Saturday, August 3, 2019

Conversations on the road

     
What did I do on this vacation? Talked, of course. Ann owns a business and employs people, mostly high school youngsters, kids moving on to the next phase of life. She tagged along on blogger meet-up lunches with women her age and mine, engaged with the public in similar ways. 


In truth, she did much of the talking, my aching knees and I joining in. I am pleased and amused to report, Ann confessed she could have sent me alone, with nothing to worry about. And I resolved the knees on returning home, sort of. A discussion for another day.



I was about to start this paragraph: Millennials!  Actually, it’s worse than that. They’re called Gen Z in the literature. “Z” may have been appropriated as the next in the alphabet. Or, it may be “Z” as in the old cartoon notation of fast, fast asleep. Kids these days, as noted by we old geezers, respond to no stimuli we experienced or understand.




So, I’m sitting at lunches with adults dealing with Gen Z’s, who all made the same observations. Gen Z’s parents call and make their appointments. Their parents call them off work. Their parents even submit their resignations. “I’m calling to let you know Jane/John is quitting.” “And how much notice are you giving for Jane/John? A week, two weeks?” “Oh, no. She/he is not coming beginning today.”




When dealing directly with a Gen Z, any sentence ending in a question mark is met with a blank stare. There is no apparent recognition of the punctuation mark, or the authority of the person asking the question. When set upon tasks, the Z’s perform adequately, then mill about out of sight, or stand stock still, ‘out of sight, out of mind’, avoiding learning the next job. Or knowing the next job, commencing the execution.




All these points of discussion between Ann and the wonderful lurkers I found did not fall on deaf ears. I’ve had ten or more years of blank stares. The children come home from school with their self-esteem boosted, but little increase in understanding. In short; it’s a pervasive new system. Parents and teachers seem to have cheerfully quit knowing what is best, in favor of gaining the approbation of the children.



And then we would conclude a nice meal discussing the very few we have seen sent out to the world and rising to expectations. We despaired for the many who shunned a trade for accumulating all the debt associated with a profession.  There is not much left for we geezers to do. In due time we will exit stage right, hoping the examples and lessons we’ve left behind will have effect.




I see that worry about the results of the next election, and the big one, after that, are futile. We are left with speaking our minds and making our case. Generations X and Z will turn the election left or right, blue or red. We can only hope there are wheels in play behind blank stares.


I spent a lot of time in Madison, the beautiful capital of Wisconsin. Like my own Case Western Reserve, the University of Wisconsin, Madison area is maintained and upgraded University, Inc., USA. A pleasure to be in, ambiance to absorb, restaurants to try. And the bakery! In Wisconsin you must try every bakery. All those Swedes and Danes and Germans knew what to do with butter and flour!

30 comments:

  1. I've seen the trends of helicopter parenting here and there.

    It does not help one bit.

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  2. Teachers see the heli/hovering parents all the time. One parent asked to cancel homework, because after piano, dancing, soccer, et. they kids don't have enough time.

    "In due time we will exit stage right, hoping the examples and lessons we’ve left behind will have effect." Yes.

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  3. We boomers and pre boomers have left a mess for these millennials. Their world is much different than ours and they have to deal with an ever-changing and uncertain future. I wouldn’t want to be young today. Bless them and I wish them well.

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    1. And so do I. But I've lived with the dumbing down of our children, and it is true. I so recall a grandchild who could not accept the Science Fair results. It was "The judges didn't like us," not "the judges didn't like our work." If not our children and grandchildren, they are the minority and their uphill battle will be harder.

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  4. I wouldn't want to be my granddaughter in today's world, they are desperately trying to make sense of this dying planet and of course they zone out but never with each other. They know exactly what's going down.

    As to those hovering parents, dear gawd, how awful, creating this enormous dependence by their children and tightening those apron strings in their own need to be "useful".

    I like your closing sentence and your photos.

    XO
    WWW

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  5. As one with a German baker for one of my sons in law, I do agree with that last sentence. And I shake my head over those foolish helicopter parents. But all are not like this. Still, we were much more independent even in our teens.

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  6. As a student a friend told me that is one translated 'out of sight, out of mind' into Russian and then translated it back it came out as 'absent idiot'.
    They may be doing their own thing...they certainly aren't capable of doing mine.
    And before any doting grandparents start up there are always exceptions...I just don't seem to meet any of them.

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  7. Hari OM
    It seems, reading between the lines, that all you 'geezers' had a jolly good time!!! Lovely images to go along with the sorting out of the end of the alphabet. Just think, there was a time when we ourselves had heads shaken and sighs drawn over our lack of ability to conform or contribute... of course, we also lived in times when it was okay for parents to discipline their children and didn't mind if the teacher did it too. There was not room given for blank stares. YAM xx

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  8. I don't interact with any millennials. According to one web site, both my kids are Gen Xers if only just barely at the ending edge and my grandkids are Gen Z if only just barely this time at the beginning edge. these helicopter parents are doing their kids a grave disservice preventing them from growing up and becoming functional independent adults. I do wonder with all this over protection both physically, emotionally, and life skills will the generation faced with a dying world have the ability to do anything about it? what going to happen when the boomers and our kids all die?

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  9. I bet your mum wrote this blog post for you.

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    1. You know, my mother once drilled me on 100 American Novels and their authors, so I could pass the test. I still remember some of the hints she gave me, like Sister Carried her clothes to the Dreiser. I aced the test, by the way. How long ago that was.

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  10. They are bulldozer parents now. They just clear everything away for the darlings. The helicopters were with the Xs.

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  11. Agreeing with Marie.
    And aching for the lost learning/discovery/failures/successes...
    Love that you had some kindred souls to talk too - and hope those aching knees CAN be fixed.

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  12. I'll take that dessert; all of it. It looks scrumptious. I can't imagine it would go well to have your parent call you out of work after a certain age? I think if I was an employer I would just laugh if some parent did that.

    I looked up what the wee one's generation would be. Here's what I found:

    Generation Alpha is considered to be the most technological-infused demographic up to date. Generation Alpha are children born from 2010 to 2025. They are the first generation entirely born within the 21st century. They are also known as the iGeneration.

    I can see the thing about the technology because he is already more advanced in technology than I am.

    Always an interesting read at your place!

    betty

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  13. I grew up around Swedes, Danes, and Germans. As a matter of fact there are many of my ancestors either from Germany or oof German descent. My grandmother was from Denmark. The pastries are indeed worth a trip.

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  14. I remember my German mother making apple strudel and coffee cakes with the "streusel" on top sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. When she left us (to live somewhere else) I missed her baking more than I missed her, I think.
    I despair of a future filled with professionals with not a tradie in sight. Who is going to fix the plumbing in 2030, 2050? My 23 year old grandson is a tradie, following in his father's footsteps, working in concrete but with study and licences for plumbing and electric work too. He's also a computer whizz and has an IQ I envy.

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  15. Both of our sons have trade skills -- eldest works for the railroad and can operate any track maintenance equipment used by the railroad, and has a Class A driver's license; younger son works for a major brand paint company as a commercial paint sprayer repairman. Both are sharp as a tack... proud of them!

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  16. Canned Heat. Good to see you back blogging again, Joanne.

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  17. I know what you mean about the blank stares of the younger generation. Did they hear what I said? Did they understand it? Do they care? I have no idea how to communicate effectively with them. It's a whole new sensibility and I don't have the passwords. I just hope they can clear up some of the political messes we're surrounded with.

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  18. There are some really beautiful towns and cities in America, and some really good food too.

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  19. Generation X was born between 1960 and 1980, although I think late Boomers are still considered the very early 60's. I am Gen X (1966). Trust me when I say I am around a lot of young people. Here is the trend (Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule): They do not handle disappointment because they are never allowed to experience it. They are the "purple participation ribbon" generation and are enabled to be self-centred. When they are dealt a difficult blow somewhere in their late teens, early twenties, they fall apart because they have not had to solve problems and deal with "no" along the way. They are very accepting of other peoples' differences and almost expect and encourage them. They are not bad, just haven't been allowed to stand on their own two feet. Much of this is down to absent parenting with a lean towards being their friends rather than their parents. They are also the "I want it now, and I shall have it now" group who don't know what delayed gratification is. This is down to technology and the internet. O.K., I will get down off my soapbox now. And before I get knocked off, I HAVE a 19 year old who has heard the word "no" many times in his life. -Jenn

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  20. I don't even know how to respond to this. I haven't begun to figure out who is of what generation. I hear a lot of blame being put on baby boomers in ways that are hugely stereotypical and negative and I think, "Well, not the ones I know." So as with everything, I try to assess things on a one-to-one basis. But I cannot say that I would want to be a young person today. The despair I feel about the planet is overwhelming and I know that I'll probably be gone before the most devastating effects of climate change have occurred. What must it feel like to have to think about the odds of being able to raise a family in these times? I know that my children are incredibly hard working and caring people. I just don't have any answers at all.

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    1. I know so many hardworking young people, devoted parents. How their world is spinning out of control, due as much to their generation of phone faces as well as their parents and grandparents. They have a society they must grab and control, else the grabber/controller will be a dictator.

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  21. Joanne, I had to laugh at this post and even read part of it to DH... the part about Generation Z. We have encountered this same thing. It's a different work ethic than we knew. Recently one of our grandchildren applied for another job. Did they give notice? Yes, one day notice... not the standard 2 weeks we always thought was acceptable. But it's a different world. Job security is not what it was. Just glad I'm no longer part of the work force these days.

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    1. I am so dismayed by the lack of common courtesy. Its definition has changed so, it might as well be curt-esy. Yes, glad I'm out of it, too.

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  22. I think all adults have worried about the coming generations of children and what will happen in the world, since there were adults and children. I don't always like what I see in younger generations but one way or another, they have/will become adults and change the world for good or no. Every generation has an uphill battle to fix the wrongs made by the previous ones. And, yum! Bakeries! Thank god there's none close to me or I'd have a kitchen full of things I shouldn't eat.

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    1. I suppose all will be well when they own the world, Pam. In the meantime, many are highly unreliable cogs of the world they inhabit.

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  23. Interesting post
    I had to look up Generation Z. The name does fit.

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  24. Maybe painting with too broad a brush, but I get it.

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