Question

"I couldn't give my boys the things their friends had, and the things I                     and their mother wanted them to have. In fact, we were poor."

Robert Jensen

age: 85

Worked 45 years in a                                                                         fabric factory

                                            

"My whole life has been pegged to the future. I tried to instill that into                   my children. None of them has followed it, unfortunately."

Tom Jensen                                                                                   Robert's son

age: 59

an accountant

"I don't believe a bit in the saying 'a penny saved is a penny earned'.                     Make megabucks, spend megabucks. I work hard to have fun."

Michael Jensen,

Tom's son

age: 27

an insurance salesman

                                            

These are real statements from a real family. Three generations of the Jensen family are all middle-class Americans, born and raised in this country. They all still live here too. Their philosophies about money, responsibility, life, and future inhabit different worlds. Write a page or so explaining those generational differences in the light of your understanding of the personal and family finance. Be clear and analytical. Express your own opinion freely because you will be judged based on how clear, organized, flowing, meaningful, convincing, and powerful your comments are.

Answer 1

The three statement of views are actually the hearts talking out the real definition of life of three individuals belonging to three different generations.The pattern I can see from these viewpoints is that:"The more old you are, the more life teaches and shows you its real phase."But the time we realize that,it would be too late for us to implement it.So we keep on insisting the concepts of life to the coming generations who are just reluctant to at least listen about it.

According to Robert Jensen,he lived in a time where money crisis was a big issue and technology was not that developed. However hard they tried, they cant give their child a happy future.And when that child grew up(Tom Jensen) clearly knew that he had missed getting a beautiful future from his helpless parents and he would try to work hard and tries to give his child the best things which he missed to get.And this is possible to happen as the generation Tom was born was a generation of upcoming technology and innovation.

While Tom satisfies his son by giving everything he needs, his son(Michael Jensen) who was born in the new generation took it for granted.The stories of his grandfather was JUST a story for him to listen and then forget. Since he was brought up nicely, he doesn't know the real meaning of hard work, money, future and responsibility.All he wants is to enjoy his life to the fullest with every facility he has (which he never knew was the sweat of his father's hard work)

In short,what i mentioned above is not a case of a family..its the actual case of EVERY families having people from 3 generations.And i fear what would be the future of the fourth generation.....!!!