Grown-ups who grew up at different times in the world can start to notice things that other people simply don’t. Boomers, for example, were kids before the days of touchscreens and self-checkout lanes, and are often the ones who spot those little details about the world that younger people might just stroll past.
We chatted a little with some Boomers and got them to name a few of the things they still notice which younger people often overlook. Here are 11 of them.
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The Sound of real clocks ticking
Real clocks still tick-tock for Boomers, because they’re still paying attention to the time on the wall, and it sounds the same in the quiet room as it did in the kitchen and living room when they were growing up. The phones they know don’t tick, so this sound has another dimension for them.
The sound of loose change
Coins still jingling in a pocket have value for Boomers who have been handling cash every day of their lives. For younger people, used to swiping credit cards and paying by phone, they might not even notice the sound. It’s just white noise.
Wear on stone steps
Boomers still look at how the stone steps of many historic public buildings have been smoothed and cupped over the decades by people walking over them. As they walk on the same steps they remain conscious of the history and the implied uses that shape that pattern. Younger generations may never notice that the grooves formed by thousands before them are already there, as they stride over.
The weight of old doors
A thick door, of wood or metal, is also an attraction for the eyes of boomers. To them it conveys a sense of workmanship and solidity. Most young people are used to lightweight hollow ones that give no resistance at all when opening, and never appreciate the near tactile “voice” of a heavy door.
The glow of neon signs
Dim and flickering neon in a diner window is another object that seems to jump out at Boomers. Those colors represent the nightlife or main street to them. But younger people, who have only LED signs to compare them to, don’t even know what to make of the gentle buzz those glass tubes make.
Faded hand-painted shop signs
Boomers also take in the writing on a brick wall or storefront that’s peeling, but still legible. To them it’s nostalgia for a time when businesses hired a painter to paint their name on the wall instead of ordering a plastic one. To younger folks, it’s just part of the scenery.
Old furniture scars
Boomers see a ding on a dining room table or a ring on a wooden desk and appreciate the furniture for the long life they can still have. To younger folks that buy and toss disposable furniture every few years, the old scratches just don’t stand out as much.
Chalkboards in public places
Walk into a vintage diner, old schoolroom, or mom-and-pop store, and Boomers see chalkboards on the wall and that powdery white dust from an eraser smudged on a freshly written message. Kids today have grown up with dry-erase boards and touch screens, so they don’t notice them.
Drafts in older houses
Boomers feel the first slight breeze from an ill-fitting window or under a door. Growing up without central heat or double-paned windows, they’re used to drafts. Younger people don’t notice these until it’s extreme, because they’ve never lived without modern heating systems.
Dying polaroid colors
Boomers open an old photo album and immediately see how colors change in Polaroid pictures (faces pink, skies orange). To Boomers, it’s a symbol of the passing of time. Digital photography presents younger audiences with pristine visuals which makes tonal changes less noticeable.
Dents in old mailboxes
A bent, slightly rusted mailbox at the end of a driveway is an object Boomers often notice. They can almost visualize years of stuffed newspapers or neighborhood kids ramming into it with bikes. To younger people, it is just another thing, without all those layers of story.
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