The Last Generation...
I could be wrong about this... But it certainly feels right. I fall in the middle of the baby bombers generation. Growing up, history seemed to play a bigger part of our lives. There were still people alive that lived though the American Civil War. My grandfather was a soldier in World War 1. My father was in the service in World War 2. And I grew up in the midst of the Korean War and the very controversial Vietnam War. Personal history was passed down generation to generation in story telling. But somewhere, the personal history from my parents to me just didn't happen. Family history that was in the past passed down generation to generation, now saw the advent of television... maybe this is just a coincidence, the telling of personal family history stopped. There is very little known about my parents before I was born. Even less about my Grandparents. Looking back, now that they are long gone, I wish they had told me more about their personal lives... Or that I had been more interested and asked. Things I'll never know about. And that's truly a loss.
So I guess I'm part of the last generation that held an interest in family history, even if it mostly faded away for us. Today... The younger generation, our children and especially grandchildren are not only disinterested, but they are of the mindset that life is all about them. It's the all about me generations. Add to this the new media and social media, and their need to become part of the drama is over the top. With the drama comes all the seemingly endless issues over which they can be offended.
So not only are they not interested now, but they will happily go on with their drama filled lives, never even caring about what they never knew, and never will know, about my life. Kinda sad in a way.
I once thought that a personal diary about my life and my blog would someday be a source of future questions that they might later have about me. In reality... That will never happen. They will only know what time we shsred together... And beyond that, know nothing, and not even care that they do not care. Just one more way that family life has been over shaded by modern social life. Perhaps today's families are fragmented by the influences of society, and the fabric that held families together is a thing of the past. Families that use to share the family house, or live close by are now scattered across the country. And this that are close in distance are no closer that those states away. Life is easier than ever, but consumes all of their lives.
I'll probably continue my personal diary, as it were, and write to my blog, which would seem to be primarily for my own benefit as a hobby. Family is so self absorbed that most don't even check my Facebook page. But then again, Facebook is pretty much dead, but that's another story.
So... To this that read my blog, I hope that it sometimes brings a smile to your face, or press along information that may help you. Perhaps even inspire you, like rving. It's a wonderful life.
So I guess I'm part of the last generation that held an interest in family history, even if it mostly faded away for us. Today... The younger generation, our children and especially grandchildren are not only disinterested, but they are of the mindset that life is all about them. It's the all about me generations. Add to this the new media and social media, and their need to become part of the drama is over the top. With the drama comes all the seemingly endless issues over which they can be offended.
So not only are they not interested now, but they will happily go on with their drama filled lives, never even caring about what they never knew, and never will know, about my life. Kinda sad in a way.
I once thought that a personal diary about my life and my blog would someday be a source of future questions that they might later have about me. In reality... That will never happen. They will only know what time we shsred together... And beyond that, know nothing, and not even care that they do not care. Just one more way that family life has been over shaded by modern social life. Perhaps today's families are fragmented by the influences of society, and the fabric that held families together is a thing of the past. Families that use to share the family house, or live close by are now scattered across the country. And this that are close in distance are no closer that those states away. Life is easier than ever, but consumes all of their lives.
I'll probably continue my personal diary, as it were, and write to my blog, which would seem to be primarily for my own benefit as a hobby. Family is so self absorbed that most don't even check my Facebook page. But then again, Facebook is pretty much dead, but that's another story.
So... To this that read my blog, I hope that it sometimes brings a smile to your face, or press along information that may help you. Perhaps even inspire you, like rving. It's a wonderful life.
Any way... Hope y'all enjoy life... and enjoy family as much as you can.
Because... When the parents, grandparents, and great grandparents are gone... Opportunities to know about their life is also gone... Forever.
