Do you guys have any questions for gen z?

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Regarding refusing to grow up, I have always been told over the years (since 1940) to "grow up" usually after some prank. I find now days it is more expected, i.e. dad jokes etc. and I can easily slip into my "second childhood" unnoticed.
 
Thumpalumpacus said:
I dislike the whole generational lumping thing. It's just one more way to shove individuals into some group identity they may or may not share. Opinions, thinking, that stuff doesn't move with any clockwork precision.
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I'm with you. For example, how can siblings come from different generations? That, alone, is illogical.

I need to stop channelling my inner Victor Meldrew:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqLT3PmOKtQ
 
I was born in 1958 and grew up in small town Minnesota at a time of significant change in the status quo for the social groups. The following are a few of the changes that I remember/noticed from my younger years:

When I was ~6 years old I asked my (Presbyterian) mother who the people going into the black tar-paper church/school were. She told me they were Catholic, were different, and I should stay away from them.

My older sister is 5 years older than I - she finished high school without ever being able to wear blue jeans to school - dresses with tights or nylons only. She became a special education teacher, later switching to elementary school teacher and tutor. When I asked her many years later why she chose teaching she said that it was one of the few options she felt were open to her.

When I was in 8th grade I remember being told by one of my classmates/friends that they had finally gotten electricity run up to their house, and she was now able to study after dark (via the one light bulb over the table in the kitchen-dining room). My father had commented a bit earlier on the fact that her "skinflint" father had finally had the house connected to the electric grid.

My younger sister by 2 1/2 years (ie 7 1/5 years younger than my older sister) entered 7th grade (the start of high school in my home town) being able to wear blue jeans. She became a microbiologist (BS) and electron microscope specialist (MS), later becoming 2nd in command at Hewlett Packard's material failure analysis division.

When I was in 9th grade my English teacher was required to quit teaching mid-year when it became obvious she was pregnant - and remain on leave for the remainder of her pregnancy - even though she was respectably married to the high school biology teacher.

My junior year (11th grade) was the first year that girls could attend our high school while pregnant. This was also the first year that we had a black family move into town - they were young and had no children yet so their was no integration problem at school.

My junior year was also the year that the high school hooked up to the Plato computer at the University of Minnesota - we had a typewriter/printer terminal that could be used to enter rudimentary Basic, FORTRAN, and COBOL programs, or play the Star Trek maneuver game.

In the 2nd half of my senior year (12th grade) 2 of the girls that had been pregnant in my junior year were given permission to bring their babies to school with them - as long as they did not disrupt class. Also by my senior year, the Catholic school had shut down and the Catholic kids had been integrated into our public high school. Lo and behold they were not any different (at least not in any way that mattered).

Also in my junior and senior years, the high school girls basketball team did very well, taking the state championship in my senior year (1976). Many of the townsfolk felt that the boys team(s) were (undefinably) not receiving their just due, and became resentful to the point that there were "Support Our Boys" protest banners popping up around town on people's lawns, and the girl's basketball coach was accused of being a dyke or lesbian (as were some of the girls on the team). 5 years later the girl's team(s) were a source of pride around town.
 
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Hey Venomstick121,

I realize that we have not really been asking you questions about your life and the original post, so I would like to suggest that you mention some of the changes you have seen in your life. I think it is safe to say what we would like to hear your take on the subject.
 
ThomasP said:
I was born in 1958 and grew up in small town Minnesota at a time of significant change in the status quo for the social groups. The following are a few of the changes that I remember/noticed from my younger years:

When I was ~6 years old I asked my (Presbyterian) mother who the people going into the black tar-paper church/school were. She told me they were Catholic, were different, and I should stay away from them.

My older sister is 5 years older than I - she finished high school without ever being able to wear blue jeans to school - dresses with tights or nylons only. She became a special education teacher, later switching to elementary school teacher and tutor. When I asked her many years later why she chose teaching she said that it was one of the few options she felt were open to her.

When I was in 8th grade I remember being told by one of my classmates/friends that they had finally gotten electricity run up to their house, and she was now able to study after dark (via the one light bulb over the table in the kitchen-dining room). My father had commented a bit earlier on the fact that her "skinflint" father had finally had the house connected to the electric grid.

My younger sister by 2 1/2 years (ie 7 1/5 years younger than my older sister) entered 7th grade (the start of high school in my home town) being able to wear blue jeans. She became a microbiologist (BS) and electron microscope specialist (MS), later becoming 2nd in command at Hewlett Packard's material failure analysis division.

When I was in 9th grade my English teacher was required to quit teaching mid-year when it became obvious she was pregnant - and remain on leave for the remainder of her pregnancy - even though she was respectably married to the high school biology teacher.

My junior year (11th grade) was the first year that girls could attend our high school while pregnant. This was also the first year that we had a black family move into town - they were young and had no children yet so their was no integration problem at school.

My junior year was also the year that the high school hooked up to the Plato computer at the University of Minnesota - we had a typewriter/printer terminal that could be used to enter rudimentary Basic, FORTRAN, and COBOL programs, or play the Star Trek maneuver game.

In the 2nd half of my senior year (12th grade) 2 of the girls that had been pregnant in my junior year were given permission to bring their babies to school with them - as long as they did not disrupt class. Also by my senior year, the Catholic school had shut down and the Catholic kids had been integrated into our public high school. Lo and behold they were not any different (at least not in any way that mattered).

Also in my junior and senior years, the high school girls basketball team did very well, taking the state championship in my senior year (1976). Many of the townsfolk felt that the boys team(s) were (undefinably) not receiving their just due, and became resentful to the point that there were "Support Our Boys" protest banners popping up around town on people's lawns, and the girl's basketball coach was accused of being a dyke or lesbian (as were some of the girls on the team). 5 years later the girl's team(s) were a source of pride around town.
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great post !
 
ThomasP said:
Hey Venomstick121,

I realize that we have not really been asking you questions about your life and the original post, so I would like to suggest that you mention some of the changes you have seen in your life. I think it is safe to say what we would like to hear your take on the subject.
Click to expand...
when I get a second I will, currently in english
 
Born in august 2007 in a rural, larger small town (if that makes sense) 15 minutes south of Oswego which is off the coast of Lake Ontario. Lived in my grandfathers house with my mom, dad, and grandpa and our dog Deuce.


Parents married in 2008

Little brother was born in 2009, parents divorced the same year. Dad moved in with his parents and we stayed in my grandpas house

When I was 4 so around 2011 ish we moved in with my Mom's boyfriend at the time who was a firefighter and EMT. He had 3 kids of his own. 2 older ones who were in highschool and the youngest was one year younger than me.

Moved out in 2013 due to borderline abuse. Moved back into grandfather's house.

In 2014 my Mom bought a house with her best friend at the time and planned on moving in with each other. She had 2 boys of her own, both older than me, and 3 girls 2 of which were younger than me. We lived there for a summer then the friend got married and bought a house with her new husband so we sold the house and moved into a 2 bedroom apartment when I was in 2nd grade. Mom met a new boyfriend and we moved into a new apartment with him right down the road from us.

Spent ~3 years there. While we lived there we got a lot of different pets. We had everything from snakes, lizards, fish, poison dart frogs, toads, dogs (we rescued a pitbull from the city of Syracuse who was pregnant and being abused who ended up having 8 puppies in our 950 sq ft apartment we weren't supposed to have any dogs in), and some pigeons and doves on the balcony.

Mom married boyfriend and we moved into a new house July of 2018 where I currently live.

Covid hit us when I was in 7th grade and we went all virtual. 8th grade was a hybrid every other day until April then we went to everyday with the option of virtual.

Now I am a senior in High school, I have a good job, great family, great neighborhood, and a fairly great life in my opinion.
 
WARSPITER said:
That is what really counts. You are making your own way without being "owed" by society etc so good on you.

You also have a good opinion on life - keep that as any downs teach us to appreciate the ups and what we have.
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I like to make people happy. I will argue with my stepdad and 2 hours later I try talking to him like we never argued. He gets upset because he thinks I don't care but I try not to think about what happened 2 hours ago and try to stay happy in the moment.
 
Venomstick121 said:
I like to make people happy. I will argue with my stepdad and 2 hours later I try talking to him like we never argued. He gets upset because he thinks I don't care but I try not to think about what happened 2 hours ago and try to stay happy in the moment.
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You are wise beyond your years, my friend. Your posts have given me hope that the rising generation still contains a smattering of sensible people.

More power to you, and very best wishes from me!!!
 
Venomstick121 said:
I like to make people happy. I will argue with my stepdad and 2 hours later I try talking to him like we never argued. He gets upset because he thinks I don't care but I try not to think about what happened 2 hours ago and try to stay happy in the moment.
Click to expand...

Forgiveness is the key to the good life. Extend it when you've been wronged, ask it when you've done someone ill.
 
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