"Within forty years of their arrival in the Plymouth colony, the first white settlers were afraid their children had lost the dedication and religious conviction of the founding generation. Ever since, Americans have looked to the next generation not only with love and solicitude but with a good measure of anxiety, worrying whether they themselves were good parents, fearful that their children would not turn out well." Kenneth Keniston, US Professor, Human Development, quote made in 1977

You found it. It was tucked away in that inbox of yours, or perhaps you were looking for something important out on the internet and found my portion of puffed up prose for this day, Monday, March 17, 2014. Whether you like it or not, you have been categorized, analyzed, studied, and much is known about you, with or without your participation. Find your niche: Born between 1883-1900: “The Lost Generation”, those who fought in World War I. Born 1901-1924: “The Greatest Generation”, or the G.I. Generation, or Flaming Youth, includes those who grew up to serve in WWII.  Born 1925-1942: “The Silent Generation”, also known as Depression babies because of the impact the Great Depression had on their lives. WWII babies, Post-War generation, Seekers, and The Lucky Few. Described as hard working, silent, fatalistic, cautious, indifferent. Born 1946-1964: “Baby Boomers”, a large group born after World War II, in a time of increasing affluence. Boomers think of themselves as a special generation, very different from any that came before them. Many boomers feel they helped change the world. Born early 1960′s- early 1980′s: “Generation X”. Gen X’ers refer to those born after the Post WWII baby boom ended. No definitive dates are given for this generation. Born late 1970′s or early 1980′s to early 2000′s: “Generation Y” or “Millennial Generation”. Gen Y’ers or Millennials have no precise dates for starting and ending of this generation, but it is the generation following Generation X. (This was taken from an article written by a blogger who culled information from Wikipedia for his input. There are numerous charts that likely would be slightly different.) That's what we call an editor's note and since I am the chief writer, editor, and bottle washer here at the blogger ranch, I thought I should clarify that.

I know there are some gaps in those listed and I suppose that could give someone a complex, as if anybody needed the added pressure of feeling like they had been dropped through the cracks. My reason for putting this information up was to talk some about how it is used. There's a huge body of research behind these statistics and they are not necessarily focused on making sure folks are healthy, wealthy, and wise. Our market based economy dictates that you need to know your customer and what products you can develop and sell to them. The wife and I often laugh at the advancing age related products that seemingly dominate some of the programs we watch. Hello? They know who are the likely people watching that particular show. They know they might just need some help in the hearing area or relief from arthritis, and the list goes on and on. Does it work? Obviously it does, to the tune of billions. How many products do you have in your home that are tagged As Seen on TV?

The last comment I have is concerning the current youngsters coming up. Much has been written about how they lack a moral foundation, a sense of reliability, and in general, lacking in ambition. We've got all these previous generations that tend to be looked up to because of their accomplishments. I heard an editorial the other day about us thinking seriously about where this current up and coming so called messed-up generation came from. Whose children are they anyway? Who is it that turned them over to the media to raise? Who is it that failed to pour into them the values said to be so important? It was one of those 'go look in the mirror' type of assessments. The fellow doing the editorial said he had witnessed some kids at a fast food joint trying to get their parents attention. Both parents had their heads stuck into their smartphones and were oblivious to the tugging and calling, so, after a few minutes, the kids left with a dejected look having not been able to pry mommy or daddy from their gadgets. I thought it was important enough to share and maybe it is a wake up call for us all. A little sobering if you ask me. But you didn't, and it's time to get on with the next piece of pressing business, you know the one I am talking about. Today. Get out there and Get-R-Done! May God bless each one. Amen.   ....More later.