Bel verus boomer: ‘Sadly those stuck in the past seem to be given the main seat at the table’

Baby boomer Steve Price is over whining by “soft generations”. But Bel Winch, 25, is sick of the resistance to change of many his age.

Lack of progress and an inability of older generations to listen to new voices has “forced” Bel’s age group to protest. Picture: David Clark

As a proud baby boomer I get very sick and tired of the soft generations that came after us complaining about how tough it is for them.

Generation X are not too bad, the Millennials are the whining generation while Generation Z just need to get over themselves!

Let’s start with a few facts the Z types have probably never had the patience or curiosity to examine. The Zs were those born first in 1997 and they run through until 2012.

Born six years after Australia’s last recession, they have never known real financial hardship.

Forget financial pain though. Let’s explain to Gen X and our millennial mates what real hardship and pain really meant for those of us born as Boomers (1946-65).

Up until 1972 if you were 20 years old between the years of 1964 and 1972 you were eligible to be conscripted into the Australian military. That means your birthdate – day of your birth – went via a marble into a barrel.

If your marble was drawn out, your life was changed forever and you had to join the armed forces. Between 1965 and 1972 there were 63,735 boys/men conscripted into the Australian Army.

Steve Price is “very sick and tired” of complaining from “soft generations”. Picture: Mark Stewart

Of those young men, 15,381 were sent to Vietnam and 200 nashos, as they were known, died for their country after being legally forced to go there.

Anyone who refused to go went to jail.

Still feeling hard done by Gen Z and others? Well stop whining.

What about if you are gay? Boomers — and to be fair the Generation X — had to hide our sexuality if we were male and gay. That lasted until 1981 in Victoria when male homosexuality was decriminalised. Strangely, to be female and Gay was legal.

On education most Boomers — unlike the rhetoric — did not get free university. I was 19 when Gough Whitlam made it free in 1974 and I had been at work for two years by then and wasn’t smart enough anyway.

I could go on and on … abortion laws, access to IVF and more. The pampered generations that came later take for granted what we Boomers fought to give you.

Thanks for the credit.

Then of course there are the things you youngsters take for granted that we grew up without. Would it surprise you that I was 19 years-old when the first credit card — Bankcard — was launched?

That meant that unlike you I saved actual money in a bank and paid cash for the few things I could afford to buy. I didn’t get a car until I started work and could pay for my own petrol, registration and repairs – forget insurance, the Holden cost me $50.

Holidays were exclusively domestic in cheap motels or caravan parks, and I didn’t get on a plane until I was 21-years-old to move interstate for work.

Steve Price says “I’ll never have to take a cent from government or complain to HR that someone was mean to me”.

Work has, for me, lasted 51 years this coming November. In that time, I have never filled out a time sheet or claimed for overtime hours worked, wouldn’t know what a HR department was and have probably only ever had a handful of sick days off.

Am I bragging? No, just telling it like it really was and is. I’ve been lucky in as much as I am very good at what I do and that’s allowed me to buy houses to live in, give my Generation Z children a great education and taken them around the world on trips.

Would I have been as successful and happy if born into the generations that followed us Baby Boomers?

Happily, I’ll never find out, I’ll never have to take a cent from government either or complain to HR that someone was mean to me or agitate for a four-day week or spend my days staring at a mobile phone.

BELINDA (BEL) WINCH, 25

When it comes to describing my age group, some might say “woe is me”. Sure, life can be tough, and earning enough to live comfortably in today’s world is no easy feat. But let’s not dwell on the hard stuff - bring on the challenges, baby!

Personally, I consider myself a successful and confident young woman. My parents taught me to be resilient, and as I grew older, they encouraged me to enter the working world and give it my all.

Belinda Winch says her generation is not lazy and she’s hustling to achieve in life. Picture David Clark

Unfortunately, some people from the older generations assume that my peers and I are lazy and do not want to work. However, this is far from the truth. With the demands of work, study, and personal life, juggling everything can be a challenge.

Working in a “man’s world” is not always easy, but I take it as a challenge and strive to do my best. My life generally revolves around work, as I am building my future and paving the way for success. The harder I hustle, the more I’ll achieve. But I also know how important balance is - you have to make time for yourself too.

I tried the whole marriage thing … then realised quickly that it was not for me. While I enjoy companionship, I am extremely career-driven, which created a wedge between my partner and I. Instead, I discovered a sense of accomplishment is what truly fulfils me – my career.

Unfortunately, there is still pressure on our generation to conform to traditional norms, such as getting married and having children.

Additionally, members of the LGBTQ+ community still face discrimination and intolerance from a significant portion of the older generation. Why is it that they are expected to have a traditional wedding and have children in “the right way”? Why is there still a debate over LGBTQ+ rights in 2023?

Housing — ugh. Let’s just say I eat way too many avocados to even think about owning property right now. I work hard and enjoy the benefits of my labour, living a healthy lifestyle that brings me joy. Don’t get me wrong, housing is important and something to consider in the future. But for now, let’s focus on living our best lives!

While it’s difficult to generalise what the older generation has got ‘wrong’, there are a two key factors that stand out to me.

Resistance to change - hello technology and political issues. This lack of progress or an inability to adapt to new circumstances or listen to new voices has led to a revolving door of prime ministers and forced my cohort to protest, just to be seen. Even then it’s seen as youth in revolt, with no focus on the issues at hand.

There’s still pressure on younger generations to conform to traditional ideals, like marriage. and children. Picture: David Clark

Climate change denial – It’s real. Pay attention. This is our future you’re impacting. Some older individuals may be sceptical of or deny its existence, despite overwhelming scientific evidence our planet is already being impacted. This has led to a lack of action and inability to co-operate with younger generations.

It’s important to remember that not all members of the older generation share these beliefs, and that many individuals of all ages are working to address these issues and create positive future, but sadly those stuck in the past seem to be given the main seat at the table. You’ve paved the way and given us the tools to take it from here, just give us a chance.

While there are undoubtedly challenges that come with being a member of my generation, I choose to celebrate them and use them as opportunities for growth. We should all strive to be accepting of one another and work towards building a more inclusive and equitable society.

Originally published as Bel verus boomer: ‘Sadly those stuck in the past seem to be given the main seat at the table’