I am one of the 50 million Americans born from 1925-45, between the greatest generation and the worst and most coddled Baby Boomers. We are called the Silent Generation, a "still, small flame," and are characterized as non-whining, reserved, placid, modest, serene, marching to our own drumbeat, wishing to be left alone, and we are a generally quietly grateful lot...I don't whine, am exceptionally immune to the "tidal pull of popular opinion," and am quite grateful for my lot in life, especially my wife, kids, and grandkids. I fashion myself a (mostly) cheerful curmudgeon, preferring, as Democritus, to laugh at the world's ever-increasing folly, rather than weeping, as Heraclitus…though sometimes I do come close to tears. As W.C. Fields, I start every day off with a smile and get it over with. I'm a man of the old school. In fact, if my "school" were any older I would be dead...We kept quiet (even I did) when growing up because children then were "seen, not heard." We are respectful of authority, preferring not to rock the boat. We believe hard work gets you ahead in life, no matter what your race or other defining characteristics. We are traditional and conventional and want to work within the system rather than topple it. We grow misty-eyed when we see generosity, decency, good manners. We take heart when we hear good music or see non-decadent movies, read great literature, enjoy a witty, intelligent conversation, or view traditional art. Again, we don't whine and are content to be ignored. We don't need approval to be proud. We are unlikely to boast about our achievements and are not much for chest-pounding or high-fiving, not least in athletic and other competitions.
Early members of our generation survived the Great Depression and many fought in Korea (the forgotten war) and a few of the latecomers in the Vietnam war. We set the stage for an unprecedented explosion of creativity in the arts and technology--- otherwise known as the 1950s
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