green is universal

The Greenest Generation?

Dear Mr. Green,

I'm a child of the Great Depression, a World War II veteran and of a generation that seems to have already embraced "green" since before it was fashionable. Growing up with very little money, we always had to be conservative. My mother would make our clothes and then we would make those clothes last what seemed a lifetime, passing them on to younger members of our family for years! We knew the real value of a neighbor was not in the friendly competition that keeps our lawns greener than the others but in the helping hands we could lend each other. I understand that the newer generations have a lot more "fun" than we had when I was growing up with video games and I even enjoy indulging with my grand kids from time to time, but what I'm wondering is where did the disconnect happen between my generation and the new?

Signed,
Green Old Timer

Dear Splendid Sequoia,

The disconnect between your generation and the current ones occurred over the course of many, many years. Just hearing about your hand-me downs and having close-to-nothing allows us all to understand that our world was a very different place only 70 years ago when you were a young kid during the depression.

As you well recall, the depression's devastating effects caused the economic machinery of the world to cease. Many countries were hit hard economically, especially regions dependent on heavy industry, farming, logging and mining thereby offering little or no work in those areas.

Although there were government relief programs to assist the needy, there were also political upheavals worldwide therefore setting the stage for World War II. Over 70 million people, the majority of them civilians, were killed amid the epic destruction that occurred. As a result, however, came an activation of economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities for the war effort with advancements and innovations that became both a blessing and a curse.

The pent-up desire for "stuff" unleashed after the Great Depression and World War II sustained itself through the healthy economy of the1950s and 60s. What were once considered toys for the upper class: state-of-the-art appliances, sedans, and TVs, became staples of the middle-class. If you ask me, this is when the "monster" began to eat it's own tail and is perhaps the moment when the "disconnect" you've experienced began.

Green Old Timer - after having survived the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II, The Hydrogen Bomb, The Berlin Wall, The Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and having witnessed a nation soothe it's proverbial wounds with accumulations of belongings no matter what the cost, with generation upon generation getting what it wanted without ever having to consider the ramifications of it's actions until now - with your history, knowledge and intergenerational perspective, it seems that you, too, are priceless, green and sustainable!!

Although we now have the world at our fingertips and quick dreams are made true with just a click of a mouse, our planet now begs us for our immediate attention and demands of us a newfound cultural consciousness. And because of your "lived" understanding of the past and the wisdom that hopefully comes along with it, I think that you're the ideal ambassador for change for a generation that's now receptive and ready to re-connect.

If you look hard enough, you'll find Boomers and GenXers out there that are finally awakening to the mess we've made of Mother Earth, but I've been finding that it is this current generation--the 'Tweens and Teens--that are most eager to reverse the damage already done, and commit to doing nothing more to harm the planet. Next time you feel the urge to "indulge with your grand kids" how about getting them out of the house, making homemade ice cream, going on a nature walk, teaching them how to play with a yoyo, fly a kite, build a sling-shot or balsam glider, play marbles or any of the cool eco-friendly things you did as a child. If all they've ever known is our techno age, a bit of Grandpa's "when I was your age..." might be quite an eye-opener for them. You're a fount of knowledge and experience, and it would be a shame for your grandkids to never know you and your life because they were too busy to turn off the XBox.