Rufus, Outhouses, and Should we give a $#@%?  Or, Do Boomers owe their children a better life?

Rufus, Outhouses, and Should we give a $#@%? Or, Do Boomers owe their children a better life?

From Views on the News from the Couch by Jeff Cross

May 20, 2026 · 14 min

About this episode

The episode challenges the notion that Boomers had it easy and explores the struggles of different generations regarding work and housing.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I push back on the idea that Boomers “had it easy” and owe their kids a softer life. Starting with the story of Rufus—a kid who walked into an auto shop two weeks before his 14th birthday to ask for a job—I connect three generations: my dad shoveling outhouses, a young hustler running a repair shop in his teens, and today’s grads struggling with housing and work. We talk college degrees vs trades, starter homes then vs now, participation trophies, Sweden and ...

People in this episode

Host: Jeff Cross

Topics covered

  • Boomers
  • generational differences
  • work ethics
  • housing crisis
  • education

Keywords

  • Boomers
  • Rufus
  • outhouses
  • college degrees
  • trades
  • housing
  • participation trophies

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Sweden

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