By Charles Dull

Over the past few days, the news has been filled with looking back on Woodstock, as it reached its 40th Anniversary. Now, don’t automatically think that I am going to have some Zen moment on Woodstock, the music, the feeling, the drugs, etc. I actually want to talk about how different generations view historical events that impacted change and the biases they create about such events. One evening when the news was dedicating time to Woodstock, I had a beloved family member, who is not of the “Boomer” generation, state that “those people” ruined the world that he/she knew. The personal bias stated was that “those people” reflected a rebellious attitude. In that same moment, my daughter, who is in her late teens and a freshmen in college stated, “Well, wasn’t that the same as the attitude during Prohibition?”  After listening to this brief exchange, I came to the realization that both had strong points, yet one was from a sense of personal reflection while the other was from the prospective of historical relationship. It was then that I realized that many of us see ‘our’ generation as the glorious one that stands alone.

          As a historian, Boomer, and observer to the above conversation, I can’t help but think of how one generation affects the next. What do we offer as a generation? What have we to contribute?  No generation has changed the tide of history without the assistance of others. For example, at Woodstock Joan Baez and Janis Joplin (not Boomers) were performing on Max Yasgur’s farm (definitely not a Boomer). As the 1960’s gave rise to the acknowledgement of  racial inequalities and to exploration, individuals of “The Silent Generation” were the ones who caused the sparks that involved people of many generations. This brief list below mentions members of “The Silent Generation” who were not Baby Boomers but obviously impacted us. Such as Martin Luther King Jr. as well as John F. Kennedy, Sandra Day O’Connor, Neil Armstrong, Chuck Yeager, Bob Dylan, and who can forget Timothy Leary. All of these people gave us, Boomers, fuel to fire our passions. In return, our generation has given such influences as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Greg Mortenson, Ellen DeGeneres, and even Michael Moore. The bottom line is no generation stands alone. We have all impacted positively and negatively future generations. To paraphrase the famous quote by Sir Isaac Newton (not a Boomer) “If WE have seen further than others, it is upon standing on the shoulders of giants”. So the next time you find yourself saying … “Well in my day”…, or …”When I was your age”…stop and realize that our generation is speaking to the X and Y generation already with clarity. Let’s not muddy the waters.