GDM was raised on a farm in western Illinois, spent years in the Peace Corps in various parts of Africa, married a fellow Peace Corps volunteer, and settled into a career in New Zealand over 30 years ago. She has dual U.S.-New Zealand citizenship. Born in 1954, the youngest of four, she feels like a solid Baby Boomer, not so much part of Generation Jones. Let's find out why.

In this interview, I talk to Dan from Montana. Dan was born in South Dakota, moved a lot when he was a child, and lived most of his life in the American West. When he retired a few years ago, he and his wife set out to travel the world. Dan’s observations of life in the Western U.S. reveal an America that became more corporate and less personal, yet one which offered technological advancements that allow him to expand his horizons in the world.

00:00-00:27 Introduction to episode

00:31-00:57 Introduction to guest

00:58-5:27 Childhood

5:36-14:50 Education

14:58-30:50 Employment

31:03-37:51 World or national events

38:00-46:34 Family life

46:43-51:09 Shifts in cultural attitudes

51:15-55:33 Technology in personal life

55:43-1:03:06 Word association & final thoughts

In this interview, I talk to Cheryl Green.  Cheryl is a recently retired referee of the Disputes Tribunal in Hamilton,  New Zealand.  She was born and raised in New Zealand to English parents who thought of themselves as working class.  She was told that people like them didn’t attend college.  Following a somewhat non-traditional path, she eventually got a college degree and became a lawyer.  I know Cheryl personally, and I find her to be extremely organized, enthusiastic, and fun. 

In this interview, I talk to Michael Jensen.  Michael is one-half of the husband & husband team of writers behind the popular travel blog, Brent and Michael are Going Places (www.brentandmichaelaregoingplaces.com), where they chronicle their lives as digital nomads where they’ve been living in the larger world for the past several years.  Michael begins his story describing the importance of books as an early inspiration in his life.  He describes how it feels to navigate the world as a gay man in his young adulthood, his work life as a writer, and his concern about public discourse in America. 

0:00-Introduction to episode

0:36-Introduction to guest

1:22-Childhood

6:15-Education

17:11-Employment

25:22-Major cultural events

33:20-Family life

38:33-Technology

43:32-Shifts in cultural attitudes

51:09-Final thoughts

54:59-Outro

Kim's suggested playlist:

World of Imagination, Gene Wilder

Leaving on a Jet Plane, Bob Denver

Poetry Man, Phoebe Snow

That's What Friends Are For, Dionne Warwick & friends

Come Together, The Beatles

The Times, They Are A'Changin', Bob Dylan

Don't Stop Me Now, Queen

We Are the World, USA for Africa

Fly Like an Eagle, Steve Miller

In this interview, I talk to Cecilia Webster, from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. Although Cecilia describes herself as “ordinary”, I think she is anything but. Cecilia has kept a keen eye on the nursing profession, the environment, and aged care – all while raising 3 children, helping care for ill family members, and advocating at the grassroots for positive change in social policy.   

0:00:00-Introduction to episode

0:00:36-Introduction to guest

0:01:09-Childhood

0:15:40-Primary education

0:27:36-Sex education early 1970's

0:44:14-Nursing career

01:05:28-Pandemic nursing

01:13:33-Technology in nursing

01:26:52-Family life

01:33:00-Shifts in cultural attitudes

01:36:47-Word association

01:50:25-Final thoughts

01:58:38-Outro

Kim's suggested playlist, songs on Spotify:

He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother, The Hollies

She blinded me with Science, Thomas Dolby

Let's Misbehave by Cole Porter, sung by Janice Hagan

She Works Hard for the Money, Donna Summer

Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Simon & Garfunkle

You've Got a Friend, James Taylor

Imagine, John Lennon

Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel

What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong

Kookaberra Sits, ABC Kids

In this episode, I talk to Mark, who was born in Flint, Michigan in 1957. Mark's family moved into an upper middle-class mostly white neighborhood in Flint in the 1960's, and his family was harassed because they were African-American. He was a first-hand witness to white flight and what it did to the community. Nevertheless, his mother was an educator and instilled in the importance of education. Mark broke racial barriers at the University of Michigan, as a pharmacist, and as a lawyer and law professor. Hear his story here.

0:00-Introduction of episode

0:40-Introduction of guest

01:33-Childhood

18:03-Typical day and education

27:20-Employment

47:38-Family

1:00:54-Technology in personal life

1:07:19-Shifts in cultural attitudes

1:17:15-Final thoughts

1:20:48-Outro

Kim's suggested playlist, found on Spotify

What's Going On, Marvin Gaye

The Swimming Song, Louden Wainwright III

Think, Aretha Franklin

Indigo Blue, Hank Crawford

Heart of Gold, Neil Young

Revolution, The Beatles

In this episode, we will hear my discussion with Nan, a 59-year-old woman from Montana.  Nan was born in Havre, Montana, a city of about 9,000 people.  She grew up and lived her entire adult life in Havre, but recently she and her husband embarked on a nomadic life mostly outside the United States.  Nan discusses her upbringing in the household of her Italian grandparents, her career as a nurse, and life in a small town.

0:00-Introduction of episode

00:35-Introduction of guest 01:10- Early childhood

14:52-Typical childhood day compared to son's

17:24-Education

25:01-Career as a nurse

37:39-Major cultural events

44:00-Technology in personal life

52:12-Family life

56:30-Cultural attitude shifts

61:57-Word association

68:12-Closing thoughts

69:30-Outro by Kim

To see a written transcript, go to https://www.genjoneschronicles.com/gen-jones-stories-on-spotify

Kim's suggested playlist (songs available on Spotify)

Don’t Fence me In, Ella Fitzgerald

I think its Going to Rain Today, Joe Cocker

Small Town by John Cougar Mellencamp

Lean on Me, Bill Withers

Stay Away, Randy Newman

Telephone, Lady Gaga

Volare, Dean Martin

River, Joni Mitchell

Life is a Highway, Tom Cochrane

Fly Like an Eagle, Steve Miller Band

In this episode, we hear my discussion with Brendan Cullen.  Brendan was born to immigrant parents in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island. He has lived most of his adult life in Hamilton, New Zealand, where he has been an involved member of the community, practicing law &, along with his wife Cheryl, raising their daughter. Brendan’s careful reflection adds to our journey to find common characteristics of Gen Jonesers.

To read a transcript of this interview, go to www.genjoneschronicles.com, on the page "Gen Jones Stories".

01:32-Childhood

07:06-Career

26:34-Significant national or international events

33:10-Family life & parenting

40:53-Technology in personal life

44:33-Shifts in cultural attitudes

50:04-Word association

58:20-Final thoughts

Kim’s suggested playlist for this episode with artist performance available on Spotify:

Welcome Home (Dave Dobbyn)

Bicycle Race (Queen)

I’m on Hold (Alex Cornell)

Fly Me to the Moon (Joytastic Sarah)

That’s the Way I Always Heard it Should Be (Carly Simon)

Video Killed the Radio Star (The Buggles)

Hello Goodbye (The Beatles)

Kol Nidre (Max Bruch)

Camelot (Frederick Lowe Broadway cast)

Fly Like an Eagle (Steve Miller Band)