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Boomers and clutter -- what's the connection?
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Home and pop culture have wreaked havoc on Boomers. Our generation has been influenced greatly by all the social, political, and economic trends that helped to form our attitudes, values, and beliefs after the ‘silent generation’ had its chance to impart its conventional wisdom.
Clearing the clutter these influences have exerted takes some gut-level realizations about what is truly of value in our lives, according to Beverly Hansen OMalley, a nurse with an interest in organizing behaviour and the influence of the organized environment on health and well being.
Among the ‘silent generation’ are the parents of the Boomers and the grandparents to generation X (born 1965- 1981), sometimes called the ‘veteran's demographic’ because of the great influence exerted by the first world war, the depression and lastly, the second world war.
“With a strong view of authority influenced by the military model that suggested "duty before self", the silent generation may to this day have difficulty with assertiveness -- such as saying no,” she writes. “They grew up with very little variety or choices in consumable goods and were limited to what was available within a short distance of their home. Along with the purchase of goods was the expectation that the purchased item would last as long as it was needed. The silent generation grew up with the belief that if you throw something away you are a bad person because you are wasteful. Therefore throwing things away is never an option.”
How many of us remember our mothers asking us, as teenagers, why we would want a new coat when we already had one that was still in good shape? O’Malley adds, “The mantra of the silent generation would be ‘Use it up, make it last, wear it out, or do without!’"
When one multiplies Boomer habits over a lifetime, then, the result is often an accumulation of more and more material goods, while never having honed our skills at clearing clutter. We Boomers do love options, but many of us find it difficult to whittle down our belongings to those we use regularly.
According to O’Malley, Boomers were no doubt the first generation that honestly expected to outdistance their parents on all fronts (which has perhaps contributed to the economic mess we are now experiencing). “The ability to purge their possessions or even how to be happy without them was not something that the silent generation taught their children,” she reasons.
So is our current recession about to teach us those time-honored lessons our parents thought we would learn by osmosis? Not if we don’t pay attention.
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Lady Boomer Dena Kouremetis may be reached at examinerdena@gmail.com
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