The Coolest Generation by Dorothy Rosby Every generation since Adam and Eve has criticized
To call wallpaper, throw pillows and Mrs. Dash tragically
the next one for their music, fashion, work ethic and
uncool seems a little overdramatic. And the authors
inexperience, forgetting that all those same criticisms
are prone to sweeping generalizations too. As I read
were once leveled against them, also forgetting they
their “list of things that baby boomers think are cool,
raised the next generation.
but they so aren’t,” I realized I, an actual baby boomer,
And every generation since Cain and Abel has criticized the last one for being hopelessly out of touch, as
for that matter.
though they alone are “cool” and will be the first and
I’m a live-and-let-live kind of person myself, which I
only generation to remain that way forever.
think is one of my cooler qualities. And while I don’t
And so it goes, generation after generation, like some hereditary disease, young people forgetting they stand on the shoulders of the geezers who came before them
own them myself, if someone wants to wear airbrushed t-shirts and Crocs, I’m blissfully neutral about it, as I am about golf, scripted wall art and Yahoo.
and older people forgetting the whippersnappers will
I don’t even own a tragically uncool landline anymore,
soon be running things, possibly better than they did,
though I wish I did every time I misplace my cellphone
but certainly no worse.
somewhere in my house, which is fairly often.
That’s why I wasn’t surprised to see the following
I don’t play racquetball, but I think anyone who puts
article in my internet news feed recently: 25 Tragically
their smartphone down long enough to get up and
Uncool Things Baby Boomers Won’t Let Die. But I was
move their body is pretty cool.
surprised to find there were actually 65 items on the list, which suggests that proofreading might be one of the things the authors find tragically uncool. They didn’t mention their names, maybe fearing their grandmothers would stop sending them birthday money. Nor did they mention what generation they belong to—X, Y or Z. I’m sure in their minds that goes without saying. It’s the cool one.
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don’t find most of them cool at all—or tragically uncool
Family
I don’t type messages in all capital letters, another alleged uncool sin of baby boomers. You’ll notice I haven’t used all caps once in this entire piece. SO THERE! And I don’t “jump for joy” when I see a Reader’s Digest, as the authors claim boomers do. I don’t even subscribe to it, but if you do, more power to you. At least you’re reading something besides social media posts.
