Are You a Boomer?

If you are, do you know where you fall along the “boomer timeline”? (You know how the “old age” cohort is divided into young-old, old, and oldest-old?  Something similar has been done for the Boomers).  Take this short quiz and find out where you fall amongst the Boomers (and here is something I’m sure you will find interesting–the Boomer Generation isn’t homogenous!).

Even if you aren’t a boomer, but you want to learn more about this most “special” generation (of which I am a member, can you tell?), the New York Times Booming section ran a piece by Richard Perez Pena, I May Be 50, But Don’t Call Me a Boomer. He notes in his article that the “last” (his word-youngest) of the boomers turns 50 this year. He divided the boomers into two cohorts: “classic” and “reboot.”  He also refers to the generation as early and late boomers (don’t make a typo  when you write boomer with that phrase, ok?).  His review of the major events and how those shaped the boomers’ views is both instructive as well as a trip down memory lane (at least for some of us). His analysis of the impact of pop culture is spot on, and in particular, he sums it all up in his conclusion: “[t]he gap between the two halves of the baby boom might be best summed up by some of the staples of radio and TV when we were kids. The classic boomers had “’Mr. Sandman” and “Leave It to Beaver.” We rebooted boomers? “Sympathy for the Devil” and “All in the Family.’”

I’m of the opinion that we should divide the boomers into three subsets: early, mid and late and I think you will find some others who might agree.  The quiz divides respondents into three categories: Classic, in-between and reboot. (I noticed the quiz didn’t ask which one was the cute Beatle…..) I leave it to the rest of the in-between boomers to come to agreement as to the television show and song that epitomizes us.