by Pat Darnell
Summary
Baby Boomer, second son, third child of four, makes decisions not based on his inherited prestige. He is a big hearted youngster, and a normal rebellious adolescent. He has a happy growing up.
Rather soberly this person realizes that he gets job offers because of his mom and dad's occupational choices and activities around Texas, especially the Houston area.
He finds he has difficulties in controlling his emotions, and in staying on track. He likes to wander, circling the problem and waiting till the last minute to make any decisions.
First Person Explanation -- Counting time from Birth to Male Menopause
I am second born son, born during the baby boom of the 1950's. Mid-century boom in number of births is attributable to the return of military men and women from WWII, who considered the war an interruption in their lives. To get back on "track" meant acquiring domicile; and that included House, Car, trees and yard, dog, wife or husband, (didn't matter if they had been married before the war) , and of course precious children -- not particularly in that order.
As if still taking orders, Americans made marriage and parenting overnight institutions. Our nation's largest lobby group in 1960's was the parent teachers association ... the PTA. What the PTA wanted, it got. America coaxed the world to its higher learning, or Tertiary, institutions during the 20th Century. However, grammar through high school, or Secondary, institutes of Public Schooling lagged way behind.
It created a widening gap between classes and ethnicities. Also the generous exploitation of fossil fuels by America funded the Industrial Era to unexpected heights. Moon landing by 1969 is still paramount example to what can be done by elite concentrating on a quest. But in America at that time, our elitist rocket-scientist paradigm was eclipsed by starving children yet perishing on America's soil.
I inherited that spirit of birth and national pride. However, the costs of domicile activities listed above, went steadily up as I grew older. A child born in the fifties on the GI Bill and sponsored healthcare cost much less than a baby born in the eighties. This is where my life is explained most deliberately.
I was born into privilege. Staying home was easy, and playing with friends was spectacular fun.
This brought me to several mile post, benchmark decisions in later life.
1 My first decision was one of deciding which is reality; NASA or Poverty?
Home Economics became a watchword of the 20th Century. And the Home became a Beta-testing ground for splitting partnerships.
2 So my second decision was naturally Marriage or not?
Once I learned that I could go just about anywhere, I made decisions that led me to travel. Because of my looks and demeanor, I fit in almost everywhere, and the times allowed co-mingling. LBJ's Great Society taunted young people to "wander" and get out to explore. Learn, young Nathan, or burn in the war.
3 Third decision encompasses Drug activity illicit and licit, to make a choice; stay inside and Trip, or actually hit the road and stay off drugs, while tripping?
That wraps up this June 4th Report from the Middle where the women are strong, men are good-looking, children are above average, and our dogs bark even when a butterfly sneezes.
1 comment:
...and the cat sleeps through the heat of day to save his strength for nocturnal pursuits.
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