The Greatest Generation
What Was “The Greatest Generation”?
I’m quite literally the cusp of the Baby Boomers and Generation X, having been born in that borderline year of 1965. We aren’t quite retired yet, but we certainly aren’t raising a young family in our peak earning years. Every generation has very specific personality traits and events attributed to it, and these generalities aren’t always perfect, but they are pretty darn spot-on.
My parents are The Greatest Generation.
Okay, not quite. The Greatest Generation is categorized as people born from the turn of the century to about 1925. My parents were actually born in 1930, which technically puts them in The Silent Generation. From the time I was young, however, Pop talked to me about The Greatest Generation, and everything they had done and seen, and how they became so powerful and successful individually and collectively. The Greatest Generation is memorialized as the people who survived not only the Great Depression, but also fought in World War 2, overcoming the hardships of that prolonged conflict.
Chances are, if you are doing The Job right now, your loved one is part of The Greatest Generation, or was born early in The Silent Generation. It’s important for you to know what that might mean for their personality and routines, especially now that they can’t participate fully in their care.
This insight just might make us better caregivers.
Characteristics Of The Greatest Generation
Patriotism and personal responsibility
This generation does not wait to assign blame for things that don’t go well—they accept their level of responsibility and strive to correct and improve things. Fiercely patriotic, they have seen and survived the worst tragedies since the early 1900’s, and believe quite fervently in the hope and promise of the American Dream.
Strong work ethic and humility
How many jobs did your dad have? Your grandpa? Great-grandpa? Chances are good they worked hard, worked seven days a week, and never complained about it once. That is the model of work ethic I grew up with, and it has definitely impacted my feelings about hard work and dedication to your craft. They brought the same devotion and passion to their duties within the house, making sure things were taken care of in a timely fashion, doing most of the work quietly themselves.
Live modestly and save religiously
Growing up through the Great Depression made indelible markers on my parents, and colored their relationship with money throughout their lives. Most members of The Greatest Generation subscribe to the theories in Thomas Stanley’s “The Millionaire Next Door”, slowly and religiously amassing stockpiles of savings and investments to protect them and their families from any financial crises we might see in the future.
Committed and loyal to family
With an enviably low divorce rate, this generation honored and valued their personal commitments. Fiercely loyal to extended family, the Greatest Generation prized and valued those Sundays around the barbecue, and spent valuable time and energy helping not only family, but neighbors and friends. This dedication and devotion was rewarded with deep and abiding friendships and relationships that stood the test of time over decades, and even generations.
Then There Was Nanny
One of my deepest influences, and staunch member of The Greatest Generation, was my maternal grandmother, Nanny. Born on a ship crossing the ocean in 1908, Nanny was given the birthday of July 4th, as all immigrant newborns were, when she came into this country with her parents. My only surviving grandparent, I had a very close relationship with Nanny, and learned many things in her kitchen throughout my formative years.
Not unlike my parents with her fierce loyalty and devotion to family, Nanny was the polar opposite of my mother in so many ways I can’t even count. Quite the partier, Nanny loved her cigarettes and her beer. Quick to laugh and joke and have junk food for dinner, I loved spending time with Nanny. From birth to death, Nanny never amassed enough money to even be considered “comfortable”, but lived her life on her own terms, focusing instead on relationships and experiences as opposed to a dedication to responsibilities and service.
As I grew up, I was fascinated with the differences in Nanny and my parents. It was quite a realistic way to learn about the variations in The Greatest Generation, and was a constant reminder for me that there are always alternatives. My life was my own to design.
Why This Is Important Now That The Dementia Is Severe
There aren’t a lot of current events in my relationship with Mom anymore. The closest we come to talking about the here and now is when we go through the family and I update her on what everyone is doing and where everybody lives now. We do this quite often, because she forgets almost instantly what I’ve told her. Frankly, she forgets names of people and their connections with each other, too, but that’s what I’m there for.
So what do we have? The past, that’s what. It is an incredible side effect of Alzheimers and dementia that events and people from decades ago come to the forefront of the memory, and sufferers can speak with reliable details about people and things from bygone eras. In the overarching goal of keeping Mom interactive and communicative, we spent a lot of time looking back…way back.
Great talking points
I’ve got a nice handful of topics I can bring up at any time that will keep her talking. Maybe they will work for you! Things like the apartments she lived in, what was happening in the neighborhood and what she was doing are all topics that will keep her going for quite a while.
She doesn’t run out of stories
The very best part of the “way back” is that she will never run out of stories, because she forgets which ones she told me last week! I’ve developed tremendous patience for the repetition that is dementia, and encourage you to help these stories along using the details you’ve heard once, or dozens of times, before.
I’m learning a lot
So many of these stories are coming forth from Mom’s memories for the very first time. I’ve learned a lot about what her life was like as a young child, and what it was like for her to lose her own dad at 18. Mom has told me stories about her first time at the beach, and what Newark was really like all those years ago. Listening to her talk about the past has filled in many of the blanks I had about Mom’s life.
The stories are believable
It has been fascinating going through American history through the storytelling of Mom over these past few years, when her mind is only sharp when it is looking backwards. I’ve corroborated some of her stories with relatives as well as internet searching about New Jersey during those decades, and it’s amazing how spot on she is in so many of her tales.
How Do These Stories Help Me?
These stories are immensely helpful for me for several reasons:
- They keep her talking and engaged with me during my visits. She will go on for several minutes about something Nanny did, or a fight she had with her sister Lee.
- I’m learning a lot of details that were never shared with me as a youth. As a student of history and genealogy, I find these stories absolutely fascinating.
- They pass the time, making it easier for me to visit for longer. Silent, disengaged visits tend to be relatively short, so using storytelling to keep Mom talking helps me stay there longer, and keep her more interested in talking instead of napping or watching television.
But, Pat…They Aren’t Real
Did I mention Nanny took her honeymoon on the Titanic, from Poland to Newark? How about when Nanny went horseback riding in Texas with Jimmy Stewart? Yeah, well, those are just two examples of the very tall tales that were shared with me in my youth. The same is true with the information coming out of Mom right now—not all of it is based in facts or reality.
I don’t care.
I’m not a big fan of Mom’s “reality” right now. If this makes her happy, it’s real enough for me.
So I’ll keep her talking, and I’ll keep listening. After all, she is The Greatest Generation.
THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR!!!
Wow! You made it! Thank you for reading about The Greatest Generation!
Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out part 1 of my Mother-In-Law story, here, or if you’ve read that, check out part 2, here! Or maybe you want to hear more about Pop, here. Or, check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!
Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment with YOUR story! Any dementia stories? Let me know!
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