New Leaves

The other day, I came home from volunteering and went to my husband’s office.

“How was volunteering today?” he asked.

“It was fine,” I replied.

“Just fine? I thought you liked volunteering there,” he said.

“I do, but something happened today,” I said.

“Something bad? What do you mean?” he asked.

“Not exactly bad, but not really good either,” I said.

“What happened?” he asked.

“One of the younger volunteers asked if I was a Boomer,” I replied.

“A Boomer? Like the Boomer Generation?” he said.

“Yes. He said I reminded him of his grandma. I thought I looked good for my age, but apparently not,” I said.

“You do look good for your age. I’m sure that’s not what he meant. Maybe you just acted in ways that reminded him of his grandma, who’s from the Boomer Generation like you,” he said.

Could I be acting like someone from the Boomer Generation? The Boomer Generation includes individuals born from 1946 to 1964, following the post-World War II baby boom. By 2026, the oldest Boomers will be 80, so this generation’s age range is currently 62 to 80 years old. As someone born in 1964, I’m the youngest in this group. Did my husband imply I acted like an 80-year-old? This made me reflect on how Boomers behave and what traits I have that might remind a younger volunteer of his grandmother. I decided to explore this further.

I identified some traits that younger people might associate with me or as typical of Boomers.

1. I love paper, especially sticky notes and notepads. I prefer daily planners over phone apps. When I volunteer, I use sticky notes on my desk to remind me of things to do and leave instructions for others.
2. I am not tech savvy. I often ask other volunteers for help logging into a system and prefer phone calls over volunteer management apps, group chats, or digital scheduling software. If someone needs help to create flyer or document, I am not the person to ask.
3. I ask questions. I ask all sorts of questions when meeting someone new. Things like: why did they choose this place to volunteer, where do they work?, do they have family in town?, do they have any hobbies? It may come across as meddling, but I genuinely want to get to know the person.
4. I take volunteering seriously. I arrive on time, dress appropriately, leave when I am scheduled to leave, and limit time on my phone. Volunteering is like a job, so I make sure I act accordingly.
5. I overshare. As a way to connect with others, I tend to over share my experiences, stories about my family, and personal anecdotes instead of keeping conversations brief and task-focused.

Looking at my traits, I can understand why the younger volunteer saw me as a Boomer. I’ve never thought about it until now. Is being a Boomer or aging bad? Not for me. I wouldn’t want to go back 20 years unless I could bring my experience and wisdom with me. I’ll proudly keep my Boomer label but maybe will try to use a few less sticky notes.