swimming lessons this summer.

Next was the boy's Royal Ranger badget ceremony.  They boys got a bunch of badges they earned throughout the year.  Now I have some sewing to do.  After the ceremony they had ice cream sundaes. 

Hope everyone is having a great week!