Growing up, I always knew my grandparents were special.  They were a vital and integral part of my life.  Not until years later when I married, and had my own children, did I realize what a blessing it was to have had them in my life.  I can only hope to be half the grandparent they were to me.  I remember hearing about Tom Brokow’s book The Greatest Generation, but at the time I don’t think I fully grasped the magnitude of how great that generation was.  Now more than ever I consider it an honor to have had their influence in my life. What made this generation born in the early 1900’s so special?  My reading on this topic indicates their personal responsibility, integrity, humility, work ethic, financial prudence, and faithful commitment are the key characteristics that make them stand out.  What are our current generations bringing to the table?  What generation are you from?  What are you bringing to the table? What will be the  legacy of your peers?  

• The Greatest Generation — born 1901-1924. …
• The Silent Generation — born 1925-1945. …
• Baby Boomer Generation — born 1946-1964. …
• Generation X — born 1965-1980. …
• Generation Y — born 1981-1996. …
• Generation Z — born 1997-2012. …
• Generation Alpha — born 2013-2025.

Work ethic is one that really stands out for me.  My grandparents were loving and caring, but most of all they prepared me for a world where I could hold my own.  I remember being put to work when I was at their house.  I learned to mow the grass, check the oil in a vehicle, cook, clean, wash their cars, and you most definitely did not sleep late.  It was rise and shine each morning.  I began living full-time with my grandparents at the age of 16.  Back in the 80’s most teenagers had a part-time job.  I had lofty dreams of getting a job at the mall.  That was where it was happening, and my perceived place for the perfect job.  I’ll never forget, my granddaddy came home one day, and informed me that I was to report to Harveys, our local supermarket, on Tuesday. He further informed me that I had a job as a cashier.  I wasn’t too thrilled, but I went.  Of course, I dressed in my Sunday best, and prissed on in there that next Tuesday morning.  To my dismay, I was given a green polyester uniform!  I look back now, and I know it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  It gave my burgeoning work ethic a significant boost.  I learned how to deal with and communicate with co-workers and the public.  I was making my own money.  I also look back, and know that I am not above any type of honest work in order to provide for my family.  They and the generations before them knew that if you didn’t work, you didn’t eat.  Your hard work probably would not result in you being the richest man in the county, but you would be able to cover the needs of your family.  Just as my grandparents had done all through the years.  A conversation with my mother the other day brought to surface a phrase I have used with my boys numerous times over the years.  It was something that just spilled out when I was trying to give them a pep talk.  My mother was telling me when she was growing up her mother, my grandmother, would constantly tell her “Can’t never could.”  It was a lightbulb moment.  I had long forgotten that my grandmother probably told me the same thing when I was growing up, and it was forever ingrained in my psyche.  

Financial prudence…  Do we really know the meaning of such?  In our consumer driven world? We can’t wait to buy the newest cell phone.  Will it be an android or an iphone?  Are you driving the last model SUV or truck that Ford or Chevrolet has to offer?  Are you going broke keeping up with the Joneses?   My grandparent’s generation worked hard and saved.  I remember my grandmother saying she and my granddaddy did not have any furniture the first ten years of their married life.  One time when we were out driving, she showed me a little log cabin that they lived in during their early married years, and then a house they rented a room in. My grandmother said it was hard for couples with children to find a place to rent.  Most men in those days were the breadwinner, but oh, you can bet there was an equally hard working woman at home.  My grandmother maintained the household, but she also earned money by taking in sewing.  I remember being in my teen years, and by then the really tough times were behind my grandparents, but they never lost the frugality which had been part of their early years.  My grandmother, until the day she broke housekeeping, washed and reused ziplock bags and tin foil.  Something we wouldn’t even think of doing these days. Times were tough, but this generation would stand the test of time, and hit every obstacle head on.  

Humility… another great characteristic of this generation.  My grandparents had both grown up in rural north Georgia on farms.  My grandfather only attended school thru the 6th grade.  He was needed on the farm to help support his family.  My grandmother did attend school thru the 11th grade because that was as far as high school went at the time.  I remember her saying she had dreams of becoming a nurse, but her father said she’d had enough schooling.  That’s how things were back then.  My grandfather’s thirst for knowledge did not end in the 6th grade.  I have vivid memories of staying with my grandparents as a young child, and even as I grew older.  My grandfather would read from the encyclopedia every night.  He was one of the smartest men I have ever known.  There was no such thing as the world wide web then.  Although they grew up on farms, and left them behind when they went out into the world, they never forgot their roots.  My grandfather planted a garden until he was no longer able.  I asked my grandmother one time about the Great Depression.  I had been learning about it in school at the time.  It was presented as a really dire time in our history, and I am sure it was for a lot of people.  However, my grandmother’s response to my question was…”I never knew a depression was going on.  My family lived on a farm so we always had food.”  That really speaks to me now.  Most rural people did not live a glamorous life.  They worked hard and took care of their families. Having the latest fashions or the newest car was not even a factor in the equation.  The main focus was food on the table and a roof over your head.

Faithful commitment , yet  another quality of the Greatest Generation.  They came from a time where your word and commitment meant something.  They married, began their lives, and worked their way thru the good times and bad.  Was it easy?  No.  It never is.  Anything worthwhile takes a lot of hard work.  Days when you want to throw in the towel, and walk out the front door.  There are people that do.  There will always be circumstances where that might be the better choice, but for the most part, staying the course has so many rewards.  My grandparents were married 53 years when my grandfather passed away.  Did they have hard times in their marriage?  I’m sure they did.  Most couples do.   They built a legacy of hard work, commitment to each other and their family, faith and love that I hope to carry on.   Commitments should not be taken lightly as they are nowadays. They invested themselves into their grandchildren with their time and guidance. The solidity that a strong family unit  brings to the table is priceless. Ties to your family were to be maintained and nurtured. Something we really need a resurgence of.  To have your “ride or die” family members by your side through the ups and downs this life throws at any given moment is worth its weight in gold.  

Integrity is slowly vanishing from the vernacular of the current landscape.  Integrity is defined as being honest and having strong moral principles.  Somewhat of a code that you live by. It is having the option to do things the right way or wrong way, but choosing to do the right thing.  My grandparents had morals and standards which they passed onto me. Regardless of the riches you may or may not have, integrity is something that no amount of money can buy. Respect and integrity go hand in hand.  You earn it and you have it within you.  We live in a world today where it seems anything goes, and the growing attitude is…well, that’s just the way it is.  You know what?  It doesn’t have to be.  It wasn’t always that way, and now more than ever we need to circle back to the qualities that make up a person of substance. It is more important than ever to teach your children what integrity is, and the best way for them to learn is to see it in action.  Just as I grew up seeing how my grandparents conducted themselves.  Home is where it all begins.  If you think your child will learn integrity on the streets, you are sorely mistaken.  

With all that said…..I think it’s time for another Great Generation.  Most of us in Generation X had grandparents from the Greatest Generation, and we have that legacy within us.  In these times where work ethic, integrity, humility, commitment, and financial prudence are lacking, it’s time to get back to our roots.  I see couples starting off their marriages with over the top weddings and settling right into a home that took previous generations years to obtain.  There is power in the struggle.  My own marriage has been a journey.  We started off in a very small trailer until we were able to buy something better.  We got up each morning and went to work, and we still do.   At one time, we were both driving cars with no air conditioner.  We made do until we could do better.  Those hard times are what make you or break you.  The hard times made my husband and I stronger.  We became a team during those times.  With regards to our sons, we have instilled in them  that this world demands hard work.  We’ve had to work hard for what we have, and we expect them to do the same.  The worst thing a parent can do is to give their children their every heart’s desire, and let them believe this world owes them everything.  This world owes you nothing, and will chew you up, and spit you out.  They will enter the adult world at a severe disadvantage.  I don’t care what your religious beliefs and political standings are.  Just be a person of substance and standards in this chaotic world.  Guide the next generation.  We are all fighting our way through this life’s journey.  We can all be better together.  The hard work will pay dividends.

All the best,

Stella Elaine

#GreatestGeneration2.0