We'll never be the same

As 2012 draws to a close and our economy continues to wobble along on some level of life support in certain areas, it can’t be denied that change has permeated our culture.

Those of us in any of three generations – Baby Boomer (1946-1964), Gen X (mid-1960s-early 1990s), and Millennial (1994-2003) have most likely acquired a new level of thankfulness only learned through a series of life-altering experiences rifled with epiphanies.

Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers have listened to (and for the most part) respected the stories told by their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents about the Great Depression. These tales provided insight and validation regarding those family members’ thriftiness and, quite frankly, gratefulness, for what many of us consider life’s basic pleasures – having a roof over one’s head, adequate food on the table, and perhaps the ability to pay for at least a modest amount of recreational activity.

In many families, some of those regularly repeated stories of hardship like, “there were many nights we went to bed hungry,” or “even though going to the movies only cost a nickel, we couldn’t afford it,” led many times to eye-rolling by my generation (Baby Boomer) who, for the most part, had never experienced such widespread hardship.

My generation is now learning first hand what it is like to live through sweeping economic strife.

If you don’t know a family that has had to surrender their home to the bank, I can introduce you to more than a few. Some fell victim to the sub-prime mortgage fiasco that came back to bite, but others made a tough decision to sacrifice their home to save another long-term investment, like their business they spent years, even decades, building.

A great number of businesses have closed, large numbers are still financially hanging by a thread; hoping the end of the economic famine is near; praying it is near.

An overwhelming number of business owners I know have cut their budgets to try and weather the times. Many have cut their budgets more than once; others continue to slice away at staff, inventory, and what now is viewed as non-essential, but used to be viewed as necessary.

Restaurants have suffered, and even grocery stores are in trouble. Where is everyone? What are they eating? Suffice to say things have changed at the family dinner table and inside lunch boxes.

Most of us have family members, friends, neighbors, and/or acquaintances that have lost their jobs. While many parents try to shield their worries from their children, some aren’t successful; others openly share family woes.

Many children have stopped asking for things they know aren’t possible. As a result, some children have become wise beyond their years; others have become fearful and nervous. All show signs of the change that has occurred.

Complaining about one’s job these days is decidedly out of vogue. Suffice to say, most employed people are just thankful (or should be) to be collecting a paycheck. Even the teen-and-twenty-something crowd can commonly be found saying, “I’m just glad to have a job.”

Deep-seated thankfulness to just have the basics – that’s what three generations are now learning more about.

It is certain we will develop our own stories to relate to future generations how we weathered this national and local economic crisis, and how we learned to be appreciative of what we had.

Hopefully, future generations will roll their eyes, because if they do, it means the economic climate is so healthy during their lifetime that they can’t relate to this.