No. I Won't.

Recently, I'd started a new job. One of our daughter’s friends parents stated, "Wow! You are really enjoying this like you had with the service in AmeriCorps last year." I remarked, "Yes, mostly young people ages 18-34 pretty much. They're just so nice. They're kind."

Anyone knowing that I grossed upwards of $150 per hour for 28 years having my own business would be stunned that I've chosen this job at near minimum wage for a few reasons. No. It's not a bucketlist. Nope. It's a break from writing. Too, it helps with the extras for my living and I've always worked outside our home regularly until sometime in 2021 till May of 2023.

I've been working outside and inside the home in caring for others since age eleven. Then in the workforce since age fifteen cleaning grease vats for $1.50 per hour. Illegally as that was. Basically, I've always worked. I've always earned some money as an adult from pennies to having the ability to pay the mortgage. 

Whether in service, charity-favors, care-giving, or business offices. You'd think I knew something. Yet, my approach is newness.

This morning our youngest commented, "Wait they're my age and you call them kids?"

I replied, "Hey. Anyone under age 41 is a kid to me. Although, I do acknowledge that they're still adults from age eighteen on up."

Was the brief but spectacular conversation we'd had this morning as she was still home for the holidays. 

I later added, "You know I've learned so much from your generation. It's pretty cool."

On a side note; however, by no means am I our daughters best friend. 

Before my husband passed, I played the role of the 'bad cop', mostly. And as well, I'll probably always be viewed as their parent. It's how my moral compass and character dictate in how I act. 

Too, I do not allow our daughters to know exactly what I'm thinking. It'd be a little bit too rough for them. 

Early yesterday morning as I drove our oldest to the airport, I explained to her an episodic time in my childhood. Something neither of our children have had to endure, neither had my husband had to endure either. Yet, I alone had.

As I drove we spoke about friendships. The scene from an old movie comes into play in mind, "Marathon Man" with Dustin Hoffman. The line, "Is it safe?" That line from the movie rolls around perpetually in my head for a multitude of reasons, every so often.

However, that would be the question of my childhood. Yet, I hadn't explained it to our oldest till yesterday at five or so in the morning. 

I explained, "...by Mid-November of my seventh grade year, I knew I couldn't bring any friends to my home."

I did not hear a gasp from her. Yet, there was a deep silence that prevailed for more than seconds. It seemed to sink in, as our daughter’s childhood experiences have been the complete opposite of what I'd experienced. 

Funny enough, I don't purposefully say things to punish people. I say them to give a different perspective. A variation of how others may have experienced their lives. Why they act the way they do. I believe it broadens minds and makes one realize we truly know not all that much. Even if we read, study, eat well, and exercise our bodies towards health.

The other day on a social media platform, I read a post that was damning. Damning of a young person I'd never met, but I had been supportive of her political views. I held back on criticism of her posts. Because for the most part I'd felt she knew her politics. I'd fact checked her privately, so I knew the truths.

The damning part came when she overly criticized the Baby Boomer generation. I wanted to yell, 'First, we are not all like that! Second, we've opened doors for you young women in so many ways, as had our predecessors. Third, you got this wrong on so many levels kiddo.'

Instead, I didn't respond. I ignored her post and moved along like a mature Baby Boomer. 

I decided... 'No. I won't fire back in a knee-jerk reaction to ridiculousness. And I won't 'elder-splain' the truths I know that she'd ignored for whatever convenience that aided her.

I also knew that what bothers me about the state of affairs in our country and in the world was probably bothering the younger generations three-fold or so. My maturity has understanding. Which many may feel it's the years here on earth. Yet, I will state that it's my witnessing all sorts of stuff early in life. Knowing things children shouldn't know before age ten or sixteen...or never, I knew by age eight.

Having been around, my being approachable throughout my life has had it's trauma. However, it has offered wisdom, awareness, and gratefulness all the same. Yet, I'm now in more of a constant recoiled state.

As much as I wanted to reprimand someone who needed a little downgrading, I let it go. I let it go as I've let most things go. The only times I won't is when someone has repeatedly had bad intentions. No. I won't 'elder-splain' them, nor 'life-splain' them. I've known that sometimes people need to vent; and eventually find out the truth by witnessing it in the actions of others.

They also need history lessons. And as everyone else in this country needs, they need to read more books. Open-ended articles and the like from a variety of sources even disagreeable ones. That is what makes a better thinking world. Better thinking to better doing. And No. I won't downgrade a generation because of what appears to be 'a thinking' in an incorrect pattern.---Jody-Lynn Reicher