Stuff Avalanche

I love the title and the concept. Boomer offspring are going and maybe have already started to navigate the avalanche of stuff that baby boomers have amassed over the years.

Do you try to separate the good stuff from the mediocre or just get a removal company to haul it all way (sound of hands clapping…well, that’s that)? If the boomers are dead and gone, the process is unsentimental (dictionary sez it’s a word). But what if we’re alive and kicking and it’s time to downsize with the help of your offspring.

Keep in mind that baby boomers were raised by parents that went through hard times (the depression, duh!) and years of uncertainty. That translates into behaviors that included saving every rubber band, balls of twine, newspapers, and much, much more. On top of having “save everything” parents, most boomers have lived in the same house for twenty years or more. Things come in the door but rarely go back out.

Organization professionals advise boomers and their children to start in the most unsentimental places. Think under the sink, in the linen closet, and down in the basement. There will be less emotional attachment there than with the china cupboard or the photo albums. And don’t even think about the bags full of photo slides that you can’t sort because no one has slide projectors anymore. [Moment of truth: After stalling for years, I finally tossed all my slides from vacations and family events. It was impossible to cull them down to those worth saving, and what would I do with them in any case.]

If you have children or do not, you would be doing everyone a big favor if you started the winnowing process on your own. Make friends with everyone down at the Goodwill store as you make your weekly deposits of furniture, clothing, appliances, books, records, tapes, CDs, and so much more. After you unload everything you can treat yourself to a used flannel shirt or silk blouse. That seems fair, doesn’t it?

Your children/executor will thank you many times over if you make their job easier. I can honestly say I have had very little donator’s remorse whilst thinning out the avalanche. Can’t remember even one time that I thought I should not have tossed/donated something. But we are having fun rummaging through what everyone else has given. The trick is not to come home with it.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Gen Alpha?

What? We’re going back to the beginning of the alphabet?? I can’t keep track of who is in Gen Z and the only reason I know who millennials are is because it’s right there in the name.  Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z, and now Gen Alpha? I guess it would have helped if there were more letters after Z but so be it.

Anyway, the Alphas are those born between 2010 and 2024, the first generation to be born entirely in the 21^st century. Maybe that’s how they got the Alpha handle. They are practically born with smartphones in their hands (and can type on them with 2 thumbs) and have been in front of computer screens or tablets for their entire life. That makes them super-empowered and quite likely to lord it over us until baby boomers are just a memory.

The amount of time they have already spent online will unquestionably exceed all prior generations. This constant exposure to technology is a bit of a social experiment, in that no one knows the consequences of such intensive experience.  Experts surmise that such a concentration could reduce their attention spans and make social interaction problematic.

Oh, and remember the pandemic? So does Gen Alpha and they remember virtual learning and Zooming giving them an unprecedented close-up view of how the educational system has changed. For the better or the worse? Who knows, but Gen Alpha will find that answer. It is predicted that 1 in 2 Gen Alphas will get a university degree. Ironically, many Gen Zers are forgoing college to pursue trades such as plumber, electrician and welder. Wish I could be around to see how that works out.

It’s been said that Gen Z is using technology as “an escape,” while Gen Alpha uses technology “to live and enjoy their life.” Rather than viewing learning and gaming as two separate activities, Gen Alpha sees them as the same thing. You could say they are experiencing gamified learning.

So, our future, in the short time we have left, may ultimately be in the hands of gamers with short attention spans. What could go wrong? At least they are avid environmentalists.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.