Ten Things I Don’t Want to Give Up as a Boomer
Boomers. Baby Boomers. By most calculations, we were born between the years of 1946 and 1964. There I am somewhere in the late middle of the era, born in the 50’s.
I reject the “Ok Boomer” Peanut Gallery. They just don’t get it. You can’t singularly focus on the current age of a generation or just on what a generation got wrong. Some might argue that we got more right than we got wrong, and that we are still trying to get it right because of our age, not in spite of it. We still have a hefty relevance. I could go on and on about some of the greatest contributions of the Boomer generation, as well as where we went off the rails, but perhaps I’ll save that for a more serious post. This post is a fun one, grounded in the spirit of things like rock and roll and popular culture, both of which are courtesy of my generation (in case anyone is keeping score, looking at you Gen X).
Boomers are a generation of adapters…we’ve seen a lot of change, young ‘uns, whether you want to make fun of us or not. I have no problem integrating a lot of “newness” and change into my life. People who know me know how much I do like change. It was what I enjoyed most in my career— the “change initiatives.” I actually love technology and most of you know I follow media for the latest brain research, another passion honed in my career as an educator. Yup, I can grow and evolve with the best of ‘em.
But there are some things I guess I just dig my heels in about as a Boomer. And that means there are some things that are part of my life as that “born in the fifties” girl that I’m not giving up. Although I am neither an aging hippie (well maybe a little bit) nor an old fogey (not that there’s anything wrong with that), a Gen Z’er would probably find a few things in my home and habits that are a bit cringe. So in no particular order of my own dependence, here they are:
#1 Listening to A.M. Radio
So I confess to still being up on summer nights twirling the tuning dial, listening for the interruption of static to hear the call letters from Ottawa, Chicago, Philly, or some station so obscure that I feel like a wartime codebreaker. There is so much interference now it’s nowhere near as satisfying as it was when I was a kid. Picking up a far-off baseball game fading in and out among the static has lulled many boomer kids to sleep on a summer night. In college I searched the dial for American Popular Standards, which I loved to pick up on 1560 WQXR. I listened for news (often chilling) from NYC on WCBS 880. And I loved CBC Radio’s As It Happens with Barbara Frum. I listened for old “Theater of the Mind” radio late at night on an a.m. station from Toronto. Now I like to listen to two local a.m. stations, one in Vermont and one in Plattsburgh that play hits from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. One is also the local home to Yankee baseball, so it’s all good. I listen to those stations on an actual radio, folks, loving to hear the crackle of an approaching storm in the summer. That brings me to another confession. I actually listen to a lot of non-local a.m. radio stations on TuneIn (Internet) Radio now; it’s just easier and the reception is always good. And I do like and listen to all kinds of music, but I return to the old a.m. reliables to feel grounded and “at home” with myself.
#2 The “Good” Dishes
I have read countless self-care articles that chastise, “What are you waiting for? Use the good dishes every day!” I.just.can’t. This is another throwback to my childhood. I do use nice things. My “everyday” dishes are beautiful, handmade pottery. But before the pandemic kept us from regularly having guests, I saved my Portmeirion dishes for special lunches, brunches, or dinners in the spring or summer because of their lovely floral patterns. I have special fall dishes for Thanksgiving and a special set for Christmas, too. These days many dishes are headed to the charity shop. Just not the “good” dishes.
#3 Ironing
I love ironing. I always have. From the first time I saw my mom testing the heat of the flat iron with the lick of her finger and a sizzle, I wanted to do it myself. I remember my first pink metal toy ironing board and my own toy iron — heaven. My mom taught me how to iron at an early age. I remember the old Coke bottle with the sprinkler topper (my aunt had one where the topper fit into an elephant’s trunk, oh I coveted that). It was my job to sprinkle and roll the items to get them ready for ironing. Pretty soon I had license to solo, and I never looked back. I iron pretty much everything I wear. And yes, I still buy spray starch. I don’t iron sheets and pillow cases like my mom did, just clothing that I am going to be wearing right before I wear it. Yes, tablecloths and napkins get ironed for special occasions. No, not going to apologize for it. There is something about that burst of steam smoothing away those wrinkles like so many tiny problems—both, all ironed out.
#4 Boxed Mac and Cheese
Oh, boy, Kraft Dinner! That was probably my favorite school night dinner growing up and throughout most of my teaching career. Easy, fast, and delicious. Healthy? Not so much. Sometimes I’d add a can of tuna and a can of peas to up the nutrition. I haven’t eaten that particular boxed brand in years. Now my boxed favorite is Annie’s Vegan Mac made with plant milk, vegan butter, and usually served with a generous side of steamed broccoli. It’s a fall and winter staple I will likely never part with.
#5 Clock Radios
Reader, if it weren’t for clock radios I would have probably slept through my entire working career. Without the early morning sounds of Public Radio, the genius of a snooze button, and the digital glow of the time (always set 10 minutes ahead), I don’t know if I could have lived as successfully as I have in the land of adulting. No cell phone alarm for me. I am never giving up my Bose Wave and the “wake to” sound of the radio.
#6 Vinyl Albums and a Turntable
Maybe it’s a cloudy, rainy, or snowy Sunday afternoon, or an evening just relaxing with my husband in our family room that we affectionately call “The 70’s Room”… regardless, there will be vinyl on the turntable. Depending on the mood it could be Leon Russell, Joan Baez, Patti Smith, or April Wine, maybe Shawn Phillips, Edward Bear, or even The Cowsills. Those would be choices from my collection. My husband would say he has a much cooler selection. Both of our collections don’t stretch beyond music from the mid 1970’s. We love the vinyl experience so much that we both have our own turntables. And just to be clear, our vinyl albums aren’t some remastered, newly pressed hipster records — they are the real deal, scratches and all.
#7 Eating in Front of the TV
What can I say in my defense? I am from the TV tray generation. The whole family popped open TV trays and ate our dinner to the Ballad of Paladin and Have Gun, Will Travel and then finished up dessert with Walter Cronkite. And as kids, we did love our Swanson TV Dinners. For years of single life, the TV was my dinner companion. I still love watching a black and white rerun with dinner…and my husband will join me on the couch for the news. When dinner is involved, which is not always eaten in front of the TV, there will be TV trays involved — not floral patterned, rusty metal ones, but trays with nice-looking wood grain tops. We fancy.
#8 My Landline
I know I have fewer and fewer contemporaries to keep me company with this one. Yes, both my husband and I have cell phones. I don’t even like to talk on the phone. But I do like the idea that when the power goes out, my gas stove will still work and so will my phone. Number nine on my list helps to explain my stubbornness with giving this up.
#9 “Just in Case” Provisions
When my husband asks why we have 10 cans of RoTel Diced Tomatoes and 4 jars of Teddy Peanut Butter (and I can tell he’s just warming up), the answer is simple: “just in case.” Boomers can thank our parents for this holdover. The Great Depression and WWII left them with scarcity trauma that never fully passed. My mom called her walk-in cupboard in our basement “The Reserve Shelf.” To a newly working teacher barely able to afford rent, it was my grocery store. Rows and rows of cans of Maxwell House, jars of Sanka, tuna, soups, canned vegetables, and SpaghettiOs didn’t make sense to me, but I used it. Now, it makes total sense, and when the pandemic hit was I glad I had inherited that “skill” from my mother. Not giving that one up…you just never know.
#10 Playing Cards
This is something each generation inherits from the last. That traditional deck of 52 with its 4 suits has been around since the 1500’s. Playing cards is not just recreational, it’s relational and intergenerational. Whether played alongside cups of cocoa or cocktails, that ASMR slap of the cut deck and shuffling of the cards is something I wouldn’t want to live without. I just wish my husband felt the same. Oh well.
As Boomers, the list of things we’ve moved beyond would be too long to print, and Pop Tarts and Tang may or may not be on it. So what are some generational things you’re just not willing to give up? Is there something typically “Boomer” about them? Not a Boomer? Share your generation’s keepers. Drop your thoughts into the Comments. I guarantee, just wondering about it is a fun walk down memory lane. Those nostalgic strolls are one of the best parts of living The Precious Days.
