Life is full of milestones. Full of seasons. Full of decisions and choices. Driving for the first time. College. First job. Marriage. Kids. Family. Work. Ministry. Empty nest. Retirement. Grandkids. Loss of family members. Death.

It is amazing the impact that one decision can have on future generations.

It is important to connect with history to see a generational snapshot, or you think that your recent generational life experiences are the norm. In studying the generational cycle of America and our world, you can often see through a bigger lens.  History ebbs and flows, as do generations.  People in different age groups think and behave differently as they progress through the different stages of life—childhood, marriage, midlife, and old age. But a collective generational group has “similar attitudes about family life, sex roles, institutions, politics, religion, lifestyle and the future1.”

What will they say about your generation in 2040?  How about in 2100? What milestones have occurred in our nation during this recent generation? What will we be known and remembered for? 

• The terrorist attacks of-9/11?
• Massive government debt and financial collapse?
• Reality TV?
• A secular society?
• The beginning of the end for the United States as the world superpower?

Only time will tell.

The rear view mirror will show us clearly one day.   Those few things I listed seem so large that we really don’t think that we could have affected them or made a difference personally.   So let us shut the door, have a seat on the couch, and bring it a little closer to your home.   How will your children and grandchildren remember you?  What influence did you or will you have with those few precious years you have remaining?

Time flies. We have such a brief window during which to lay a firm foundation for each of our children—a decade maybe.   However, we have a lifetime of seventy to eighty years to make an impact that will last beyond our lifetime.   Don’t waste your time.  Make an impact.  

I recall a recent survey of individuals over the age of 65.  They were asked a simple question:  “If you could live your life over again, what would you do different?” Overwhelmingly, the response was, “I would make sure my time and my money were invested in things that made an impact beyond my generation.”

Generational Quiz:  Can You Relate?

• you cheered on Joe DiMaggio and Joe Louis
• you watched John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor and Bob Hope
• you listened to 45s / LP’s of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald
• you learned to do without and saved for a rainy day
• you survived a world war and a depression
• you are hardworking, God-fearing, patriotic, and loyal

You know you’re a Boomer if

• you watched the Mickey Mouse Club and Leave it to Beaver
• you used a typewriter
• you listened to the Beatles, the Monkees, and the Stones on cassette tape
• you watched the first trip to the moon on TV
• you remember Woodstock, Watergate, and women’s rights
• you are optimistic, competitive

You know you’re a Gen-Xer if

• you played Atari and Asteroids
• you listened to “1999” by Prince thinking that that year would never come
• you watched Star Wars in a movie theatre
• you know who shot J.R., who ran Microsoft, and who Monica Lewinsky was
• you know what “all skate” means
• you are skeptical, resourceful, independent, and a self-starter

You know you’re a Gen-Yer/Millenial if

• you typed your term papers on a computer
• you listened to CDs, then ditched them for digital
• you cooked in the microwave or ate out all the time
• you used e-mail, then switched to texting
• you used a remote control
• you can text, talk on the phone, check Facebook, and study at the same time