Last night I was visiting with a friend of mine and his teenage son heard us sharing stories from ‘back in the day’. At the end of one of the stories we hear him say “OK Boomer”, which is basically means “ya, whatever old man”. Wikipedia describes it as a catchphrase and internet meme that gained popularity among the younger generation throughout 2019, used to dismiss or mock attitudes stereotypically attributed to the baby boomer generation. Apparently to teenagers, anyone older than them is a “Boomer” ie: Baby Boomer. Well, gather ’round the fire kids, because I’ve got a story to tell you.
I know that when you’re a teenager that even the age of 30 seems like it should be sooooo old. We’ve all been that teen. But when we got to the age of 30 we realized it wasn’t that old at all. Same for 40. And now that I’m 50, I still don’t feel that old, and I’m pretty sure if you asked anyone who’s 80 they’d say the same thing.
Here’s how it works: Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. Any generation before the Baby Boomers, I’m calling them the Badass Generations, because none of us could live they way they had to.
Generation X were born between 1965 and 1980. Millennials were born between 1981 and 1995. Generation Z were born between 1996-2011. Generation Alpha were born after 2012.
Just to set the record straight, I’m not a ‘Boomer”, I’m Generation X – the generation that amped up rock and roll with punk rock (including the punk band called Generation X) and heavy metal. Plus, of all the generations listed, Generation X has the coolest name. So stop calling me Boomer or I’ll make you sit and listen to more stories about how much better is was back in my day.
A special Thank You to the Badass Generation
