Some thoughts on being a baby boomer
I was born in 1946, one month before the current U.S. president. Born in an era that specifically connects my birth to a world war — the baby boomers.
I grew up in a time when parents spanked their children as a form of discipline, and over my lifetime, that spanked generation revolted against the “established norms,” among which was spanking our children.
Spanking is not recommended today. However, if spanking wasn’t enough, my dad once commented that I must be a “dummy” for something I did. Thinking back on those family learning sessions, I really can’t remember a time when my dad was wrong in his assessment of my actions or the degree of instructive discipline that was necessary to alter those actions, and I think it would be fair to say that spanking can be both physical and emotional.
I guess the real question is whether my PTSD (Parent Teachings on Social Discourse) has had any lingering negative emotional, physical or behavioral effects. Of course they do, but let’s not forget the good that can come from the bad, and that we all seek balance.
The “anti-establishment” movement of my generation was an attempt to re-balance oneself and to point out how “dumb” and to point out those “dummies” (as my father would say), that repurposed WW II into the Vietnam War.
Pivoting from that thought, shopping at Costco in Kona can hardly be characterized as a war zone, but sometimes shoppers evoke those warlike tendencies. They may take over your territory, insert themselves into your space, and/or deprive you from entering the space that you are trying to get to — or worse yet, use subtle nonviolent weapons like body language, sneers, mad face and other unwelcoming gestures. And in response, you may arm yourself with your own weapons.
Recently after shopping, I stopped to purchase a drink at the concession. At the drink station, a woman was complaining loudly that one of the drink dispensers had run out of drinks. What was not apparent to anyone was that she was attempting to fill three hydro flasks for her family and not limiting herself to the cup that was issued to her when purchasing a drink.
When told she can’t do that, she proceeded to berate the employee who showed up to refill the station.
The employee was young and apparently new. She kept insisting that the customer not continue and follow the rules. A third party stepped in and told the customer to first stop raising her voice at the employee in such a threatening manner, and second told her what she was doing was stealing.
The reply was “mind your own business” and it’s OK because Costco gives samples. And to that came the reply, “Go back to where you came from,”So much to unpack in that brief moment.
Prior to that, I passed that same woman in the store. I remembered her because she was there with her partner and autistic son. Her son caught everyone’s attention as he shouted and raced through the store. Everyone and no one was uncomfortable.
I can speculate, and we all love to speculate, about seeking that balance.
Charles Young
Honaunau
‘Incredible display of incompetence’
My parents were in the Marine Corps — dad in WW II and the Korean conflict, and mom as a sergeant in WW II.
Frankly, I am glad that they are not alive to have witnessed the incredible display of incompetence and adolescent-like behavior that was brought to our attention by the editor of The Atlantic magazine a few days ago.
We don’t even have to talk about the issue of potential natural security problems, we have the “smack talk” about our allies and the “strong arm” emojis.
This is enough to make our veterans gag.
Mary Hudak
Hilo
