It always puzzles me that I am part of the “Baby Boomer” generation. If it is defined as 1946-1964, I am a boomer, but I don’t recall many of the “baby boomer” memories that are always tossed around. I do not remember the assassination of JFK, I do not remember the American tour of the Beatles, most of the “Baby Boomer” TV shows, and I had no clue at the time that there was a “Woodstock”, or what it was. I think Jimi Hendrix was gone before I knew who he was, and the same is true of Janis Joplin. I have vague memories of Bobby Kennedy and the night he was killed, I remember Batman and Robin, and the color version of Bewitched. Oh, and I Dream of Jeannie and the Monkees!
There are actually two baby boomer generations: the first came of age in the sixties, and were the “hippies” that we, who came of age in the 70s, wished we could have been. We 70s boomers learned to dance disco, listened to John Denver, Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. Elvis wasn’t the “king”, he was an old, fat guy who could never remember the lyrics to his own songs. (I’m sorry, Elvis just wasn’t that great to us). John Travolta had Saturday Night Fever.
The 60’s boomers had:
We shared the anti-war movement, POW bracelets, and Tricky dick Nixon.
The 1970s Boomers had:
I’ve watched “The Big Chill” and I LOVE the movie, but it doesn’t “ring true” for me. I missed taking part of the 1960’s many social movements and protests, the love ins and the sit ins and Woodstock. To me, being against the “Establishment” was only words. I read A LOT of boomer blogs, but a lot of them are not actually me….I’m the second boom, remembering events in the late sixties and growing up as a preteen and teen in the 1970s.
Do you consider only the 1960’s teens as the baby boom generation? They were the revolutionaries for the most part, the hippies, the anti-war movement, the protesters. We 70s kids thought they were cool with their love beads and long hair, but by the time we became old enough to take part, it was really just pretense. What do you think? Do you consider the iconic events of the 60s as the baby boom generation? Where does that leave the 70s boomers? I guess we might just be the tail end?
It leaves the 70’s Boomers right where they should be—in the 70’s. All the bad stuff filtered out, wearing a peace sign sewn on our bell bottom jeans, midriff tops that were oh, so cool and what about the hair!!!!! Long, wild, curly and in my eyes perfect! Loved this article Tammy.
xoxo thanks Juetta. I loved my bell bottoms and peace sign.
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I can totally relate to this! Being a tail-end Boomer, I remember some of my friend’s older siblings being hippies while we had our Monopoly and Mystery Date marathons, dreaming of wearing tie-died clothing and bell-bottoms some day.
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Maybe that is what we should call ourselves…the Tail End Boomers!
Tam Warner recently posted…All Baby Boomers are not the Same!
I came of age in the ’70s but my life’s circumstances tied me deeply with the issues and movements of the ’60s. It may be just as a much a function of circumstance, geography, and family of origin as the year we were born. Great insights Tam!
My parents grew up during the depression and my dad served at the end of WWII, so I have that side of it!
Tam Warner recently posted…All Baby Boomers are not the Same!
I’m in the second group, but actually relate more to the first group…and I think it has to do with music. Maybe there is a boomer bridge!
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Oh yes, there is a bridge, we are connected, definitely. The sixties were so important to social change, we 70s kids weren’t in the thick of it, but we shared those values.
What a great walk down memory lane. I just bought a book about 1967 San Francisco a few hours ago. In San Francisco. I’m looking forward to another walk when I read it.
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Going to Haight Asbury?
Tam Warner recently posted…All Baby Boomers are not the Same!
Too funny! I loved loved loved The Eagles and totally feel connected to both the 70s and the 60s. Although I was only 10 in 1969, I’m a hippie at heart and have a real fondness for that peace, love and Woodstock stuff!
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Same here, 10 in 1969. But def a 70s kid!
Tam Warner recently posted…All Baby Boomers are not the Same!
Hippy at heart is a good way to describe us!
I was kind of on the cusp—born in 1954, I was 9 when President Kennedy was assassinated—old enough for it to have had an impact. However, I did not graduate from high school until 1971 at age 17. I was kind of in awe at those just ahead of me who either fought in Vietnam or protested against it—or both. I remember the Civil Rights movement mostly because my parents were very involved in it. One of my earliest memories at about age 5, which would have been 1959, was my father taking me to an apartment complex where he pretended to want to rent an apartment. I guess he thought I was old enough not to spill the beans because I knew we had a house and weren’t planning to move. Right after they would show us three available apartments, a black family with the same criteria would ask if any were available and would be told “no”.
You must be very proud of your parents’ involvement!
Great pictures. I am in the middle. I know 1960’s music and movies and the 1970’s too to a degree. During the 1980’s I was working up the corporate ladder and I don’t have much recollection of movies, music or TV shows.
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Yes, in the eighties I began my “real” adult life.
You raise an interesting point here. I guess I’m more of a front-end Boomer, but was too young for the summer of love and all that–graduated from high school in ’69. We got to be “baby hippies” without getting into the heavy Haight Ashbury scene. The boys were eligible for the draft, so I would say the existence of Vietnam made that war a prominent part of our thinking and our subsequent actions.Bobby, MLK and John…yes, old enough to be devastated. We came in at the end of many eras, I guess. Watergate, etc. had a huge impact on our perception of politics–as did the war. Beads, macrame, bell bottoms and the Beatles–from start to finish! Thanks for the memories!
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I was just inches too young to really appreciate the Watergate scandal, even though my father made us watch his resignation speech! History in the making.
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