by Robin Landry

Created on: January 12, 2009   Last Updated: April 27, 2011

Whatever happened to the "Generation Gap?" Does it still exist and if so is there a way to effectively close the divide? When I was a kid growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s I can remember much being made of the chasm that supposedly existed between college student Baby-Boomers and the members of the World War II generation that came before them.

Back in 1964, University of California Berkeley student and civil rights activist Jack Weinberg admonished his contemporaries with the now famous phrase, "Never trust anyone over 30." But today, as the Baby Boomers themselves are now the "older generation" is the generation gap still an issue and are there ways to bridge that gap?

As someone born on the borderline between Baby Boomers and Generation X there is no doubt in my mind that there are definite generational differences and conflicts can and do arise as a result. The population in my workplace includes a wide variety of people, from the pre-war "Silent Generation" to the "Millennial" generation born in 1990 and later. Personally, however, I find that getting along with older people is easier than you might think.

I think the key to closing the generation gap, especially with people who are older than you are is to remember that older people are, first and foremost, people. And when attempting to cultivate friendships with them they generally look for the same types of things that everyone else looks for. They want people with similar interests, a good sense of humor, kindness, loyalty, and a non-judgmental outlook.

Another trap to avoid is stereotyping. This can apply to all groups different from your own but seems to be especially common when it comes to people of widely different age groups. Assuming that all older people are boring, grumpy, and chronic complainers does them a huge disservice and may cheat you of some really satisfying relationships. And for the minority of older people who do come across as boring, grumpy complainers you might consider this; sometimes people seem boring because they are bored, grumpy because they are lonely and complaining because they are in pain. Developing a friendship might be just the thing they need to pull them out of their slump.

So how can you go about developing a friendship with an older person? Church groups and activities might be a good starting point as well as volunteering at a nursing home, senior center or a Meals-on-Wheels program. Or there might be an elderly person in your own neighborhood who

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