The Woodlands is a small non-profit organization like many others, and our small staff of four heavily rely on the help of volunteers and interns. Many of our volunteers self identify as “Millennials” or were born in the years just before or after this polarizing generation came to be. We treat the age differences of the staff and interns as a gift, benefit, and useful insight. Younger generations are a key to the successful future of the Arts and Culture Sector, and we take advantage of our interns experience to help our history-based non-profit reach new, young audiences. With this in mind, we find humor in the current “OK Boomer” phenomenon spreading through contemporary culture. “Ok Boomer” was even featured the past two weekends on CBS Sunday Morning. You can view their segment from the younger generations’s perspective here, and the views of the older generation here. We realized this is the perfect time to tell the story of Samuel Breck’s 19th century visit to The Woodlands. It reminded us that the generational divide spotlighted today by “Ok Boomer” is nothing new, and as with most trends, connect us to history. We asked our (Millennial) intern Kathie to put her spin on this story, and we hope you enjoy it.
“OK, Boomer!” is a phrase heard ringing around the contemporary social sphere. It’s infiltrating social media, office dynamics and the political arena as a way for the younger generation to identify their differences and exasperation with their elders who are a product of the post-WWII reproduction boom, thus named the Baby Boomers. Over the past 20+ years –which is pretty much the entirety of my lifetime—technology, communication, social and political dynamics have progressed, morphed and exploded at an incredibly rapid pace to produce a contemporary culture that is distinctly at odds with that which existed half a century ago. As society changes at an exponential rate, it would make sense that those of us born before the recent era of a nearly digitized existence might have a hard time keeping up at full capacity. Even I, as a millennial, find myself amazed by children’s adaptation to the technological and social advancements.
Although the dichotomy between current generations may be a bit more drastic than experienced in the past it is a dynamic that is essentially timeless. Here at The Woodlands, evidence of the perpetual headbutting between generations manifested in a small, and silly incident during the transition time between the era when Hamilton’s decadently designed home was used for tastefully executed social events, and the founding of the Woodlands Cemetery Company. Between Hamilton’s death in 1813 and the opening of the Cemetery Company in 1840, the house was rented out to southern families as a vacation spot as a way to generate income. It is of no surprise that these families would have children who took advantage of having a huge house at their disposal for their youthful mischief.
Photo of Samuel Breck
A diary entry—transcribed below—by Samuel Breck depicts an experience he had with a member of the younger generation upon a visit to the Hamilton Mansion in 1832. Samuel was a politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1823-1825 and had frequented the Hamilton Mansion as a guest of William Hamilton’s while it functioned as a distinguished estate. Breck lived to be 91 years old and diligently recorded his experiences and thoughts throughout his lifetime. His visit during the summer of 1832 highlights the generational differences that manifested since the time of his previous trips to the estate, presumably about 25 years prior.
Samuel Breck, August 1832
This is a day of fasting humiliation and prayer, appointed by the mayor, in consequence of the existence of the cholera. In the afternoon I rode to the Woodlands to visit my sister and found the family of boarders at prayers. Unwilling to interrupt their worship, I went into the portico and gazed at the unrivaled prospect in front. How often have I seen that splendid view excite the applause and admiration of the gay company that filled the noble villa, in the days of William Hamilton! In the corners of the portico stand the busts of two roman emperors, that were placed there by the founders of the Woodlands, and have been sold, as fixtures, with the house. On approaching one, to salute it as an old acquaintance, I was mortified to see it disfigured by a black lead pencil. Mustaches and whiskers were drawn over the upper lip and the sides of the cheeks and on the forehead the following silly stuff was scribbled:
“My name is Norval:
On the [Grampian] Hill,
I took thy daddy’s pill.”
Truly ashamed of the propensity of my countryman, from Texas to Maine, to dishonor themselves, and the fine arts, I went to work with a piece pf paper, and rubbed off all I could and then called a young gentleman, who sat in the hall (and who happened to be the deformer himself) and gave him a grave lecture, upon the want of refinement and taste, in trying to render ridiculous, such works of skills, brought here to decorate and furnish a beautiful house, and which all polished people – every polite community cherish with the greatest care. I told him how unfortunate it was that a tendency existed among the rising generation to write obscene verses, carve initials of names, and sketch rude figures, on the walls and furniture of places thrown open to the public; how much such conduct in Europe (except perhaps in our good father-land) was reproved and furnished, and denounced as barbarous that in Holland pictures representing one man whipping another, were hung up on the public roads, as an intimation of what a person might expect, who should presume to mutilate public property.
Young Norval’s defacement of William Hamilton’s inspired artistic expression clearly struck a chord with Samuel Breck. The satirical graffiti could be interpreted as the early 19th century “F*#% You!” to outdated ideals within high society. Norval expressed this in a place that seemed increasingly obsolete, and represented the generation he was acting against. Breck’s political stature further underlines parallels to the current disconnect seen in the generational transition happening in positions of power in the United States.
“OK Boomer” is the most recent way in which us “darn kids” of contemporary society are pushing back, and the boomers are responding with their respective annoyance. As more light is shed on the conflict between millennials and baby boomers, we probably won’t be sat down and given a “talking to” as Samuel imposed on Norval nearly 200 years ago, but the underlying annoyance is still there. Tensions surrounding the “OK, Boomer” phenomenon are rising, but Samuel Breck’s Diary entry reveals, and hopefully lightens, the essence of the colloquialism. Let us glean from the marker mustaches on classical sculpture that generational battles are ageless.
Written by:
Kathie Brill