10,000 Days

Boomer Highlight: Steve Jobs

2011-10-15T20:03:00.001-07:00

I'm starting a new series of blogs. These are on Baby Boomers we can be proud of. These are members of our generation who have not only succeeded but have also contributed to our society and have set an example for all of us to follow.

Today: Steve Jobs, Inventor, Entrepreneur and Artist

He was our generation's Henry Ford with a touch of Thomas Edison and Pablo Picasso thrown in.

Steve Jobs didn't just start Apple computers. He didn't just revolutionize the home computer. He created a whole new work environment. He opened up new worlds for the everyday citizens and provided them with an electronic universe they could tap into from an ordinary desk in a modest den in their home.

Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955, smack in the middle of the Baby Boom. He was given up for adoption and raised by his adoptive parents in what would later be known as Silicon Valley.

He spent only one semester in college, although he dropped in on classes for another 18 months at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. One of those courses was calligraphy, which would play a role in his business life.

Jobs worked at low-level positions at Hewlett Packard and Atari. His life at age 20 was not really the stuff of legends.

When he was 21, he co-founded Apple Computers with Steve Wozniak. By the time Jobs died of cancer earlier this month, Apple had surpassed ExxonMobil as the world's most valuable company.

Jobs was not an easy person to work for. He could be demanding, relentless and unsympathetic.

But he had qualities that put him far above almost everybody in his generation. Qualities that led him to be a transformative figure during his relatively short life.

Jobs was certainly an inventor. Much like Edison, he saw things differently than most people. He could think beyond the obvious and imagine what most others couldn't fathom.

Jobs was confident in his vision. He didn't need input and he didn't seek it. His view of what was to come was never watered down by consultants or committees.

That would have been great enough, but Jobs was more than an inventor. He also had an entrepreneurial side much akin to Ford. The automaker's greatest gift was his utilization of the assembly line in the early 20th century, so cars could become affordable to everyday Americans.

Jobs did much the same with the home computer. He made the boxy, complicated machines of the 1970s easy to understand and fun to use. The Apple II in 1977 was just the start. The MacIntosh, introduced in 1984, was the beginning of a revolution.

Jobs had great instincts. He knew the original Mac had flaws, so while the rest of the world was racing to catch up, he plowed ahead. He kept improving his machines and he did something unusual, and somewhat risky, for the computer world. He didn't allow his Apples to interface with other computers.

He created a separate world from the "p-c's." If you had an Apple, you had to use Apple software and Apple products. This closed-circuit world worked. He created a community that wasn't infected by the outside world.

This pattern continued until his death. You see it in the iPhone and with iTunes. Same with the iMacs. You even see it at Pixar, the company he developed when he was persona non gratis at Apple.

Cutting edge. User friendly. Highly functioning. Those characteristics are found in all his products.

However, there was one more element that led to Jobs' success. One that is sometimes overlooked.

Steve Jobs was also an artist. His products not only work well. They are beautiful.

Hold up an iPhone, open up an iMac laptop or turn on an iPad and people go "oooooh." They are cool and they are sleek.

Jobs added streamlining to computers. He splashed in color. He even used that calligraphy class on his computer's fonts and their keyboards.

You can go on and on. How Jobs revolutionized the music industry with the iPod. How he turned the mobile device world on its ear with the iPhone.

Steve Jobs allowed people to carry all the entertainment and information they need in the palm of their hand. He changed the way we work and live.

When you watch a movie on a hand-held device, you can thank Steve Jobs. When your bosses allow you to work from home, you can thank Steve Jobs.

It is sad that he died at the age of 56. He had so much more to offer, so much more to bring us.

He was a blazing star in our generation and we won't see the likes of him again in our lifetime.

Boomer Highlight: Tom Hanks

2011-09-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today: Tom Hanks, Oscar-winning actor

Have you ever read about Tom Hanks being arrested? Driving drunk? Cheating on his wife? Throwing a fit on the set of a film?

No, you haven't.

Granted nobody should do any of those things, but in this day of oversized egos and bad public behavior, it's refreshing to find an actor of Tom Hanks' stature who actually hasn't.

Hanks is the model of what we would like to see in a Hollywood star.

He's modest. He's understated. He's funny. He's good at what he does. And he lives a life with high standards.

Tom Hanks was born in 1956 in Concord, California -- a middle-income suburb east of San Francisco. His parents divorced when he was 5 and Hanks, along with his brother and sister, was raised by his father, who worked as a chef. The family moved around before settling in Oakland.

That's where Hanks attended Skyline High. After graduating in 1974, he went to a community college in nearby Hayward before transferring to the theater program at Sacramento State.

He spent the next three summers acting in various productions of Shakespeare plays, according to biography.com. In 1978, he won the Cleveland Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Proteus in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona."

Hanks dropped out of college in 1980 and with his modest training moved to New York. He landed a small role in the slasher film, "He Knows You're Alone."

Then came his big break. He was spotted by an ABC talent scout and cast in the television comedy, "Bosom Buddies." The show itself was forgettable, but Hanks' acting abilities weren't.

After the show was cancelled two years later, Hanks got guest roles on shows such as "Happy Days," "Taxi" and "Family Ties." Ron Howard noticed Hanks and cast him in the lead male role of the movie, "Splash," starring Daryl Hannah as a mermaid.

Hanks starred in several widely panned movies, including "Bachelor Party," before being cast by director Penny Marshall in her comedy, "Big." That movie charmed audiences and critics and brought Hanks his first Academy Award nomination for best actor.

Hanks still had to work hard, though. Over the next few years, he starred in modestly accomplished movies such as "Joe Versus The Volcano" and "Bonfire of the Vanities."

In 1993, he had the lead roles in two huge hits, "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Philadelphia." The latter role garnered him the best actor Oscar.

The following year, he starred in "Forrest Gump" and snagged another Oscar.

Since then, he has had a string of hits, including "Apollo 13," "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Da Vinci Code." He also had done the voice of "Woody" in the "Toy Story" movies. His films have earned an estimated $4 billion in the U.S. market alone.

However, Hanks' accomplishments go beyond his acting roles. He has produced and directed. He also has taken on projects and causes.

After "Apollo 13," he got interested in space travel and produced and directed the HBO mini-series, "From The Earth To The Moon." He's also a member of the National Space Society and has an asteroid named after him.

The well-known actor also has paid tribute on numerous occasions to the so-called "Greatest Generation" that pulled itself out of the Great Depression and battled on two fronts in "World War Two."

Hanks has had relatively little bad publicity by Hollywood standards. He and his first wife did divorce in 1987 after nine years of marriage and two children. In a 2006 interview, Hanks admitted to having an affair with current wife, Rita Wilson, while he was still married to his first wife. He called the affair "nothing to celebrate."

Hanks has been married to Wilson since 1988. They also have two children.

In public appearances, Hanks is likable, self-effacing and kind. He has stated in interviews that his acting in his early career wasn't all that good and he worked hard to improve. He has also blamed what he called his poor decision making for some of the movie flops he's been involved in.

Refreshing. Somebody as well known as Hanks actually admitting shortcomings and not blaming others for failures.

Hanks hasn't been afraid to speak his mind, although it's mostly done in a positive way. He has supported Democratic candidates, including President Obama. He also owns an electric car and is a vocal proponent of same-sex marriage.

Hanks is sort of like the nation's class president. He's a popular, nice big guy on campus.

Someone worth emulating and certainly a Baby Boomer to be proud of.

Boomer Highlight: Mike Mullen

2011-09-13T19:31:00.001-07:00

Today: Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

It's not often a Navy admiral will appear on a comedy-based talk show.

But there was Mike Mullen the other night, chatting away with Comedy Central's Jon Stewart.

The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff is certainly intelligent. No surprise there.

But he also proved to be funny, humble, conversational and insightful. At least that's what I picked up from the interview.

Admiral Mullen was born in 1947. His parents were in the entertainment business. His father was a successful Hollywood publicist.

In 1964, at the age of 17, Mullen told his parents he was joining the Navy. The admiral told Stewart his parents supported that decision and off he went.

Mullen's accomplishments, as listed on the joint chiefs' website, is impressive.

After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968, he was stationed aboard the USS Collett. The ensign was assigned as an anti-submarine officer. His ship patrolled the Western Pacific and participated in combat operations off the coast of Vietnam.

Mullen served on six other warships over the years, three as a commanding officer. As an admiral, he commanded the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group and U.S. Second Fleet.

He eventually rose to chief of naval operations with a chair on the joint chiefs. In 2007, he was appointed chairman of that group.

His duties now include advising the president, the secretary of defense, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council. All this during a time when the United States is withdrawing soldiers from Iraq and increasing its number of troops in Afghanistan.

Mullen also has a master of sciences degree in operation research from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. He also graduated from the advanced management program at Harvard Business School.

Yet, on the Stewart show, he seemed like a guy you'd like to chat with at a barbecue.

Stewart recalled how on a goodwill trip to Afghanistan he noticed how much the soldiers there liked to talk with Mullen. The admiral responded by talking about how awesome today's soldiers are.

Stewart joked about the soldiers supposedly carrying Mullen around and throwing rose petals at his feet. Mullen responded, "That usually only happens once a trip."

The admiral retires at the end of this month. He and Deborah, his wife of 41 years, plan to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

Yes, successful and influential. Yet, civil with a proper perspective, too.

Mike Mullen. A Baby Boomer we can be proud of.

The Heavy Anchor

2011-09-10T14:59:00.001-07:00

Baby Boomers... I'm afraid we've become a drag on society. Literally.

As we age and slide into retirement, we are like a cast iron anchor that is dragging along the ocean floor, slowing up our ship of state.

It's bad enough our age group is taking slings and arrows for what we've done in the past. For how we've steered the country when we had our hands on the wheel.

Some critics are calling us the worst generation in modern history. They point to the 2008 financial meltdown. The divisive presidencies of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The way our corporations have been managed.

In short, things are not good right now in the United States of America and some are laying the blame at our feet.

Whether that is true or not is a subjective matter of opinion.

But there seems to be little doubt the Baby Boom generation, by its sheer numbers, is exacting a heavy toll on society.

At the moment, we are clogging up the labor force. Not that we should necessarily be criticized for wanting to work, but the fact that 40 percent of Boomers over the age of 55 are still employed is a major factor on our economy. We are still sitting in jobs that younger and/or unemployed people want to have.

One factor is a lot of Boomers can't retire now due to their financial status. Part of that is our own fault. We have not saved our money well and many of our 401k plans are not what they should be, partly because we didn't handle our nation's economy with the long term in mind.

It also appears we won't be leaving much for the younger generations. In a recent survey by U.S. Trust, 49 percent of "Baby Boomer millionaires" said they don't plan to leave an inheritance for their kids. Part of the sentiment from those surveyed was "we've done enough for our children's generation." Seriously?

Our financial status is also having a negative effect on the stock markets. Analysts say we are the age group that is expected to invest most heavily in the markets. However, we are putting less money into the Dow Jones, Nasdaq and other entities. That is helping pull those institutions down.

We are also starting to drag down our nation's health care system. As our 78 million member generation ages, we are in more and more need of medical attention.

The health care industry has grown the past four years, according to Forbes magazine. It expanded 7 percent the past year, despite the overall economy growing hardly at all.

In the short term, that's good for people who work in the medical field. However, as Boomers start to develop cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases, we will be in danger of bankrupting the nation's health care system.

Social Security is another institution trying to hold up under the weight of our generation. The oldest of the Baby Boomers started to collect Social Security checks three years ago. Now, with the front of our generation turning 65 this year, more and more Boomers are grabbing their share of the pension pie.

We can argue that we paid into the system and should get our money. That is true. However, we might want to think of the rest of the nation before we start grabbing our "fair share."

The numbers simply don't add up. There are too many of us and not enough younger people paying into the system for Social Security to stay solvent.

My suggestion in my book, "10,000 Days," is for Baby Boomers to delay cashing in their Social Security checks. Wait until you're 70 or older. Perhaps, as a generation, we should insist of changing the program's formula and accept less money.

The one bright economic note might be the housing market. As Boomers get older and "downsize" their living accommodations, they are moving out of their single-family homes and purchasing condos and other smaller quarters. That is providing some turnover in the housing market.

So, Boomers... it appears we can help our nation by putting our homes on the markets, taking care of our health and delaying our Social Security checks.

It'd be nice if we did something for the country as a whole instead of thinking of only ourselves.

Boomers: Kennedy Calls, Is It Our Last Chance For Greatness?

2011-01-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

It was 60 years ago this month that President John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most stirring inauguration speeches in our nation's history.

His line, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," was just one of many eloquent calls in that speech for the United States to embark on a new frontier.

Now, six decades later, as Baby Boomers enter retirement age, we must ask themselves... Did we do what we set out to do for this country?

I'm afraid the answer at the point is a resounding no. In fact, our generation is on the verge of being a disappointing failure. Some pundits are even starting to call us "The Worst Generation."

To be certain, we started out quickly. In the 1960s and 1970s, we led the civil rights movement and the battle for women's equality. We blazed the environmental trail and revolutionized music. We stopped a war and ended the military draft. We even got the voting age reduced to 18.

No small accomplishments. That's for sure.

However, something happened after President Richard Nixon resigned and Baby Boomers entered the work force and began raising families.

We turned inward. We became self-centered. We stopped thinking about what was good for society and focused on what was good for us. The zeal we engineered for worthy causes became passion for making money and looking out for ourselves.

We remain strident. Of that, there is no doubt. The righteous approach we had protesting the Vietnam War and fighting for equal rights has manifested itself into the divisive political debate that permeates our nation. No matter what side of the fence you're on, anyone who disagrees with you is someone worth hating.

The 16 years that our two Boomer presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, ruled the executive branch were an incredibly divisive decade and a half. Our country hasn't been this violently split since 1968.

We were at the helm when the worst financial crisis in 80 years hit our nation in 2008. Before that, we were spending money we didn't have and making profits by doing nothing more than shuffling papers between corporations.

We can't even see past the mirror when it comes to Social Security. There are 78 million of us. The oldest of our generation are turning 65 this year. There simply aren't enough younger working people to finance our retirement even if take our full share as soon as we're eligible.

For the sake of the nation, Baby Boomers should agree to smaller Social Security payments and take them at a later age, perhaps 70.

However, I see no evidence that is happening. Boomers have already eagerly starting cashing in when they turned 62. We are on course to crush Social Security as well as the Medicare system.

We are at a precipice, Boomers. If we continue down this path, we drag down the ravine a country we have already seriously steered off the proper course.

In my book, "10,000 Days," I laid out what I believe is a change of attitude and a route Baby Boomers can follow the next 30 years to redeem our generation and sail our ship of state into waters that are navigable for the generations behind us.

Alas, in the two years since that book was self-published, I see no sign of change. No groundswell to return to our activist roots. No hint we are changing our ways.

The hour is late, Baby Boomers, but we still have time. We can heed President Kennedy's call and see what we can do for our country.

Baby Boomers and Health Care

2010-11-22T21:00:00.001-08:00

I am presenting a guest blog in this spot since it's been awhile since I've written anything.

This one is on a topic important to all of us aging Baby Boomers. What is going to happen with health care reform?

The blog is written by Barbara O'Brien, who has made a name for herself blogging about political and health care issues. You can learn more about her at barbaraobrien@maacenter.org

Will Congress Repeal Health Care Reform?

By Barbara O'Brien

As soon as Republicans knew they had won a majority of House seats in the midterm elections, GOP leaders vowed to repeal health care reform. Can they do this? And should they?

Frankly, chances that the health care reform bill could be repealed completely are remote, especially since such repeal would have to override President Obama's veto, and the Senate still has a Democratic majority.

House Republicans say they have some tricks up their sleeves, such as refusing to provide funds in the budget to implement health care reform. However, provisions of the law that will expand Medicaid and help subsidize private insurance won't kick in until 2014. Until then, there's not much the House can do to the budget to stop health care reform from going forward, short of defunding the entire Health and Human Services department.

Another "trick" might be to dismantle the bill piece by piece. One provision that many people want to remove is the individual mandate, which will require most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a tax penalty. This provision also kicks in in 2014, and it's one that Baby Boomers in particular will want to fight to keep.

Here's why: Beginning in 2014, private insurance companies will no longer be able to refuse to insure someone because of a pre-existing condition. But without an individual mandate, there will be no incentive for younger and healthier people to purchase health insurance until the time comes when they need it. This means those left in the insurance "risk pool" will be older, and that drives up the cost of insurance.

By the time we reach 50, nearly all of us have "pre-existing conditions." Some of our conditions are common, and some are not -- mesothelioma, for example, is rarely diagnosed in patients younger than 50. And without Medicare or other good insurance, mesothelioma treatment would be financially devastating.

But without the individual mandate requiring that healthier people share in the cost of insuring all of us, the health insurance premium bills for people aged 50 to 65 will be ruinous. We can scrap health care reform entirely, of course, but keep in mind that if you lose your insurance before you reach Medicare age you may not be able to purchase insurance at all, at any price, if you have a pre-existing condition.

Our Disastrous Decade

2009-12-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

The cover of Time magazine this week sums it up pretty well.
“The Decade From Hell.”
The magazine’s editors are detailing the years 2000 to 2009, the first decade of the 21st century that will mercifully come to an end when this month closes out.
They are calling it one of the worst decades in our nation’s history. And with good reason.
It began with the bitterly fought 2000 presidential election that split the country in two… a gap that doesn’t appear to have closed much.
It was quickly followed by the terrorists’ murderous assaults on Sept. 11, 2001.
That led to the Afghanistan invasion and then the Iraq war, two conflicts that continue to drag on.
In between, we suffered through the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, the bankruptcies of Enron, General Motors and other large companies, the fatal fall-to-Earth of the space shuttle Columbia, the collapse of the housing market, the meltdown of our economy, the Bernie Madoff scandal.
Need I go on?
This disastrous decade unfolded while Baby Boomers were at the helm. Our generation entered 2000 between the ages of 36 and 54. We exit between the ages of 46 and 64.
Those are prime years. Those are the years a generation usually has control of industry, government and society.
We did. And, frankly, we made a mess.
This is going to take years to clean up. The two generations right behind us are the ones that will probably do most of the sweeping and repair work.
Baby Boomers, we need to atone for this debacle.
First, we can admit we blew it. We drove the nation into a ditch. We should apologize.
Then, we can look forward. As I said in my book, we have 30 productive years ahead of us. We have 10,000 days to make things better.
What we didn’t do when we were middle-aged, we can make up for when we are older.
It’s time to become senior statesmen of our society. To set a good example for the younger generations. To volunteer. To help fix things like Social Security and the health-care system. To be good grandparents.
We can’t undo this past decade. But we can make the next decade a much better one.

Coming Of Age

2009-11-03T08:48:00.001-08:00

What’s in a number? It’s a good question.
I guess my answer would be… whatever you put into it.
I turned 55 on Sunday. I could be depressed or distressed.
But I’m not. In fact, I’m actually quite joyful about it.
That may sound like someone trying to fool himself, but it’s not.
That’s because I’ve learned over the years that almost every situation can be looked upon in a positive or negative light.
Age is at the top of that list.
You don’t have total control over what happens to you. That’s especially true of getting older.
But you do have control over how you react to things.
A woman named Jackie who I worked with a couple decades ago was almost giddy on her 50th birthday. I asked her how she attained that attitude. She told me she looks at birthdays as accomplishments. That she’s reached a certain level. That’s she’s aged… like a wine.
I’ve adopted her philosophy since then. I used it on my 40th birthday, on my 50th birthday and now on my 55th.
On all birthdays, I take a moment to look back on what I’ve accomplished. I’ve been married for 33 years. I have two wonderful grown daughters. I have a delightful grandson with another grandchild on the way. I put myself through college and I’ve made a living writing for more than three decades. I’ve kept myself in good health. The list goes on.
I urge everyone to do the same on their birthdays, milestone or not. First, tell everyone it is your birthday. Don’t hide it. Second, take a moment to think about what you’ve accomplished. It’s a good day to reflect on the positive.
It’s also a good day to start something new. I took up the drums on my 50th birthday. I started learning French this year.
Have some fun, too. I’m visiting my grandmother this week. She turned 96 on Sunday. We’re actually going to Denny’s and both using their senior discounts. Awesome.
In particular, Baby Boomers should adopt this practice. It’s a good example to set for the rest of society. It’s also could go a long way toward changing the way our society looks at age. Age could start being viewed as an asset and not a liability.
Remember the saying… I’m not older, I’m better.

Civility Lost

2009-09-19T17:14:00.001-07:00

We see and hear the examples weekly… if not daily.
Sometimes it’s on the streets, in our daily lives.
A customer at a store will be rude to the clerk. A person will yell out an expletive while walking with friends in the middle of a sidewalk.
Many times it’s on television or on the airwaves.
One analyst will abruptly interrupt another speaker, harshly rebuking their point of view. A sports commentator or a reality show judge will criticize a contestant in an unnecessarily cruel way. And the audience will love it.
The abrasive, short-tempered demeanor of our country is obvious. It’s been written about quite a bit the past decade or more.
Some blame the breakdown of morals. Others point their finger at the 24-hour, 7-day cable news cycle. You have to fill those hours and to be entertaining, you need to spice things up.
President Obama has spoken to the issue. Just this weekend, he told CBS News’ Bob Schieffer that just because we have disagreements doesn’t mean we can’t be civil to each other.
Few disagree that civility has been lost in our culture.
Most observers focus on the loudness and the sharpness with which we deliver our comments.
That is true and it is a problem. However, there is another element to this downward slide.
That is, voicing one’s opinion at all.
We’ve seen two recent examples of such outbursts.
One was Congressman Joe Wilson blurting out, “You lie,” while the president was speaking live on national television to a joint session of Congress. Whether you agree with his assessment or not, it seems apparent the venue was not the right time or place to speak up. The tea party rallies the following Saturday were a proper podium for such dissention. The floor of the House? Probably not.
The same is true for Democrats who used to grumble and boo when President Bush was speaking. In both instances, the president of the United States was addressing the nation. Can you be quiet for an hour? Is that too much to ask?
The second instance happened at the MTV Awards. Country singer Taylor Swift had just won the trophy for “best music video” when Kanye West took the microphone from her and announced to the crowd he felt Beyonce should have won. Are you serious?
These two outbursts were high-profile, but they are not isolated. People speak up all the time, voicing their opinions at parties, meetings and other social occasions. They wedge in their views whenever and wherever they can.
There are a number of social phenomenon at work here. One is the advent of on-line social networks such as Facebook. Those Internet communities are designed for people to publicize what they’re thinking. At any time.
Most of the electronic banter is harmless. What people had for lunch or where they’re going on vacation. But more and more, you see polls being shoved onto the page and users’ opinions being thrust upon the cyber neighborhoods.
It’s part of the computer age. But I think there is another factor here, one that has grown more slowly.
Baby Boomers have never been shy to speak up or even shout out. It began in the 1960s during the civil rights, women’s rights and anti-war movements. Perhaps we needed to yell at that time to have our voices heard over the din of the status quo.
However, it seems we never stopped. As we got older, we continued our boorish behavior and we taught the generations behind us to be just as strident.
There is some valor in standing up for what one believes in. Society does need people to speak up.
The question is… when should one do so and how loud should they talk.
We would be well-served to re-learn the adage, “There is a time and place for everything.”
Baby Boomers can help lead the charge. There are 78 million of us. We’ve always been able to sway societal trends when we’ve wanted to.
We can begin simply by being well-mannered in our day-to-day activities. We can become better citizens and better neighbors. It really isn’t that hard.
Mostly, we can show by example how to debate or comment. There is a time to speak one’s mind. And there is a time to be quiet and listen.

Ted Kennedy's 10,000 Days

2009-08-26T16:39:00.001-07:00

He was the youngest of nine children, the last of four boys.
Edward Kennedy was never supposed to be the leader of a large, powerful political family.
But he before he was a teen-ager, his eldest brother, Joseph Kennedy Jr., was killed in World War Two.
Before he was 30, his next oldest brother, President John Kennedy, was assassinated.
And when he was 36, his only surviving brother, Senator Robert Kennedy, was also gunned down.
The following year, a woman he was with late at night drowned after Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge in Massachusetts.
Because of that accident, he didn’t run for president in 1972 or 1976. In 1980, he tried to unseat the incumbent Democratic president, Jimmy Carter, but lost after a hard-fought primary battle.
Ted Kennedy lived almost exactly 10,000 days after that bitter defeat.
Those final years got off to a rough start. He and his first wife divorced. There were rumors of alcoholism and womanizing. His son, Teddy Jr., lost a leg to cancer. All as the Massachusetts senator was turning 50.
A lesser man would have thrown in the towel. A weaker man would have continued his downhill slide.
Not Ted Kennedy. A spark somewhere inside him was lit. Through the darkness of death, defeat, divorce and despair, a light shone through. And Ted Kennedy saw his path.
He didn’t run for president in 1984. Nor did he toss his hat into the ring in 1988.
Senator Ted Kennedy decided he didn’t need the presidency. He realized he could do more good as a senator. As a father. As an uncle. As a grandfather. And, yes, as a husband to new his new wife, Vicki.
Ted Kennedy became the lion of the U. S. Senate. He led the charge for health-care reform, a cause that appears on the edge of victory. But he was much more than a single-issue legislator.
Senator Kennedy wrote more than 300 bills that became law. Among them was legislation that helped senior citizens, the disabled and the poor.
He was a man who was strong and consistent in his liberal beliefs. But he also knew how to reach across the aisle and make friends with people like Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah.
He became someone to admire. He was an idol to Vice President Joe Biden and a source of inspiration for President Barack Obama.
Ted Kennedy became a leader of the Democratic Party and, most importantly, he became the revered patriarch of a powerful political family.
Edward Kennedy… the ninth of nine children, a man who staring down the abyss when he was 48… made the most of his final 10,000 days.
What are you going to do with yours?

The Blue Zones

2009-08-20T20:31:00.001-07:00

If you want to save the environment, go green.
If you want to live a long life, go blue.
That’s the message behind the “Blue Zones Vitality Project,” a research program funded by the United Health Foundation.
Their activities and findings are highlighted in this month’s AARP magazine.
The project’s scientists are studying regions of the world where people live long, healthy lives. They call these places “Blue Zones.”
Researchers say people in these regions share four main traits:
*They eat a healthy, plant-based diet
*They have an active lifestyle
*They have a clear sense of purpose
*They develop strong social networks
One such place is the Greek island of Ikaria. Residents there have been somewhat isolated from the rest of the world for centuries and have developed their own style of living.
They eat a lot of greens, they drink herbal tea, they nap daily, they don’t stress over deadlines, they walk to most of their destinations, they drink goat’s milk, they use a lot of uncooked olive oil and they eat a Mediterranean diet of fish, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
The result?
One in three Ikarians lives past the age of 90. That’s compared to one in nine Baby Boomers in the United States who are expected to reach that milestone.
Ikarians also have 20 percent fewer cases of cancer, half as many cases of heart disease and one-ninth as many people with diabetes as the United States. There’s also virtually no one in Ikaria over the age of 90 with Alzheimer’s. In the United States, more than 40 percent of people in that age group suffer from that disease.
Baby Boomers should take note. We can learn a lot from the “Blue Zone” studies and what we do with that knowledge can benefit not only us but our society as well.
First, Baby Boomers have now hit middle age and are streaking toward their elder years. Physical ailments are upon us.
After age 50, the human body tends to lose muscle mass and bone density. The five senses also decline as do growth hormones.
We can’t stop this downhill slide, but we certainly can slow it down by adopting some of the habits of the Ikarians. It will not only provide us with a longer life but a healthier and more active one, too.
Changing our eating, exercise and social practices also sets a good example for the rest of our society. As the largest portion of the U.S. population, we can have quite an impact through example.
That change can’t come too soon. Recent research indicates two-thirds of our country is overweight. Nearly a third of the population is obese and the trend is on rise.
Our unhealthy diet and lifestyle isn’t just bad for individuals. It’s bad for the country as a whole. If nothing else, we are going to bankrupt our health-care system if we don’t change our ways.
So, once again, I urge my fellow Baby Boomers to use their next 10,000 days to have an impact on our nation’s health. As we age, try eating a little less and eating a little better food. Exercising a little more wouldn’t hurt. Try to walk like an Ikarian. You might like it.
We can do ourselves and our country a big favor.
As we start to turn gray, let’s also turn a shade of blue.

Farther Down The Road

2009-06-05T18:45:00.001-07:00

Marty Anderson and Chuck Peden had talked about it for at least a decade. They’d probably thought about it for most of the quarter-century they’ve been married.
Both are gifted musicians. Both have golden voices. The husband and wife team sang together at public events. Why not record a c-d together?
For 10 years, the plan stayed in the talking stages. Just words. No music.
That changed last fall when Marty and Chuck visited our Northern California home on their way back to their residence in Washington state.
When talked about our college years, raising children and growing old. We also talked about the future. What we could do with it. I gave them a copy of my book, “10,000 Days.”
They read it over the next few days and a spark was lit.
Last month, a package arrived at our home. It was a copy of Marty and Chuck’s c-d, “Farther Down the Road.”
On it, twelve songs written by Chuck and Marty. Sung by Marty and Chuck. Produced by Chuck. Recorded at Rainmaker Studios. Accompanied by a trio of their children singing back-up and playing drums and guitars.
Marty said the book simply inspired them. The message of making the most out of our next 10,000 days hit home.
“I think it was the general message from the book that was the driving force,” Marty said in an e-mail. “It woke me up. Made me realize I could still make some sort of an impression on this world. I think I was at a turning point in my life, wrestling with (whether to) sit back and relax and watch my life roll by or put some effort into the last years.”
Marty and Chuck have done what I encourage all Baby Boomers to do. As we cruise into 50s and 60s, we should try to make the world a better place and to make ourselves better people.
We now have a half-century of experience and perspective we can offer. Many of us also have extra time to accomplish things we have put off for years. Learn a second language. Take up that hobby. Climb that mountain. Or, record that c-d you’ve always said you would.
Once they decided to go forth, Chuck and Marty said the rest was relatively simple.
“I was amazed at how easy the actual task was in comparison to making the decision to just do it,” said Marty.
The couple urges others to do the same.
“Granted, the c-d did not change the world on the whole, but it has had a ripple effect in family and friends and in my attitude,” said Marty. “I feel like I can still make a difference and not only that, I owe it to myself and others to do just that.”

Keeping That Job

2009-05-11T11:08:00.001-07:00

It’s a strange situation for a lot of Baby Boomers, a generation that grew up in bustling economic times.
A job wasn’t something we thought much about as we traveled through high school, vocational classes or college.
The economy in the 1960s and even early 1970s was strong. A job was something that just came naturally.
Most of us chose careers we were interested in. Something we had passion for. Or a field where we could change the world.
How times have changed.
The country is struggling to come out of its worst economic slump in 70 years. The employment rate is hovering at nine percent, higher in some regions and for some segments of the population.
Baby Boomers have an additional burden in this regard. Their age.
Companies, in general, are disinclined to hire or promote people over the age of 50. With a tight job market and our culture’s emphasis on youth, industry is even less open to bringing on someone who has passed the half-century mark.
There is one bright spot for the Baby Boom generation. At the moment, they are less likely to be laid off. In March, the unemployment rate for workers over the age of 45 was 6.4 percent. That’s the highest rate for that age group since 1948, but it’s still significantly less than the national average.
However, once older workers lose their jobs, it is much tougher to find a new one. The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports laid-off workers over age 45 were out of work an average of 22 weeks in 2008, compared to 16 weeks for younger workers.
Those statistics are also higher than the recessions of 1983 and 2001, when workers over age 45 were unemployed for an average of 19 weeks and 17 weeks, respectively.
The situation is causing serious concern among Baby Boomers, a generation that doesn’t want to retire, much less can afford to do so.
The question… what do we do now?
One alternative is to fight back. Baby Boomers have apparently begun to do so. Age discrimination complaints were up 30 percent in 2008. However, those claims are tough to prove. They are also a divisive wedge between generations.
Another tact being tried by older workers is trimming their resume to hide their age or even dying their hair. Not sure this is the right path either. It’s demeaning and doesn’t attack the real problem.
I suggest a better solution. Baby Boomers should try to change the culture, something we have done over and over again in our lifetime.
The problem in the job market is experience and knowledge isn’t valued. Older workers are looked upon as expensive and past their prime. The stereotypes and jokes abound.
We need to alter the way seasoned employees are looked upon. We can do this not only by speaking up but also in the way we do our jobs. We can be the cost-effective employees who efficiently get their work done. We can be the co-workers who don’t complain much and offer sought-after advice to younger workers.
As a group, if we show employers we are worth the money they are spending on us, they will be inclined to keep us on the job.
That is not only good for our generation. It is good for the country and the workplace.

Generation Jones

2009-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Pontell thinks the best of the Baby Boom era might be coming the next few years.
In fact, he doesn’t even think the leaders now surfacing are Baby Boomers at all. He thinks they are an entirely new generation.
Pontell has dubbed them “Generation Jones.” These are the people, he says, born between 1954 and 1965.
This age group is certainly something to be reckoned with. First, there are 53 million people born in those dozen years. That’s twice as many as were born between 1946 and 1953.
Pontell believes they straddle the gap between Baby Boomers and Generation X. They are, it seems, almost a mixture of the two. Yet unique in their own way.
Gen Jones had a much different experience growing up in the 1960s than their older counterparts. During those tumultuous times, they were toddlers and elementary school students while Baby Boomers were in their teens and early 20s. The two age groups had significantly different experiences during those years.
Generation Jones, for example, remembers the Vietnam War, but unlike the Boomers they did not have the military draft hanging over their heads.
The Baby Boomers had to protest and demand equal rights and civil rights. Generation Jones watched this change unfold and then benefited from it during their adult years.
Pontell says the 1960s were an intense, ideological time for the Baby Boomers while that decade is remembered by Generation Jones more for its idealism. Baby Boomers were digging in and fighting for change while Jonesers were taking it all in from afar. Generation Jones, perhaps, was enlightened by the 1960s without being deeply scarred by its violent, emotional divisions.
Pontell came up with term “Jones” from the word’s slang definition of craving or yearning for something. It also symbolizes the anonymity the age group can have from being squeezed between Boomers and Xers. Those born in those years do feel they belong in an independent category. A poll from the website “Third Age” of people born in 1961 showed that 57 percent consider themselves part of Generation Jones. Only 27 percent put themselves down as Baby Boomers while 21 percent said they were Gen Xers.
Gen Jones is definitely an up-and-coming phenomenon. The Associated Press Trend Report lists Generation Jones as the number one trend of 2009. The leaders of this group are certainly rising and making themselves heard.
The best known of them is President Barack Obama. Our 47-year-old leader has taken the reins after his two Baby Boomer predecessors led the nation through 16 divisive years. The country split in half, angrily vacillating between extremes and not fixing some of the long-term problems the country faces.
President Obama has set a different tone, at least so far. He has a calmer, more disciplined approach. He is inclusive yet decisive. He sees the goals in the distance and is patient in achieving them.
It is something the nation needs not only in government but in industry, schools and neighborhoods.
Whether Generation Jones is its own generation or whether it is a subgroup of Baby Boomers isn’t important. What is important is for this emerging group of leaders to steer our ship in a better direction.
And Baby Boomers and Gen Xers alike should help them.

A President Calls

2009-03-24T15:03:00.001-07:00

Once again, a president has called upon our nation to give back to this country.
President John F. Kennedy did so during his inauguration speech in 1961 when he implored us to “ask not what your country can do for you… ask what you can do for your country.”
Now, President Barack Obama has done the same. First, it was the “day of service” the new president organized the day before his inauguration in January. This month, he sent to Congress the Serve America and GIVE Acts, a bill that has passed the House and seems certain to be approved by the Senate.
Neither president has called upon the Baby Boomer generation in particular, but our generation has without question been a major focus of both efforts.
President Kennedy formed the Council on Physical Fitness to encourage the youth of America to get in better shape. He also formed the Peace Corps, an organization for all ages but one that was focused at the time on people entering adulthood.
President Obama is calling on all generations to pitch in during our country’s tough economic times and during his efforts to turn the nation around. However, he certainly is looking to the Baby Boomers to be a major part of his renewal plan.
The Serve America and GIVE Acts would establish an army of 250,000 volunteers. In the March 30 edition of Time magazine, the president wrote a column detailing the legislation’s goals. He said they would range from modernizing schools to building affordable housing.
Our nation has done well over the decades at volunteerism. Last year, 62 million Americans gave 8 billion hours of service. Baby Boomers have long led the charge. As a generation, we volunteer more than any other age group and we volunteer more than our parents did at our age. Volunteerism seems to have been instilled during our youthful heydays of the 1960s.
Now that we are nearing our retirement years, it seems like a good time to kick the effort into a higher gear. Many Baby Boomers have raised their children and are winding down their careers. This gives us more free time to devote to volunteerism. This fact has not been lost on non-profit organizations. Many have begun campaigns to recruit volunteers over the age of 50. The Peace Corps is among these groups.
President Obama is also calling on us. Baby Boomers will certainly make up a large portion of his Serve America troops. We should heed his call, just like we did when President Kennedy issued his plea.
There are 78 million Baby Boomers, the largest generation in the United States. With our numbers and our volunteer spirit, we can make a big difference.
Education is the arena we can probably have the biggest impact. In my book, “10,000 Days,” I call for a “10 percent solution” in this field. If 10 percent of our generation volunteered in our nation’s schools, that would produce almost 8 million extra hands to help teachers in the classrooms. Could there be a better use of our time?
I urge all Boomers to seek out a cause they believe in, whether it be the environment, health care, education or military families. Commit yourself and donate your services.
The time is ripe. We once again have a president asking us to serve. Baby Boomers can make good use of their later years. Let’s ask what we can do for our country.

Another Boomer Invasion

2009-02-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

Baby Boomers have done it again.
We have used our overwhelming numbers to take over another segment of society.
This time, it’s Facebook.
Boomers have discovered the on-line social network and are flocking to it.
It’s probably not what Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg envisioned when he and some classmates started the web page in February 2004.
For most of its five-year history, Facebook has been the province of college-age students. Not anymore.
First, people in their late 20s signed on after leaving college campuses. That was intrusive enough. Now, the 78-million-member Baby Boom generation has discovered the phenomenon. It’s officially an invasion.
Facebook has 150 million members. Its fastest growing demographic is people over 30. In fact, there’s been a 276 percent surge in Facebook sign-ups of people ages 35 to 54 in recent months.
I enrolled last fall. Since then, I’ve been joined by my relatives and high school classmates as well as former co-workers at my television station. Baby Boomers are flooding onto the site and, more importantly, are using it.
What is our generation’s fascination with Facebook?
First off, we’ve never liked to be left out. Even in middle age, we want to be part of whatever wave is washing over the country. That was true with rock ‘n’ roll and it’s still true with technology. As a generation, we are not afraid of e-mail, cell phones or Tivo. We may not know how to work the new electronic devices as well as the younger folks, but we want to at least have our fingers on them.
Second, let’s face it, we are a self-absorbed generation. That was true when we were teen-agers and it’s still true today as we approach retirement. Facebook is perfect for us. We can post our photos and tell everyone what we had for lunch, what movie we saw last weekend and what we plan to do tomorrow.
Third, we’ve always been a generation that’s placed an emphasis on friends. We hunkered down in the bunker together during our protest years. Now, we can get back in touch with some of the former flower children we lost track of.
Facebook is also relatively simple. Many Baby Boomers get a little overwhelmed at MySpace and they aren’t sure yet what Twitter is. Make no mistake. At some point we will get those destinations, much to the chagrin of the younger folks. Heads up, generations X and Y, most of us are still working. Wait until we retire. You won’t be able to get rid of us anywhere.
It’s fine and good Baby Boomers are staying connected. However, society could also benefit if the country’s largest generation put some of the time and energy it’s using on the Internet into something that benefits our communities.
Baby Boomers do volunteer more than any other age group, but we could do more. There are plenty of classrooms, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, social agencies and foster children who could use our expertise, knowledge and understanding.
So, go ahead. Write on that former college classmate’s wall. Nothing wrong with that.
But also do a web search on volunteer groups in your area and give them some face time, too.

The Time Has Come

2009-01-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

Many Baby Boomers never thought they would live to see this day.
On Jan. 20, 2009, an African-American man, Barack Obama, was sworn in as the nation’s 44th president.
For those who were beaten working on behalf of civil rights four decade ago, the time has come. For those who endured the political setbacks of the 1980s and the downward spiral of our country the past eight years, the time has come.
What many worked for and dreamed of has come to pass. Make no mistake. The work to set our country on a better path has just begun. But for a few hours on Inauguration Day 2009, we can bask in the glory of knowing the time did indeed come.
Now, for Baby Boomers, the time has also come for us to take on a new role.
Our generation needs to acknowledge that we didn’t do a superb job when we had the reins of power. We produced two presidents that presided over a sharply divided nation. The businesses we have managed, for the most part, are not good corporate citizens. Our nation is not the happy patchwork of people we talked about when we were coming of age.
However, we have set the table for the future. We have started the wheels rolling on issues such as equal rights, the environment and technological achievement.
Most of all we raised young people who proved to be the engine for the election of President Obama. These younger generations are more tolerant of people of different ethnicities. They are strident when it comes to gay rights. They care deeply about the ecology of our planet. And now they are politically engaged and they have a leader who will inspire them.
Baby Boomers should be content to hand over the levers of power to our younger generations. Let them rule the White House, the board rooms and the school yards. We have brought forth young citizens quite capable of doing good.
Baby Boomers can now assume the role of senior advisors. Much like Vice President Joe Biden will provide in the Obama administration.
We can show the way by volunteering, mentoring and setting a better example. We can become tribal elders by using our half-century of experience and knowledge to guide the younger people when they seek our counsel.
We still have 30 productive years left. That’s 10,000 days. It’s a different role for us. But it is an important one. It is one we can be remembered for.

A Full Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

When I told friends and co-workers there would be 20 people at our Thanksgiving table this year, many of them grimaced or said, “Good luck.”
My reaction was the complete opposite.
I believe the more people at a holiday gathering, the better. Especially Thanksgiving.
For starters, it was comforting to know 18 other people wanted to come to my wife, Mary, and my house on the fourth Thursday of November.
The crowd at our table ranged from my 95-year-old grandmother to our 2-year-old grandniece.
It included nine members of Mary’s family as well as both our daughters, my son-in-law, my youngest daughter’s boyfriend and our grandson. The boyfriend’s parents and a friend of mine for the past 25 years also graced our home.
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks. A time to reflect on our good fortune.
Having family and friends who live close by is one of the many things I am grateful for this season.
The holiday meal and the good spirit that comes with it is a task Baby Boomers can take on now that they are moving into the roles of matriarch and patriarch of their families.
The family circle in our society has crumbled. Divorce is shattering one of our culture’s foundations. Only 52 percent of marriages today make it to their 15th anniversary. Only 63 percent of children in the United States grow up with both biological parents. That’s the lowest rate in the Western world.
Baby Boomers have done their part to spread this social calamity. Our generation’s divorce rate hovers at 33 percent, twice as high as our parents’ generation.
It’s time to make amends and time to take the lead.
Strengthening the family can be one of our generation’s shining achievements. We can pick up the fragments of our households and carefully put them back together.
There are a number of ways to accomplish this goal.
First, if you can, live near your relatives, especially if you are fortunate enough to have family members still alive who are older than you. If you have grown children, try to live in the same region as them. Raising a family is tough these days and young adults, especially those with kids, need all the help they can get.
My family has had this blessing. My two daughters grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins who loved them. It does take a village to raise a child.
Now, I can watch my grandson experience the same full childhood. He too is surrounded by family members who praise and hug him. My grandniece is getting the same treatment.
It was in full view on that fourth Thursday of November at a full and happy Thanksgiving table.

A New Era Dawns

2008-11-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

President John F. Kennedy said it during his inaugural address. The torch is being passed to a new generation.
Now, 48 years later, it is happening again. And it is a good thing.
President-elect Barack Obama is technically a Baby Boomer, having been born in 1961, the year President Kennedy assumed office.
However, the Democratic senator from Illinois essentially straddles the generational gap. He is part of our age group, but his appeal, demeanor and way of thinking skews toward the younger half of our country.
Yes, the torch is being passed. Slowly. But you can feel the shift. Baby Boomers are stepping into their retirement years. We will be active, but soon we will no longer be running the government, businesses, industry or our communities.
There is some disappointment here. We did not accomplish everything we set out to do. Nowhere near it.
We had two true Baby Boomers who served as presidents, both for two terms.
President Bill Clinton achieved a number of milestones and legislative victories, but his administration has a tarnish to it due to scandal and the divisiveness the country suffered under his reign.
President George W. Bush presided over an even more divided nation. His unpopularity has reached record depths. Frankly, the country is in tatters. Our generation has given our nation perhaps the least successful president in its history.
Now, our generation is sliding slowly from the spotlight, leaving those 16 years as our political mark.
But on Election Night 2008, there is something to cheer. Something to be proud of.
Baby Boomers may not have provided great leadership when it was our turn to stand at the helm. However, we produced the younger generations that helped lift President-elect Barack Obama to the highest office in the land.
We raised our children to be color blind. To reject racial stereotypes and hatred. To accept gays into society’s mainstream. To be sympathetic and understanding of people who are not like them.
We brought them up to choose hope over despair. To choose optimism over pessimism. To have an open mind instead of a narrow one. To look forward to the future instead of to fear it.
With that upbringing, the younger people of our country joined the Obama campaign early on. They walked precincts, raised money, made phone calls, cheered at rallies and went to the polls on Election Day.
They, along with the country’s African-Americans and other people of color, put Barack Obama into the White House. Now, our young people have a president to look up to, like we did when President Kennedy was in office. They have what we were denied when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.
Our country has hope again.
Baby Boomers may be leaving behind a bit of mess, but we have produced a generation quite capable of cleaning it up.
That is our legacy. And it is a good thing.

Voices of Reason

2008-10-02T14:49:00.001-07:00

Every four years, October becomes a month of tension, anticipation and, yes, anger.
This month, as in election years past, the long, expensive and closely watched presidential campaign is coming to a close.
The stakes are always high and so are emotions.
In this age of the Internet and 24/7 news programming, the political climax can produce anxiety and a plethora of heated words. Not only from the candidates but from their supporters.
Baby Boomers have seen a lot of these political battles come and go. This is a time when we can use our experience, perspective and wisdom to be voices of reason in our homes, families and communities.
It is easy and in these days even commonplace and popular to criticize an opponent with venom. To not give them any benefit of doubt. To characterize them as the second coming of Genghis Khan.
Baby Boomers, we are older now and, hopefully, wiser. This is a time for us to soothe these escalating passions. To cool the rhetoric we have used for much of our lives.
When talking about the candidate or issue you support, speak calmly. Speak with intelligence. Speak with rationality. Admit their faults as you list their virtues.
When talking about a candidate or issue you oppose, speak reasonably. Speak with respect to the other side. Speak with compassion. Acknowledge the opposing view’s strengths while pointing out their weaknesses.
Most of all, be philosophical. People in younger generations can learn a lot from our experience and perspective, but they won’t listen if you are railing against their candidate or trumpeting the side you are on.
These are troubling times. A lot of people, younger ones in particular, are uneasy about the future. Some are downright scared.
Let them know that things will be OK. That we will work our way out of this. It might not be easy and it might take time, but things will shift back to a more normal cadence.
We were scarred by the assassination of President Kennedy, but we soldiered on. The year 1968 was a violent, upsetting, divisive time, but we survived it. The Watergate scandal shook the nation to its foundation, but we learned from it.
Now, more than ever, our country needs voices of reason. Baby Boomers are in a position this October to assume that role.

Golden Moments

2008-08-19T11:33:00.001-07:00

The 2008 Summer Olympics have been more than just an entertaining athletic competition to watch.
The games, as they are every four years for me, are a renewal of faith and hope in the human race.
Michael Phelps, the winner of eight gold medals in swimming, has garnered the most attention. As well he should. He took the Olympics by storm and his close relationship with his mother and his low-key, humble approach to life are traits to emulate. You can hear the youngsters at summer swim lessons across the country saying they want to be like Michael Phelps.
However, there are many other admirable athletes at these games.
The United States women’s gymnastics team demonstrated impeccable grace after barely losing the gold medal. Shawn Johnson getting silver after silver in the individual events before finally grabbing a gold on the balance beam.
Dara Torres, the 41-year-old American swimmer, who nabbed a couple silver medals. She not only showed everyone how to bust an age barrier, she also exhibited the sportsmanship and perspective a veteran athlete can deliver.
Lolo Jones, the hurdler who was homeless for part of her childhood, racing to the front of the rankings with her smooth style. Then, after hitting the final two hurdles in the finals and finishing seventh, making no excuses and uttering no complaints about her disappointment. Truly, a class act.
The admiration isn’t limited to the U.S. athletes. There are dozens of foreign Olympians who deserve recognition from the Chinese divers to the Jamacian sprinters to the African distance runners.
It is not only exciting to watch these top-notch athletes perform. It is heart-warming to observe all these young citizens of the world who are so dedicated, who have worked so hard and who perform under such intense pressure.
Those of us who are older should relish watching the elite of the younger generations, especially those who conduct themselves with pride, honor and humility.
That wonderment shouldn’t be contained to the Olympics either. Members of the Baby Boom generation should gather pleasure from observing talented young people in music, the arts, computer technology, entrepreneurship, military service and political action.
We can advise those younger than us. That is a worthy task. We have seen more and experienced more than them. We can help lead them down the path of life.
However, while we do that, let us also take a moment to soak in their talent, their fresh approach, their youthfulness and their energy.
It is something an older generation can easily do and it brings enjoyment to people of all ages.

Get On Line!

2008-07-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

Senator John McCain admitted the other day he doesn’t know how to log into a computer and get on the Internet. His aides, in fact, need to call up web pages for him.
Is this really a big deal? I would argue it is.
The Internet is an integral part of American society now. It is a major social network as well as a popular information source. It also drives a significant portion of our economy. And its role is only going to get bigger.
If the Arizona senator wants to be president of the United States, he needs to get hooked into the electronic age. I don’t care how old you are, if you are not familiar with the Internet, you shouldn’t be running the country.
This holds true for Baby Boomers as we enter our retirement years. Our generation seems to know its way around the Internet. There are plenty of web pages devoted to Baby Boomers and virtually everyone I know in my age group sends e-mails. This is a good thing.
I would encourage Boomers to continue this trend. We’ve always been a curious generation that likes to keep up the latest technology. It is vital we do so when it comes to computers.
I wouldn’t expect my peers to know as much about electronic gadgets as the younger generations. They grew up with these devices and are going to be more familiar with them. But we should know the basics and be able to at least understand the significance of them.
This came to mind the other day when I was invited by a colleague in the television news business to join a group she had formed on Facebook. I’ve never had an interest in this electronic social network. Nonetheless, I thought it would be a good idea to at least find out what this world was all about. So, I signed up. I understand now what “friends” are in this community. I know how to write on someone’s “wall.” I can edit my profile, including the attachment of a few photos. I don’t plan to spend a lot of time on Facebook, but now I have some vague notion what it is.
Baby Boomers should explore sites like these as well as be aware of how podcasts and webcasts work. This is the future and if we want to be part of it, we need to get with it.
And we should do so not begrudgingly. Because it’s something we have to do to keep up.
We should do it with an open mind and with a fascination as well as an appreciation of what the younger generations are doing. We would have certainly appreciated that attitude when we were young.

Taking Nothing For Granted

2008-07-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things in life we take for granted. That includes life itself.
That became startlingly apparent to me on a sunny Monday in Lake Tahoe.
We were at that California mountain resort for my niece’s wedding. Two days after her ceremony on a calm, breezy morning, I decided to go for a swim in the lake. It was the same swim I had done the Thursday before with my daughter’s boyfriend, so I didn’t think much of it.
I walked into the calm Tahoe waters with my triathlon shorts on. There is a 75-yard shelf of shallow water before you reach the darker depths. A nice transition to get used to the lake. When I reached waist-level water, I dove in and started my methodical swim. The water was colder than a few days before. That was a warning sign, one I did not heed.
I headed toward a buoy 100 or more yards out. That and back is 200 yards, maybe a little more. Not a long swim for me.
I reached the buoy effortlessly enough, touched it and headed back. However, trouble struck quickly.
Ten yards into my return voyage, both quadriceps cramped, probably from the cold water. My legs became weights instead of limbs to help power my swim. I looked down. The lake bottom was 30 feet below me. I glanced around for a safe haven. There was none. No nearby boats. No dock. No side of the pool. No lifeguard. Nothing.
A thought passed quickly through my mind. I could drown out here and no one would know. I never felt so alone in all my life.
I realized I needed to take action. I harkened back to a Red Cross first aid class from 20 years ago. They had talked about water safety. The instructor had told us if we ever got into trouble in deep water to seek help immediately. You have to give people time to get to you. If you wait until you’re going under, it’s too late. That instructor also said when you call for assistance to yell and wave your arm. Make sure people hear and see you.
So, I waved my arm above my head and shouted “Help!” twice. People on the far-away shore stood up and looked out. Good, I thought, they’ve spotted me.
I began a slow, easy breaststroke away from the buoy, using almost exclusively my arms. I saw someone run into the water. I noticed someone else racing toward a rowboat. OK, I thought, people are headed my way.
I told myself to concentrate. Walls went up inside my head. Thoughts of drowning were blocked. Thoughts of my family sitting back at the cabin were kept out. Spasms of panic were quelled. My life did not flash before my eyes.
Focus on what you need to do, I told myself. You must continue to swim. My arms kept moving in a fluid motion as my legs provided minimal assistance. I felt my calves tighten a bit. I ignored it. Focus, I repeated.
I looked ahead. One younger man was wading out onto the shelf. Another was quickly paddling a rowboat. He was having trouble traveling in a straight line, but his zigzag pattern was at least directed toward me.
Swim, I told myself. Swim toward the people who are trying to help you.
My legs began to loosen a little, but I hardly noticed. I had dug deep into my past where in college cross country races you kept running even when you were dog tired.
I looked around again. The boat wasn’t much closer. But the other man was standing in chest deep water, not that far away. He was beckoning to me with his arms and saying. “You only have to get this far, buddy. You only have to get this far.”
I was almost there. The cramps subsided. I swam the final strokes to the shelf. I was never so happy to feel my feet touch sand. The boat turned back toward the dock. The man who beckoned walked with me to the shore.
It almost seemed ridiculous. I didn’t need anybody to pull me to my feet. I didn’t need oxygen. I wasn’t even that tired. How could I have been fighting for my life a mere two minutes ago?
On the beach, I saw the man in the rowboat walk back toward his cabin. I waved at him in appreciation. I didn’t get to thank him properly. I have no idea who he was or if that was even his rowboat.
The other man let me sit in his hot tub for a brief spell just to be sure I was OK. I didn’t really need it. I thanked him again and walked home. All I know is his name is Bill and even though he isn’t a good swimmer he ventured into the cold waters of Lake Tahoe to see what he could do when he saw someone in distress.
A lot of thoughts have passed since that brief but intense episode. Among them, no more swimming alone in open water and swims in lakes and oceans will be done near the shore. No more out and back courses.
My sister-in-law says her near-drowning in Hawaii more than 30 years ago was a life-changing event. It’s too early to tell if my experience will have the same lasting effect. I do feel an inner calm I didn’t have before. I guess we’ll have to wait for the next traffic jam caused by Caltrans road work to see if that’s a permanent change.
I thought about all that when I went running the following morning on the beach of Lake Tahoe. I thought about the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan who skirt death on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. What must that be like?
At the end of the run, I looked into the sun. I felt its warm rays hit my face. I realized I had been given access again to the next 10,000 days. Days to write. Days to joke with co-workers. Days to spend with my wife in our cozy empty nest. Days to watch my two adult daughters grow and prosper. Days to play hide-and-seek with my grandson.
Days I might have lost.

Another Generation of Wounded Soldiers

2008-06-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

The headline in the July/August edition of the AARP magazine says it all.
“Who’ll Care For Our Wounded Vets?”
An excellent question. I have an answer.
How about the Baby Boom generation?
There are now more than 30,000 injured soldiers who have come home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That doesn’t even count the estimated 300,000 troops who will suffer from mental health issues the next few years.
The 30,000 are young men and women who have lost limbs, suffered head injuries and sustained other permanent injuries. There are a number of reasons for this high casualty rate.
The insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan have become experts at planting improvised explosive devices. These are roadside bombs with enough force to knock lumbering tanks onto their sides. In addition, U.S. soldiers are equipped with body armor, high-tech helmets and other equipment that allows them to survive attacks that would have killed men and women in other conflicts. That’s the positive side. The negative side is many of these young troops are returning home with injuries that make it difficult for them to lead a normal life.
The AARP article states that many of the most seriously injured soldiers are being cared for by their parents. In some cases, this has become nearly a full-time job.
As a society, we must take care of all our soldiers who are returning from the battlefront. Whether you were for or against the invasion of Iraq, it’s not right to send young people into a war zone and then not help them when they come back.
This is where the Baby Boom generation can lend a mighty helping hand. Those of us in our late 40s, 50s and early 60s can honor the service of the younger generations now fighting in an unpopular war. We can do so by volunteering in groups that aid these veterans, donating money and other items to worthy causes and even directly helping a family with a wounded vet.
I am in the process of forming a non-profit organization, Boomer Action (boomeraction.org). The overall goal is to encourage Baby Boomers to volunteer and mentor. Our first project will be to convince 30,000 Baby Boomers to sponsor each of the 30,000 injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.
This would not only provide a tremendous benefit for society, it would give Baby Boomers a chance to redeem themselves after the shoddy way we treated Vietnam War veterans when they returned home. A double bonus.
If we can find the time and inspiration to take on such a task, when someone in the future asks the question, “Who will take care of our wounded vets?” We can say, “We will.”

Back To School

2008-05-06T16:24:00.001-07:00

The nation’s community college system is encouraging Baby Boomers to go back to school.
The Association of Community Colleges is launching a 3-year demonstration program at 10 community colleges across the country to attract students over the age of 50.
The “Plus 50 Initiative” is being funded by a $3.2 million grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies.
The organizers say the project is recognizing one of the largest generational shifts in our nation’s history as Baby Boomers approach retirement and want to remain active.
In a story on prnewswire.com, AACC President George R. Boggs is quoted as saying, “The baby boomer generation wants to stay active in retirement and holds a wealth of knowledge and experience that society cannot afford to see leave the talent pool.”
Chaffey Community College in Los Angeles, is starting a new program for Baby Boom volunteers to mentor and tutor under-prepared students.
Clover Park Technical College in Washington, will offer an environmental science program along with a volunteer on-site project for Baby Boomers.
Joliet Junior College in Illinois will start up a work-force skills program for over-50 students who are seeking new careers in health care and education.
This is a great opportunity not only for Baby Boomers but for the community college system as well. It’s a chance for the Baby Boom generation to remain active and expand their horizons. It’s the type of activity Baby Boomers should leap toward. We are not approaching retirement like previous generations and this type of program allows us to pursue goals as we slowly step out of the Monday-Friday working world.
In return, the community college system receives the insight and experience of an aging generation. We should gladly provide these institutions with the help they are requesting and take advantage of the program they are offering.
Seems like a wise choice all the way around.

There Ought To Be Blood

2008-04-23T18:54:00.001-07:00

It only takes an hour. And you only have to do it three times a year.
But it can make a big difference.
Donating blood is one of the simplest and most vital volunteer efforts you can put forth.
The problem is… not many people do it.
Blood centers across the country have been reporting shortages for years now. At certain times, our country’s supply of donated blood has dropped to 2 or 3 days. That means if nobody donated blood for 72 hours, our nation would run out of that precious commodity.
Donated blood is used in surgeries when people lose blood during an operation. It’s used when seriously ill patients need a transfusion. And it’s used when infants need an infusion before they are fully developed.
It’s estimated somebody in our country needs blood every 2 seconds. One out of every seven people who enter a hospital will need blood. One pint of donated blood can save up to three lives.
Yet, most people do not take the single hour required to provide this critical liquid.
To donate, you simply need to be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, be healthy and be free of contagious diseases.
Only 37 percent of the population of the United States meets that criteria. That makes blood donors a special and important breed.
In addition, blood centers estimate they only need 25 percent of the population to donate to keep a viable supply on hand. However, less than 10 percent of the population actually does.
This, once again, is where Baby Boomers can make a difference. Our 78-million member generation can reverse this trend. As a group, if we decide to increase the number of blood donors that would provide blood centers with the infusion they so desperately need.
Blood center officials say if donations increased even 1 percent, that would eliminate most of the nationwide shortages.
So, come on. Many Boomers are retired or semi-retired. Many remember the activist days of the 1960s where we were told to think of the community as a whole before thinking individual wants and needs.
We can use our time and our credo from the past to fix this problem. If we can replenish our nation’s blood supply, it would set a sterling example for the rest of our nation. Perhaps it would carry over into other issues.
So, give an hour and give a pint. It can make a difference.

Boomers Crowd Into The Web

2008-03-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

Baby Boomers don’t like to be left out. They don’t like falling behind the curve.
Such is the case on the Internet. Baby Boomers have embraced the World Wide Web. And, like everything else we do, we are making our presence felt.
There is no shortage of web pages dedicated to the Baby Boom generation from lifestyle to politics to trivia to careers to retirement.
Here’s a sampling.
Babyboomers.com… Boy, the folks at The Boomer Initiative who secured the rights to this site must be happy. I’m sure there are groups that would pay a handsome price to have this Internet address. The Boomer Initiative used to be the American Association of Baby Boomers. It’s a non-profit organization that focuses on the challenges facing this 78 million member generation. The site includes a conference center, a newsroom and a place to check to see what happened the year you were born.
Boomertowne.com is a flashy, hip site for Baby Boomers. It’s like an electronic city where you can walk by health counseling centers, dating services, travel agencies, newsstands and trivia shops. You can also check out blogs, discussion boards and videos.
Boomj.com is put together nicely. It’s a site dedicated to Boomers’ lifestyle and social networking. There’s a place to shop for some of the more popular Boomer items, a place to study high-interest political items, a place to preview movies as well as look at blogs and member profiles.
Aginghipsters.com is one of the funkier web sites. It discusses trends, research and allows comments on everything from music to health to humor to current events. One recent entry is an interview with Don Brewster of Grand Funk Railroad. In it, he notes “oldies” are now defined as “classic rock.”
Boomercapsule.com is a nostalgic web page with some vintage video. It also includes a blog page and a place to look up items in an on-line encyclopedia. The home page features June Christy singing, “It’s been a long, long time.” Pleasant.
Boomernet.com is listed as the “surfing center” for this generation. It has a marketplace, a “brain power” section with games and a place to watch “Boomer classic” television shows. You can also read reviews of book, music, movies and theater. Easy to follow page.
Turningpointtv.com is one of several on-line broadcast stations for Baby Boomers. Its videos cover travel, retirement, relationships, health, fitness and other topics.
Finallymagazine.com is on on-line publication for people over the age of 45. It contains articles on aging, beauty, care givers, prescription drugs, pets, retirements and other subjects of interest to the Baby Boom generation.
Greenseniors.org is one of the many issue-oriented sites out there. It is focused on environmental issues and what people in the older years can do about them. Full of facts, links and news items.
The Boomer Chronicles is found on thegeminiweb.com. It’s one of many personal sites where the author writes about what is important to them and allows readers to comment back.
As you can see, no shortage of material on the ‘Net. Move over, webmasters. The Baby Boomers are moving in.

Boomers Wanted

2008-03-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

It’s nice to be wanted and Baby Boomers are near the top of the most desirable list. At least in five states, when it comes to our experience and knowledge.
This week, Civic Ventures released a policy paper commending five states for their efforts to engage people over the age of 50 in meaningful work and community service.
Civic Venture noted that California officials are trying to match Baby Boomers’ desire to serve with specific labor shortages, such as the demand for math and science teachers. The state’s eServices office has even created a database for retired job seekers to use their skills and interests.
In Arizona, a coalition of groups has formed to push the Mature Workforce Initiative to launch new programs, such as a “mature worker friendly” environment at businesses.
In Maryland, there is the Baby Boomer Initiative Act, which spurred the creation of the Boomer Initiative Council. That organization develops strategies to keep the post-World War Two generation engaged in their communities.
The states of New York and Massachusetts are also lauded for their efforts in the Civic Ventures paper.
What these government and non-profit officials have latched onto is something I have noticed in our generation. A desire to give back to our communities as well as to improve our society by volunteering.
As I’ve noted in previous columns, many Baby Boomers are closing in on retirement. Many have raised their children and are looking for ways to spend their new-found leisure hours.
Baby Boomers have apparently discovered volunteering to be a worthy calling. In 2006, the United States’ volunteer rate hit a 30-year high, increasing 32 percent from 1989 to 2005. The Baby Boom generation is leading the way. More than 30 percent of our generation between the ages of 46 and 57 are doing some volunteer work, the highest percentage among any age group.
This is a trend that could have major impacts in our society. There are 78 million Baby Boomers in this country. If a healthy percentage of them decide to volunteer, think of the difference it could make in schools, clinics, health-care facilities, environmental causes and other services.
We were an activist force in the 1960s when it came to the Vietnam War, Civil Rights and women’s rights. Perhaps we can be the same kind of dynamic force in our older years.

Sandwich Time

2008-02-18T19:00:00.003-08:00

I was talking to my old college friend, Mark, when I was in Los Angeles the other week.
Mark moved back home two years ago after 25 years in Boston.
The primary reason was to take care of his 84-year-old widowed mother.
It’s not a full-time job. Mark still drives to work through the L.A. commute every morning and evening. He still gets his exercise in on most days. He goes out at night a couple times a week.
But taking care of his mother is an attention-consuming obligation. Mark lives in the house where he grew up in the Santa Clarita area. While juggling his personal obligations, Mark makes sure the housekeeper shows up when she’s supposed to. He checks in on the driver who comes almost every day to escort his mother on her errands and get her out of the house. He makes sure she takes her medication and doesn’t do anything to hurt herself.
On the morning we met for coffee, Mark phoned the driver to check in. He also talked with the housekeeper about doing some of the laundry his mother still insists on doing.
Mark told me he does a balancing act between taking care of his mother and still allowing her to maintain her self-respect. He has to take over her bills soon. She is losing track of those. But he noted he needs to gradually do so. He plans to have them work together on the bills at first before he assumes control.
It’s a situation many Baby Boomers are facing. A stage in our lives sociologists have labeled as “the sandwich.”
Many Baby Boomers have children in the 20s and 30s who still need some guidance and attention. At the same time, many also have parents who are in their 70s and 80s and need someone to take care of at least part of their lives.
In fact, the Pew Research Center estimates 71 percent of Baby Boomers have at least one parent still alive. They estimate one in eight Baby Boomers are taking care of an elderly parent and at least one child under 18. With people living longer, those statistics are bound to rise.
Over the next decade or two, Baby Boomers will be faced with decisions on rest homes, medical care and financial resources. They’ll need to decide if they should change jobs or move to another town to help their aging parents.
Money is another issue. The average cost for a nursing home is more than $6,000 a month. Assisted living facilities cost $3,000 monthly. Home health professionals run about $20 an hour.
It’s a challenge Baby Boomers will face as they themselves age. There is no doubt it takes a physical and mental toll on those who get sandwiched.
However, this is not a duty we should run from. Baby Boomers should embrace this challenge as something that needs to be done and done well.
It can be a shining achievement of our generation. We can take care of the folks who took care of us when we were younger. And we can set an example for the younger generations on how we should be treated when we hit our 70s and 80s.
My wife and I right now are watching over my 86-year-old mother-in-law and my 94-year-old grandmother. We also have a 59-year-old brother-in-law with Alzheimer’s disease.
It does stretch us thin sometimes. We both work full-time at demanding jobs. Our children are in their 20s and do need occasional assistance.
Yet, my wife and I realize this is a time when others need us. It is a time we can muster our energies and show the patience and caring we are capable of.
Some day we may need someone to take care of us. Hopefully, we will have shown them the way.

Green With Age

2008-02-07T15:23:00.001-08:00

Baby Boomers are going gray as they age, but they are apparently also going green.
As the Baby Boom generation reaches its 50s and 60s, they are returning to a cause from their youth – the environment.
We were in our prime when the annual Earth Day celebration began in April 1970. We talked a lot about conservation, recycling and protecting our trees, water and air. We actually put programs in place and jump-started movements.
Now, it appears Boomers are returning to those ecological roots.
According to AARP magazine, a recent consumer survey found people over 55 are more likely than any other age group to conserve energy in their homes. The new wave of seniors is also using technology to get their point across.
One of the leaders is 64-year-old Joyce Emery. The Iowa grandmother of six co-founded an online community at “greenseniors.org.” The “Green Granny” dispenses advice on that page as well as points visitors to news stories and other organizations. On the web page on this day is an aerial shot of the Hawaiian Islands taken from space. The caption mentions how fragile the atmosphere above the lush paradise is and how action needs to be taken to preserve it.
Baby Boomers are apparently in partnership with the generation ahead of them, too.
Max Lindberg, 76, records podcasts from his Arizona home and broadcasts them from his web site, “thelindbergreport.org.” The show features interviews with other activists. On the page today is a podcast with Emery.
Robert Lane, 90, helped create the web site “grayisgreen.org.” On his page, he states the older generations exploited the Earth when they were younger and they now need to save it for their grandchildren. A “Pledge to the Planet” form is available.
The environmental crusade is one of many Baby Boomers can take up as they age. Many of us have raised our children. Some of us are retired or semi-retired. We have the time and experience now to make a difference.
It appears our generation is off to a good start. In December 2006, the Corporation for National and Community Service reported volunteering in the United States had reached a 30-year high, jumping 32 percent between 1989 and 2005. Baby Boomers are leading the charge. Almost 31 percent of Boomers between the ages of 46 and 57 are volunteering, the best percentage of any age
group in the country.
In addition, Boomers and other older Americans are putting in more time after they sign up. In 2006, the average volunteer over the age of 55 was donating 226 hours a year compared to 132 hours annually by volunteers aged 30 to 39. More than half of people over the age of 55 who don’t volunteer said they would help if they found the right opportunity.
“A lot of us were activists in the 60s,” says Barbara Rodgers, a veteran anchorwoman at KPIX-TV in San Francisco. “A lot of us were out there, really believing we could make the world a better place. A lot of us got disillusioned. A lot of us got tired. But I think we can be re-energized.”
“We have just as much opportunity to change the world today as we did in our youth,” says Mike Helle, an Oregon Boomer who is the father of two and grandfather of two more. “Our challenge is to turn our efforts of self-gratification to acts of helping others.”
President John Kennedy asked us to think about what we could do for our country. Perhaps it’s time to heed his call. A good place to start might be with the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Barack and Bobby

2008-01-27T16:26:00.000-08:00

After his thunderous victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary, Senator Barack Obama told a cheering crowd of supporters that this presidential election was not about the past. It was about the future.
True enough. However, as I listen and watch this surging candidate, I can’t help but think about what has happening 40 years ago. It was 1968 and another senator in his mid-40s was running for the White House. He too was inspiring a nation torn by an unpopular war. He also was touching the hearts and minds of the nation’s youth.
His name was Bobby Kennedy. The younger brother of a slain president, Kennedy jumped into the race in the spring after President Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek re-election. Kennedy railed against the Vietnam War. He spoke about the plight of the poor. He talked about how we could be a more humane nation. How we could be better. He sounded passionate, like he meant it. He was vibrant, convincing. An answer for voters, especially young ones, who were seeking a light in dark times.
Four decades later, Barack Obama appears to be re-creating that political magic. He has been critical of the Iraq war, from the beginning and with consistency. He talks about lifting up the poorest of our country. He inspires. He educates. He brings hope to people who want to shake off the past 16 years of division and turn a corner.
Kennedy’s speeches were unforgettable. Many of his words ring true today. His tone was dramatic yet healing. The night Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, Kennedy calmed an angry crowd in Indianapolis. At his older brother’s funeral in 1963, Kennedy said, “Some people see things as they are and ask why. I see things that aren’t and ask why not.”
Kennedy encouraged people to get involved, to fight for what they believe in. He once said, “We know that if one man’s rights are denied, the rights of all are endangered.”
He also spoke of the benefits to everyone of helping the less fortunate. He used to say in campaign speeches, “I believe that, as long as there is plenty, poverty is evil.”
Kennedy never realized his dream. He was gunned down in the kitchen of a hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, minutes after celebrating his victory in the California primary. It was an assassination the Baby Boom generation never got over.
He did leave some words for us to live by. Among them, “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement. Every generation helps make its own future. This is the essential challenge of the present.”
Enter Barack Obama in 2008. He has ignited those who support him, giving rise to the promise that he can still achieve the goal Bobby Kennedy didn’t get to accomplish.
Obama is seen as the person who could unify our country, potentially create a bridge we can use to cross some wide gaps now tearing apart our nation.
The Illinois senator has the ability to bring together people of all colors and not only because he himself is of mixed race. He speaks to people across a wide spectrum. He convinces people of the need to advance the cause of those less fortunate. He inspires people to be better citizens. He galvanizes people to care about their government. He speaks of the politics of hope.
He has told audiences, “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
He talks of ideals larger than ourselves. Words that provoke thought.
“We gather to affirm the greatness of our nation,” he has said. “Not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over 200 years ago.”
Obama might also be the bridge we need to close the gulf that exists between generations. Although he is technically a Baby Boomer, born in 1961, Obama really straddles the Baby Boom generation and the generations that follow. He is someone people older and younger can admire. He might prove to be a conduit between age groups who seem to have lost touch with each other.
“The true test of the American ideal,” he has said, “is whether we’re able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them.”
Words like that have inspired Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John Kennedy. Today, in the New York Times, she endorsed Obama. She said he would be a president just like her father.
I’d like to echo that sentiment and put a twist on it.
Barack Obama could be the president Bobby Kennedy would have been.

Life Is Good

2008-01-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

As 2008 dawns, it might be a good time to remember three simple words.
Life is good.
Ten letters. A trio of words that when adopted as a mantra can change the way one looks at life in a myriad of situations.
I adopted it in 2007. A sort of spin-off from the popular book, “The Secret.”
The adage helped me glide through many events that in the past might have derailed me.
It’s a philosophy I’d like to see the Baby Boomers adopt as a generation.
Our world and our culture have a lot of negative aspects to them. It’s easy to focus on the things that are going wrong. There are plenty of them, both on the societal stage and in our personal lives.
These problems shouldn’t be ignored. Solutions should be sought. But we should seek them with our mantra in mind.
If our 78-million person generation can personify this attitude, it could lead to a sweeping change of heart in our country.
Life is good.
We can use this philosophy in all aspects of life. Let’s start with the basics.
As the new year unfolds, let’s be thankful we live on a planet that is a perfect 90 million miles from its sun. Earth’s axis is tilted at a convenient 23 degrees, giving us four seasons and an average temperature worldwide of 57 livable degrees. Our sphere is 71 percent water and 29 percent land. A perfect mix to let animal and plant life flourish. Prehistoric people used to hold festivals in late December to celebrate the winter solstice. The fact the days would be getting longer. Warmth was on the way. We can do the same thing in a more modern way. Humans have developed into a remarkable species that uses its intelligence and adaptability to make life relatively easy for itself. Conveniences, medicine, electricity, transportation.
Yes, life is good.
We can be thankful for our health, if we are lucky enough to have it. We can take comfort in our family and friends. We can take pride in our work and be grateful we have a job, even if we are looking for a new one. It’s an attitude that allows one to keep other things in perspective. To try to overcome obstacles without letting them overwhelm us.
Life is good.
We can celebrate our fortune by setting a good example. By staying in good physical shape. By reading more. By being polite. By being thoughtful. By offering guidance to those younger than us.
We can start a groundswell in this country. A changing of our outlook. All with three simple words. Life is good.
The sultry actress Mae West once said, “You only have one life to live, but if you do it right, once should be enough.”

1968: A Year Like No Other

2007-12-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

Looking back on it, it’s amazing this country survived the year 1968.
Looking back on it, it’s no surprise the scars from that year still cut across the psyche of many people who lived through it.
Tom Brokaw’s documentary “1968” aired on The History Channel this past weekend. For those who somehow forgot the turbulence of that year, the television special brought back the divisiveness and volatility of those 12 months.
Consider the major events that happened in 1968. In just a single year.
In January, the North Vietnamese launched a major attack against U.S. forces. The Tet Offensive reached the walls of the American Embassy in Saigon.
In March, President Lyndon Johnson stunned the country by announcing he would not seek re-election.
In April, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death on the balcony of a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.
In June, Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was assassinated as he walked through the kitchen of a Los Angeles hotel, just hours after winning the California primary.
In August, Richard Nixon, who had lost the 1960 presidential election and the 1962 California governor’s race, was nominated as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate. A few weeks later, riots erupted outside the Democratic convention in Chicago as that party nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey as its candidate.
In November, middle-class voters rebelled against the anti-war movement and what they considered the excesses of America's youth. The so-called “Silent Majority” elected Nixon by less than 1 percent of the vote.
In December, the crew of Apollo 8 made history when they circled the moon and returned home. It was the first time any human had seen the Earth from the moon’s perspective.
The year 1968 was a culmination of years of festering unrest. It exploded as the civil rights movement, the anti-war demonstrations, the women’s rights campaign and the Baby Boomer generation’s desire to be free and different all climaxed.
The revolution could be seen in all aspects of society, not just in politics. On television, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Laugh-In were breaking new ground. The musical “Hair” brought drugs and sex to the spotlight of Broadway. At the theaters, “Rosemary’s Baby” and “2001” provoked thought and controversy. Rock music reached a pinnacle as The Beatles “Hey Jude” and Iron Butterfly’s “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida” led a parade of popular tunes. And at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the Black Power salute while accepting their gold and bronze medals.
The year, however, centered on the Vietnam War. In 1968, 500,000 American soldiers were engaged in that conflict in Southeast Asia. That year, 16,500 U.S. troops would be killed in that foreign land. More than 16,000 soldiers dead. In one year.
The assassinations of King and Kennedy jolted an already reeling nation. Bitterness and anger surfaced in virtually every community.
I was just entering ninth grade that fall. I remember feeling the world was coming to an end. What could possibly happen next? How could we go on?
Fortunately, perhaps for almost everybody, that year was not repeated. Things slowly calmed down. By the time President Nixon resigned in 1974, a lot of the steam had dissipated from the engines that drove the forces of 1968.
A lot of things did come from that year. The military draft eventually ended. Pop culture permanently changed. Social programs such as day-care facilities and recycling centers sprung up. And certainly women and minorities have more rights now than they did then.
But even 40 years later, there are reverberations. There are still lingering feelings over the Vietnam War. The reckless use of drugs is now taking its toll on some Baby Boomers’ health. The shock of seeing political leaders gunned down still echoes in the back of many people’s minds.
I’m not sure our country has completely recovered from 1968. The Baby Boom generation bore the brunt of that violent and chaotic year.
Perhaps it’s time to put that year behind us, so we can look ahead to the years we have left.

"Boomerang" At The Office

2007-11-26T20:07:00.000-08:00

Baby Boomers are back.
After years of a youth movement in the employment market, it appears old is “in” as employers rethink their strategy of who to keep on the job and who to let go.
The numbers alone are forcing the issue and it’s the Baby Boom generation that is driving the equation. For starters, more than 40 million Baby Boomers are now past the age of 50. Every day, 8,000 Boomers turn 60.
We’re also an educated and motivated group that is not retiring at the same age our parents did. The Census Bureau estimates 70 percent of men and 58 percent of women between the ages of 55 and 64 are still working.
Part of the reason is money. The average lifespan in the United States has increased by 30 years since 1900. That’s a lot of extra post-career time. In fact, a century ago, the average retirement lasted two years. Now, it’s 20 years.
In addition, Baby Boomers are not the type to sit on the porch and rock away their golden years. A lot of us are learning retirement is overrated. Many Boomers enjoy their jobs and a lot of them get their identity from their work.
Add to this mix the divergent populations between generations.
The number of 55- to 64-year-olds in this country is expected to increase by 11 million by 2025. The number of people ages 25 to 54 will rise by only 5 million.
The math is obvious. There simply aren’t enough younger employees to fill the shoes of retiring older workers. It’s a trend the General Accounting Office says is creating a “skills gap” in the workplace.
Executives have noticed. They can see that if Baby Boomers retired in bulk the next decade, there would be gaping holes in their employee ranks.
So, how are companies enticing us to stick around a little longer? There are several popular alternatives, none of which involve paying older workers significantly more money.
Experts say Baby Boomers are looking for flexibility in their jobs. That can include part-time hours, seasonal work or telecommuting.
Boomers are also looking for something meaningful and perhaps even something different in their jobs. A new aspect to their profession or perhaps a new career altogether.
Now, this isn’t true in all industries. The hi-tech sector still feels youth is king as does the media industry.
Nonetheless, enough companies are eyeing their seasoned employees as their short-term saviors to give our generation a definite advantage in the coming years.
Yes, it appears the ball has bounced back into the Baby Boomers’ court. Company executives, it seems, need to show an interest in their older employees and treat them as if they’re valuable.
So, Baby Boomers look around. Decide what you’d like to do the next 10 to 15 years. Depending on your situation, you might just be in a position to negotiate.
For, the new power color at work might not yellow purple. It could be gray.

All In The Family

2007-11-20T14:39:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving today is a time to focus on family, food and football. It wasn’t always that way.
Originally, Thanksgiving was a harvest festival, a time to give thanks for that year’s bounty of crops.
The Pilgrims gathered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for their first Thanksgiving in 1621. A year earlier, a cold, dreadful winter had killed half the members of their colony. That following fall, however, the colonists had a robust corn harvest and they celebrated with a three-day festival in which they cooked ducks, geese and turkeys.
The tradition of Thanksgiving spread throughout the states over the next century and a half. In 1789, President George Washington declared Nov. 26 to be Thanksgiving Day. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated the final Thursday in November as “a day of thanksgiving and praise.” Finally, in 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt set Thanksgiving Day as the fourth Thursday in November. His reason? To give the nation’s merchants one extra week of holiday shopping season.
Over the decades, Thanksgiving has evolved into not only a day to give thanks but one to celebrate family. Relatives gather on this day. The smell of roast turkey wafts from the kitchen. The football gets tossed in the back yard. It’s a healthy, heartwarming tradition.
On Thanksgiving Day 2007, this might also be a good time to assess the status of family in the United States. I’m afraid the picture isn’t necessarily a rosy one.
The web site, “divorcemagazine.com,” has produced some poignant statistics compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies. It does report the divorce rate in the United States dropped to 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2005, the lowest since 1970. However, that low rate appears to be a consequence of fewer people getting married.
The on-line magazine reports 59 percent of the U.S. population is married, down from 62 percent in 1990 and 72 percent in 1970. Only 52 percent of marriages make it to their 15th anniversary. The magazine also reports 10 percent of the population is now divorced, up from 8 percent in 1990 and 6 percent in 1980.
Perhaps more startling, only 63 percent of children in the United States now grow up with both biological parents. That’s the lowest rate in the Western world. What happens to the kids who aren’t raised under the traditional household? The magazine reports that fatherless homes account for 85 percent of kids with behavioral problems, 71 percent of high school dropouts and 85 percent of youths who are behind bars.
Obviously, this is no small problem. It is a plague that is infecting virtually every segment of our society.
However, the situation is not irreversible. Baby Boomers can certainly help alter this course, if they are willing to step up. We’ve done a lot of good things in our lifetime, but unfortunately marriage isn’t one of them. Our generation’s divorce rate is around 33 percent, twice our parents’ generation. We are a prime reason almost half the marriages in our country end up in divorce.
It’s time to make amends. Strengthening the family circle can be our generation’s shining achievements.
There are many ways to accomplish this. First, for those still raising families, put time and effort into this responsibility. Help your children with their homework. Attend their after-school or weekend events. Make sure the family has dinner together. All sitting at the same table at the same time, with the television turned off. Ask them how their day went. What they learned.
Nothing should be higher on your priority list than your spouse and your children. Give them attention, give them love, give them roots, then give them wings. Children who are raised properly make better citizens, pure and simple.
Once you’ve sent your offspring into the world, your job is not done. Even when your children get married and have children of their own, you are still their parents. They still need your guidance, probably as much as young adults as they did when they were teen-agers.
If at all possible, live close to your children as well as other relatives. Re-create extended families, like in the colonial days. Establish a loving, supportive village for your sons, daughters, nieces, nephews and grandchildren.
There’s no time to waste on this goal. Let’s use this Thanksgiving to recommit ourselves to the idea of family. Do what you can to bolster the bonds within your circle.
This Thanksgiving and every fourth Thursday of November.

Let's Move On

2007-11-13T13:37:00.001-08:00

What we now know as Veterans Day began on Nov. 11, 1918. That’s when Allied countries and Germany signed an armistice to end World War One.
In 1926, Congress designated November 11th as “Armistice Day.” The date became an official federal holiday in 1938.
In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation that changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day. It’s a day when we honor all our country’s veterans. Those who served in war and those who didn’t. Those who died on the battlefield and those who survived.
As Veterans Day 2007 fades into the past, perhaps this is a time where our nation – and in particular Baby Boomers – can do all veterans a favor and put the Vietnam War behind us.
The war has fractured our generation for 40 years now. And not without reason. This was no small combat mission.
Our country was involved in Vietnam for more than a decade beginning with President John Kennedy’s initial wave of advisors sent to that southeast Asian country in the early 1960s. President Lyndon Johnson escalated our involvement in the mid-1960s. President Richard Nixon unleashed bombing raids in the late 1960s and early 1970s before eventually signing a peace treaty in 1973.
At its height, 540,000 Americans were engaged in that war. More than 58,000 of them died. Most were Baby Boomers in their late teens and early 20s.
Unlike today, there was a military draft, which meant virtually any young man could be called upon to risk his life in Southeast Asia.
Television fanned the flames even furthur. The war was covered on the nightly news. During the 1960s, virtually every home in the United States witnessed the war on their t-v screen. In full view were bodies lying in fields and flag-draped caskets rolling out of the cargo compartments of planes.
There was one final, fiery ingredient. Before 1972, the voting age in the United States was 21. That meant every 18-year-old, 19-year-old and 20-year-old being drafted didn’t have the right to choose the leaders who were sending them to war. It was 1960s equivalent of taxation without representation.
The war was a lightning bolt that cracked our nation into sectors. On one side were those who supported the war. On the other were those who opposed it. The generation that fought in World War Two couldn’t understand the younger generation’s reluctance to fight in a war against Communism in a foreign land. Many Baby Boomers were outraged we’d be asked to sacrifice our lives in a conflict that didn’t directly affect our nation.
The war also split our generation. It divided those who went overseas to fight against those of us who remained at home. The soldiers who wearily returned from battle were, in many instances, treated as traitors who were aiding and abetting our leaders instead of young men and women who were simply a cog in a large war machine.
The rift didn’t end with the conclusion of the war. It has lingered for the 35 years since the peace accord. Former soldiers still feel bitter about the way they were treated after risking their lives. Those against the war still feel it was an unjust crusade that needlessly killed tens of thousands of their generation.
The Vietnam War has surfaced in the past four presidential campaigns. Bill Clinton’s avoidance of the draft was brought up both in 1992 and 1996. Al Gore’s service in Vietnam and George W. Bush’s stint in the Air National Guard were campaign issues in 2000. John Kerry’s duties on boat patrol in the Mekong Delta were a crucial part of the 2004 election.
The war still haunts people on an individual basis. Vietnam veterans complain about flashbacks and guilt from their tours. It’s estimated 25 percent of the nation’s homeless are war veterans, the majority of them from the Vietnam era.
This is not a minor problem either. There are 8 million Vietnam veterans in this country. That’s about a third of the military veterans still alive.
So, as the book closes on Veterans Day 2007, it might be a good time to put an end to four decades of divisiveness. Enough is enough. Let’s lose the anger.
The younger generations are tired of hearing us talk about Vietnam and the ongoing dialogue about the war is preventing Baby Boomers from healing the scars from that period and putting the issue behind us once and for all.
The people who fought in Vietnam did what they thought was the right thing. The people who protested against it did what they thought was proper. End of story.
We shouldn’t necessarily forget, but we can certainly forgive.

Shape It Up

2007-11-06T14:11:00.001-08:00

The scale at the fitness center doesn’t lie.
I stepped on it this week as I do the first Monday of every month. Thirty days ago, I weighed in at 208 pounds, the lowest I’ve been in at least a decade.
Today, after four and a half weeks of working out pretty hard and denying myself beer, candy and most carbohydrates, I was hoping for a reward.
I took off my shoes and placed my feet on the pad. I pushed the large bar to 200, then nudged the smaller bar to the right. It slid past 205… 206… 207… before settling once again at 208.
A stalemate. A “push” in Black Jack. A lot ventured. Nothing gained. But nothing lost either.
Keep in mind, I’m 6-foot-3, so for the age of 53, my 208 isn’t bad. In fact, I’m in decent shape for a grandfather. Probably the best condition I’ve been in since I was in my late 30s.
However, that lack of downward movement on the scale was a prominent reminder of the challenge of losing weight as one gets older. Baby Boomers are finding this out in a heavy way.
The youngest of the Baby Boomers is now 43. The oldest is 61. More than half of us have seen 50 come and go. And we are not in good shape.
A study early this year concluded Baby Boomers are in worse physical condition than their parents were at the same age. Quite a shock to the generation that was weaned on President Kennedy’s Council on Physical Fitness.
Unfortunately, it’s not just us. Our entire country is suffering from a health crisis. It’s estimated 127 million Americans are overweight. That adds up to 64 percent of adults over the age of 20. Those statistics have prompted the American Medical Association to list obesity as the “second leading cause of preventable death” in the United States.
It’s not just the grown-ups, either. Today’s children are heavier and more lethargic than any generation in our nation’s history. The American Academy of Pediatrics says childhood obesity is “a serious health concern” that has “reached epidemic proportions.” It’s estimated 15 percent of America’s children are overweight. The percentage of toddlers and preschoolers in that category has doubled since 1980. The percentage of schoolchildren who are overweight has tripled the past 25 years. That has led some experts to predict the children of the early 21st century will be the first generation in recorded history to have a shorter average lifespan than their parents.
Baby Boomers, we need to lead a charge here. Let’s get off the couch, stop “supersizing” our lunch meals and hit the track and the trail. We need to improve our physical conditioning, not only for ourselves but as a healthy example for the rest of the country. It’s a worthy cause, but it is not an easy task.
The body starts to deteriorate when most people hit their mid-30s. That downhill trend rapidly picks up speed when a person passes the half-century mark. In case you haven’t noticed, your metabolism suffers a serious slowdown after the age of 45. And it doesn’t stop there.
As people get older, they suffer a serious decline in their muscles. Humans can lose up to a half-pound of muscle mass every year after age 30.
In addition, a person’s bone density recedes as they get older. That leads to brittle bones and explains why older people break hips so much easier than younger folks.
The growth hormone in your body also declines as your pituitary gland gradually produces less of this important substance. That lack of chemical contributes significantly to the aging process. The growth hormone, in essence, is a fountain of youth.
“You lose the slack you had when you were younger when you could eat like a fool and do whatever the heck you wanted,” says Dr. Tighe O’Hanrahan, my personal physican. “You become less tolerant to those things. Your body becomes to a greater extent a delicate balance.”
All these risk factors, however, do not spell doom for the aging Baby Boomers. It simply means as you get older, you have to work harder and be more disciplined to stay in shape.
Let’s begin with exercise, an important component to good health. For those with limited mobility, walking is a perfectly fine way to work out. It’s relaxing, it pumps oxygen through your system and it works some of the main muscles of your body.
Stretching is another terrific way to stay in good physical condition. As muscle mass declines, it’s important to keep the body limber and flexible.
For those who can do more, strength training is a key ingredient to a good exercise routine. For people over 50, lifting weights is probably the best exercise you can do. It provides some aerobic work, but, more importantly, it strengths the deteriorating muscles.
Aerobic exercise is fundamental for the body as well as the mind, for those physically able to do it. Boomers should choose activities they enjoy as well as ones their bodies will tolerate.
Running burns up the most calories in the shortest amount of time. It’s also easy to do. Running, however, is a weight-bearing exercise that leads to injury more quickly than other activities.
Bicycling has less impact on the body and is beneficial to the knees. It’s relaxing and you can sight-see while you do it. However, biking can take a significantly longer time to burn up calories.
Swimming is an excellent total body workout for Baby Boomers. It uses all the muscles and the body suffers no impact. It is highly aerobic but does not burn a lot of fat because your body is held up by the water as you exercise.
Triathlons are a good mix for Baby Boomers. They combine running, bicycling and swimming into an exercise regiment. The variation reduces boredom and helps prevent injuries because different muscles are used on different days. In fact, the average age of triathlon participants in the United States is 52.
Good health doesn’t stop there, however. Nutrition is another key component. Being overweight is a primary contributor to diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure as well as heart problems.
Experts recommend people over 50 eat fewer carbohydrates and fat as well as try to avoid white sugar as much as possible. Eating fast food, pizza and candy is harder on your body as you age. Smoking and drinking alcohol are perhaps the most harmful habits of all.
Kaiser Permanente dietician Nicole Britvan says older people should increase their intake of fruits and vegetables, eating as many as seven to nine servings a day. Eating more fish, turkey and chicken is recommended. When you eat red meat, pick leaner cuts such as sirloin and rib-eye steaks. Add fiber to your diet, especially in the form of whole grains.
Serving sizes are also important. No matter what you eat, don’t overdo it. A half-cup is a good amount for most foods.
Fitness will play an important role in how much we will be able to do the next 10,000 days. If we plan to take on our society’s pressing issues the next 30 years, we need to have the stamina to do it. We’ll need to be sharp, vibrant.
I’ve been working at for three years now. I’ve lost 30 pounds in that time. But it’s been a slow, tough battle. And the lower my weight becomes, the harder it is to shed pounds. So, holding my own for 30 days is actually a pretty good accomplishment.
More importantly, I feel stronger and more lively.
That’s not only good for your body but for your mind and your self-esteem as well.
Getting back in shape is an excellent late-in-life goal for Baby Boomers. Not only for us, but as an example for the rest of the country, too.

To Grandmother's House

2007-11-01T12:55:00.001-07:00

It is a four and a half hour journey by car.
A pleasant drive from my house through California’s Central Coast region. Through the farm fields of Salinas, the river basin of King City and the rolling hills of Paso Robles. A serene stretch of territory depicted in numerous novels by John Steinbeck.
The 250-mile trip ends in the small town of Nipomo, the final community in San Luis Obispo County before you cross into Santa Barbara County. What so special about Nipomo? What compels me to drive there several times a year?
It’s the town where my grandmother lives.
This past week, I made an annual pilgrimage to her home. I do so around November 1 of every year. That is the date she and I share a birthday. This year, she turned 94 the same day I hit 53.
The trip to Gram’s house isn’t always convenient. Sometimes I have to squeeze it into my two-day weekend. But I always do it. Why? There are a number of reasons.
For starters, I am celebrating the fact I still have a grandparent who is alive. Not many people my age are so lucky.
There are also practical reasons. I like to check in and see how she’s doing. Among other things, I rode in her car for her morning voyage to McDonald’s to make sure her driving abilities are still OK. I’m happy to report they are. In fact, she drives a little too fast.
Her health, I’m also happy to report, seems fine. I actually think she’s better this fall than she was a year ago. Her memory is solid. Her mind is sharp. And her hearing is better than mine. I hope I’m in as good a shape when I’m 74, much less 94.
I checked around her house to make sure everything is running smoothly. The sprinkler system still works. There are no leaks from the roof into her attic. The new kitchen floor is laid down nicely. And, there is no shortage of photographs of her 9 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
However, the main reason I travel to Nipomo is to simply absorb my grandmother – her personality, her wit, her humor, her perspective. It’s something any younger person should do and it’s something I encourage all members of my generation to make a habit.
Baby Boomers haven’t always embraced the folks who raised them. In our heyday, we encouraged the attitude in our society toward youth that is still prevalent today. We called ourselves the “younger generation.” We said don’t trust anyone over 30. We bucked the system and ignored our elders.
Perhaps it is time we put an end to this practice. Reverse the trend in our culture where youth is king and older folks are viewed as people who should be quiet and stay out of the way.
Although we have a lot we can teach the generations younger than us, there is still a lot Baby Boomers can learn from the people a generation or two ahead of them. These are people who lived through the Great Depression as well as fought and won in World War Two. Many of them are still around and most of them will still give us their time and wisdom, if only we ask.
Boomers should take advantage of this opportunity. Tap into that vast reservoir of knowledge. Pick those experienced brains before this generation disappears.
Take a few moments. Turn off the cell phone. Blacken the computer screen. Sit down in a chair, face to face with that person in their 70s, 80s or 90s. Ask them what they’ve seen. What they’ve gleaned over the years. What they think of the world today. Answer them with a “yes, sir” or “yes, ma’am.”
If nothing else, Boomers might learn how they should approach life when they become the most senior people in this country. When they replace their parents’ generation at the front of life’s constantly moving train. What it feels like to be the oldest person in the room. What it means to be a societal elder.
This behavior can also set a standard for how middle-aged people should treat the folks older than them. How to show respect for grandparents and great-grandparents. Give the younger portion of our population a primer on how we would like to be treated when our final years have descended on us.
All you have to do is make that drive to grandmother’s house, sit down, be quiet for a moment and listen.

Leading By Example

2007-10-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Do you know how many people who can give blood actually do?
Would you believe… 5 percent.
Do you know how often people in the United States need blood?
It’s estimated… every 2 seconds.
Those are the figures I ran across on Monday when I donated at the blood center located a mile and a half from my home.
Given those statistics, it’s no surprise there is a chronic blood shortage in our country and elsewhere in the world.
Donating blood is something I have done for years. Every four months or so, the folks at the center call me and ask me to come in. I’m always happy to do it and since my days off are Mondays and Tuesdays, it’s easy for me to do so.
On this particular day, workers at the center told me the red blood cells I gave would help two adult trauma victims or six infants in need. All for just an hour of my time.
The blood donation reminded me of the civic duties that are relatively effortless to perform but seem to be getting shoved to the side in our busy society.
It’s something I’d like to see our country return to and something I think Baby Boomers could help re-establish.
Many of us have some extra time now, especially those of us who have raised our children and those of us are either semi-retired or retired. In addition, there seems to be a desire percolating through our generation to return to our activism roots of the 1960s.
I suggest we act upon these inclinations. It would be refreshing to once again think less about ourselves and more about our society as a whole. And there are enough of us, so with concerted effort, we can steer the nation in that same direction. Simply by leading by example.
Giving blood is a good start. A flood of Baby Boomers heading to the blood centers would not only boost the sagging supply of that precious liquid; it also would set a precedent for the younger generations to follow.
However, let’s not stop there. We can ignite a movement of community betterment in many ways. We can do this on an individual level, on a daily basis, in some small yet effective ways.
*Return to citizenship. How quickly many of us have forgotten this lofty goal. It was a cornerstone of the youth movement of the 1960s. Let’s return to this mind set. Adopt a wider perspective, one with long-term sensibilities. A good first step is for Baby Boomers to start showing up at the polls again. Voting is the ultimate act of citizenship and we’ve done, at best, a mediocre job of it. Joining a neighborhood or volunteer effort wouldn't hurt either.
*Mentoring. We can all use advice and guidance, no matter what our age. But it seems the younger people in our society are almost crying out for it. This is a scary world to live in. Take the time to help someone from another generation through the twists, turns and bumps of life.
*Be well-mannered. There are an array of ways to exhibit this benevolent behavior. Perhaps the most important method is to address people politely, no matter how they are talking to you. It’s amazing how the quality of an exchange can change if one person adopts a cordial demeanor. Our conversations can morph from confrontational to civil. It wouldn't hurt to smile while we're practicing politeness. That seems to be a lost art in our civilization.
The list goes on and on. Taking care of the environment. Spending time with our elderly parents. Not littering. Picking up trash left by someone else. Opening the door for another person.
These suggestions might seem simplistic, maybe even naïve. But if we, as the largest generation in our country, adopt them, it could start a wave of humanism across our land.
A trip to the blood center might be the best way to start this journey. Help someone you don’t know and will never meet.
Help change our “me” society into a “we” society.

Boomers: We Need To Fix Social Security

2007-10-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Kathleen Casey-Kirschling is leading the charge.
One that might bankrupt this country if we don’t take action and change our attitude about retirement benefits.
Oh yes... and take a pay cut, too.
Starting now and starting with Casey-Kirschling. She is known as the “first Boomer” because she was born a couple seconds after midnight on Jan. 1, 1946, thus ushering in the Baby Boom generation.
On Monday, the retired school teacher from Maryland became the first person in her generation to file for Social Security benefits. She’ll start collecting her retirement paycheck from the federal government when she turns 62 on the first day of next year.
A flood of Boomers are following right behind her. It’s estimated 10,000 of us will become eligible for Social Security every day for the next two decades. In 2008 alone, 3.2 million people are expected to sign up. Eventually, it’s likely more than 70 million Boomers will be drawing Social Security checks.
The system’s Board of Trustees predicts that unless changes are made the Social Security program will go into debt in 2017 and become insolvent in 2041.
Casey-Kirschling is undeterred by those figures. She’s not waiting until she’s 65. She’s taking the early option at age 62. After filing she said, “I ‘m going to take it now because I can take it now. I’m thrilled to think that after all these years, I’m getting paid back the money I put in.”
Nothing against our retired school teacher, but I’m not sure I agree.
I think our nation has the wrong perception on Social Security. In fact, I think we’ve got it backward.
We view Social Security as a retirement fund we pay into so we can draw money out of it when we get older. However, I think it’s better if we view Social Security as a fund for the generation ahead of us. One we pay into to thank them for all those years they worked and took care of us.
That’s right, the money we have paid into the fund was really for our parents’ generation. It was to help the folks who survived the Great Depression and World War Two and then raised us during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Our retirement is being funded by the younger generations as a thank you to us for working for four decades and bringing them up. The only problem is this equation doesn’t add up.
There are 110 million members of Generations X and Y. There are 78 million of us. Right now, there are 3.3 workers paying into Social Security for every person drawing benefits. In 2031, it's estimated that ratio will be 2.1 workers for every beneficiary.
There simply won’t be enough younger people working to support all of us on Social Security and Medicare as well as pay taxes on the other programs vital to our country.
So, fellow Baby Boomers, it’s time to do the right thing. During the past two decades, we have let Social Security slide toward disaster without doing much about it.
We need to fix this fiscal train wreck and we need to do it by giving up some of what we’ve supposedly earned.
We need to cut our Social Security benefits, perhaps as much as 50 percent. And we need to raise the retirement age, maybe as high as 70.
It may seem unfair, but it’s the practical and the moral thing to do. We cannot accept all this Social Security money when we know it’s going to bankrupt the program.
We’re a smart, talented, resourceful generation. We can make this work.
Adopting this solution not only will save Social Security without raising taxes, it sets a gold star example for the rest of society. If we’re willing to sacrifice personally for the good of the nation as a whole, maybe that attitude will shift over into other segments of our communities.
What a concept. Putting others first.
It can start with the first Boomer and end with the last.

Al Gore: A Long Journey

2007-10-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

What happened to Al Gore in late 2000 might have destroyed a lesser person.
An incumbent vice president losing an election many people thought he was destined to win. Being denied the presidency of the United States, even though he received the most votes.
Having the job he sought his entire adult life slip through his fingers because of a few hundred disputed ballots in a state controlled by his opponent’s brother.
A heart-wrenching, frustrating defeat. Painfully dragged out for more than a month. All in the harsh glare of a public spotlight.
Yes, it might have crushed most people. Derailed forever their hope, their desire, their enthusiasm.
That didn’t happen to Al Gore. It took awhile, but the man from Tennessee used that defeat as a springboard -- launching into a campaign that resulted in the announcement today that he will share the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with a United Nations panel for their work in making the world aware of the dangers of global climate change.
You don’t have to like Al Gore to admire what he’s done. You don’t have to agree with his politics or his environmental stances. You don’t even have to concur with the Nobel committee’s decision to appreciate what he’s achieved.
Al Gore’s journey the past seven years is a travel log of inspiration. It’s a tale of perseverance. Of dedication.
It serves as a model for Baby Boomers who have entered the second half of their life. After all, he is one of us. A member of our generation who has risen from some pretty thick ashes. Without whining. Without complaining.
He has climbed to a new pinnacle. With dignity. With purpose. With some humor and with his eyes set on a loftier goal.
This was not an easy journey. When Al Gore finally conceded the 2000 election, he told the American public, “It is time for me to go.”
He did disappear. For a year or two, he faltered. He gained weight. He grew a scraggly beard. Like many of us in our 50s, he was lost. He didn’t know where to turn. What to grasp for, if anything.
But then he found his footing. He rediscovered a calling. One he had trumpeted when he was younger. A passion he had put aside when the ambition of his 40s ignited his ego.
Al Gore returned to his environmental roots. He began speaking about the changes happening to the Earth. Melting ice caps. Warming oceans. A disappearing ozone layer.
He put together a slide show. He hit the road. He not only told people what was happening but why they should care and what they could do about it.
When 2004 rolled along, Gore resisted temptation. He shoved aside the easily accessible emotions of jealously and revenge. He spared the country a destructive rematch of the 2000 campaign. He opted not to run again. He gave up his quest for the highest office in the land. He did so for the right reasons. And that decision set him free.
The chains that had restricted Gore were broken. You could see it in the way he talked. The way he reacted. He went on “Saturday Night Live” and made fun of himself. His interviews were still stiff, but there was a purity to them.
In 2006, the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” was released. It basically was Al Gore’s slide show on film. It struck a nerve. It brought concerns that were bubbling below the surface up to the forefront of public debate.
In February, the movie won an Oscar. In September, Gore picked up an Emmy for his Internet-based network, Current TV. And, on Oct. 12, 2007, Gore and the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. He’s the first American to win that award since former president Jimmy Carter in 2002.
Today was a day Al Gore certainly relished. However, he did not gloat. Gore didn’t even appear publicly until eight hours after the announcement. When he did, he didn’t brag about himself. He spoke about his mission and his plans to donate his half of the $1.5 million prize money to an environmental organization.
“We face a true planetary emergency,” he said. “The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity.”
Some speculate Gore will catapult from the Nobel award into the 2008 presidential race. That is unlikely to happen. There is no need for this lifelong politician to seek the White House. He’s been there and done that. He’s found a new quest.
For, Al Gore is still on his journey. A long one, to be sure. One that Baby Boomers can emulate. One that demonstrates how a member of an older generation can touch people of all ages. How a person can have an impact in a way they didn’t anticipate. Inspire others by using their experience, knowledge and long-lost passion.
Mostly, it shows how a person can overcome the biggest of disappointments. How someone can tumble to the bottom of a mountain, then pick themselves up and find another peak to climb.
“This is just the beginning,” Gore told reporters today.
It can be for all of us. Our generation still has 10,000 productive days ahead of us. Let’s reach for the heights obtained by our fellow Baby Boomer – the one holding the Nobel Peace Prize.

A Walk To Remember

2007-10-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

It was quite a sight. An inspiring, uplifting sight for a cause that can be depressing and overwhelmingly.
Last Saturday, more than 4,000 people walked 3 miles around the edge of Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay to raise money for research and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. When it was all said and done, “Memory Walk 2007” had brought in $1 million in donations to the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern California.
Our family had 30 people walking with us. Not just family members. Friends. Co-workers. Friends of friends.
They joined us in support of Gary Roseme, my 59-year-old brother-in-law who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a year and a half ago. There are only 500,000 people in the United States under the age of 65 with this relentless disease and, unfortunately, Gary is one of them.
Yet, we are hopeful. He is participating in an outstanding treatment program at UC San Francisco, one of the best Alzheimer’s research facilities in the country. He has a remarkably upbeat attitude. And we have a far-reaching, deep support system.
That was evident on this sunny Saturday morning. Gary and his wife, Marcia, were flanked by their two children, their daughter-in-law, their granddaughter, their soon-to-be son-in-law, Marcia’s mother and older sister, my wife and I, our oldest daughter, our son-in-law and our grandson as well as friends, co-workers of Marcia, a couple of Mary and my fellow employees, their daughter-in-law’s family and my son-in-law’s sister.
A diverse and plentiful gathering. It was heartening and a reminder of the importance of family and friends in our complex, high-tech society. No matter how quickly e-mails fly or how easily you can download a program onto a small screen cupped in your hand, people need other people. They need people they can count on. People who will donate not so much their money but their time. People who will lend a helping hand and a listening ear.
Family. Friends. It is something Baby Boomers need to focus on as they travel through their next 10,000 days. We need to tighten the bonds of our families. It’s a circle that has unraveled as divorce rates climb and people move across country from each other. In prehistoric times, the older people in a village held their society together. They took care of the youngest members of the group. They counseled the parents of those youngsters. They offered sage advice to the community as a whole.
It’s something I certainly believe in. And practice. But this early October walk made it even more crystal clear.
The walk also reminded me of what may lurk in the future for our modern-day society. Especially if we don’t make changes in some of our institutions
Our society is aging, led by the 78 million members of the Baby Boom generation. It’s estimated the number of people over the age of 55 will increase from the current 60 million to 107 million by 2030. That group will represent 31 percent of the population as opposed to 21 percent now. In addition, the people who reach 65 who are expected to surpass the age of 90 is increasing dramatically. In 1960, 14 percent of United States citizens who hit 65 lived to be at least 90. That figure is now 25 percent.
The aging Baby Boomers could bankrupt our country, if they don’t take care of their health. Alzheimer’s alone could overwhelm our medical facilities. More than 5 million Americans are currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. If this trend continues, 14 million people will have this debilitating and costly disease by 2050.
Remember in the 1960s when anti-war demonstrators told others, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” Well, when it comes to our country’s future, we are part, if not most, of the problem. So, Baby Boomers, let’s take on these challenges ourselves. Let’s fix them before the generations behind us are overwhelmed by them. Let’s be part of the solution.
Things like last Saturday’s walk are certainly a step in the right direction.

Volunteering: Find The Time

2007-10-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Baby Boomers, we want you.
That’s the call being put out to the post-World War Two generation as that group of 78 million people nears retirement age.
It’s a cry elicited by a variety of non-profit organizations as they seek ways to accomplish their volunteer mission in an era of government funding cuts and self-centered attitudes
These charities see Baby Boomers as their best hope. We are a large number of people with an activist past who show no signs of letting up as we cruise through our 50s and 60s. There is a restlessness rumbling through our generation’s soul. A feeling in our gut that we didn’t finish the job we started in our youth. A subterranean desire to step up as our children leave home and we slip out of the everyday work force. The shuffle board court is not in our future. Perhaps volunteering should be.
The need in our nation is great. Non-profit agencies need more help than ever. Yet, in 2005, less than one-third of American adults volunteered their time. With that in mind, the Corporation for National and Community Service has launched a campaign to increase the nation’s number of volunteers from 65 million to 75 million by 2010.
Not surprisingly, non-profit organizations are eyeing Baby Boomers as that army of the future. They expect the number of volunteers over the age of 65 to rise 50 percent by 2020. It could top out in 2029 when the youngest Boomers reach traditional retirement age.
So far, our generation is off to a good start. In December 2006, the community service corporation reported volunteering in the United States had reached a 30-year high, jumping 32 percent between 1989 and 2005. Baby Boomers are leading the charge. Almost 31 percent of Boomers between the ages of 46 and 57 are volunteering, the best percentage of any age group in the country.
In addition, Boomers and other older Americans are putting in more time once they do sign up. In 2006, the average volunteer over the age of 55 was donating 226 hours a year compared to 132 hours annually by volunteers aged 30 to 39.
Think of the good that could be done if we, as a generation, gave our time. Even if only 25 percent of Baby Boomers volunteered, that would be almost 20 million people helping others in need.
There is probably no greater need for volunteers than in education. Our schools have had their budgets slashed for two decades. Classrooms are overcrowded. Teachers are overwhelmed. Supplies are dwindling. Schools are desperate for assistance. A wave of older citizens marching to the rescue would be most welcome. In fact, I’d like to propose a “10 percent solution.” I’m calling on 10 percent of the Baby Boom generation to enlist. To volunteer at least two hours a week at one of their local schools. Imagine what nearly 8 million volunteers fanned out across the country could do for our nation’s schoolchildren.
I have begun to do my part. This week, I started volunteer efforts in the Emeryville School District a few miles from my home in the San Francisco Bay Area. I taught a 2-hour SAT prep class for six high school seniors who are hoping to score well enough on that assessment exam to get into a good college.
Emeryville schools are an inspiring story. In 2001, the district was bankrupt, taken over by a state administrator. Since then, the citizens and business owners have approved not one, but two, parcel tax measures for their schools. The district is now back on its financial feet and the community has regained local control.
Emeryville is a small city. There’s only two schools – a kindergarten through sixth-grade campus and a 7-12 secondary school. Only 38 seniors were in the 2007 graduating class. There are many low-income students who are on the edge of success. One helping hand or a few hours of mentorship could make the difference.
I’m hoping to provide that margin, at least to a handful of teen-agers. I urge my fellow Baby Boomers to do the same. Find an educational need and fill it.
President Kennedy challenged us to embark on such a mission in our childhood. In his 1961 inaugural address, he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” It is time to heed his call.

Tuesdays With Shea

2007-10-02T14:28:00.001-07:00

As I write this, my 15-month-old grandson sleeps in the room next door. He lies on his stomach in a portable crib, wearing a diaper and shirt. His eyes are comfortably closed and his Mickey Mouse doll rests at his side.
It’s the room where our youngest daughter slept as an infant. A room in the back corner of the house where both our daughters grew up.
It’s a scene I enjoy every Tuesday now. For I am not only a grandfather. I am a grandfather who is lucky enough to have his daughter, son-in-law and their son living a half-hour away.
Tuesday is a day I anticipate and relish. It's one of my two days off during the week and I take full advantage. When Shea is here, the everyday worries and concerns of work, bills and world events melt away. They fade into the background for a precious few hours.
Our routine every Tuesday is much the same as it was today. At 8:30am, I picked up Shea at his home. His father answered the door, holding his brown-haired, brown-eyed son. Shea had his “sippy cup,” his Mickey doll and the clothes on his back. He doesn’t need anything else. Our home has become a grandparents’ house with an adequate amount of diapers, toys and food a toddler can chew.
Shea and I drive here through the back roads. No need to get on a freeway today. We listen to Ray Charles, his favorite artist, and look for any big truck that might cruise by.
Our morning at G-Pa’s house begins with a dose of Sesame Street. We Tivo the show, so there is always one available. It’s been fun to get reacquainted with Grover, Ernie and Big Bird, the characters my children grew up with. It’s also been fun to get to know Elmo, Zoe and some of the folks who came along after our daughters stopped watching this educational and entertaining program.
Next, Shea and I move on to the back yard, where there are balls to throw and a sand box to play in. Then, it’s the toy room where he can look at books or stack some blocks.
Eventually, it’s to the front room where the c-d player sits. Like most of our family, Shea loves music. And he loves to dance. He also is a 21st century child, so, yes, he knows how to hit “play” to get the Motown disc spinning. His favorite is the first track -- “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” by The Temptations. The kid has taste.
After an hour at a nearby park, it’s time for lunch. A little outside play, then time to wind down for the nap. Shea sits on my lap with Mickey. We watch the last 20 minutes of Sesame Street. That’s when “Elmo’s World” hits the screen. At the show’s conclusion, Oscar The Grouch reads his pet worm, Slimey, a book and the tiny creature falls asleep.
Shea and I say “night-night” to a half-dozen items in the house. Then, it’s off to Dream Land for 90 minute in the portable crib in what is now the spare bedroom.
When Shea awakes, my wife, Mary, will be home from her job as a pre-school teacher. Mimi will want some one-on-one time, so G-Pa will hang out on the sidelines and watch with delight.
It’s a scenario I wish for every parent. The chance to play and enjoy your children’s children. To re-live the joys of child rearing without the heavy lifting of every-day parenting.
It’s something Baby Boomers should strive to achieve. If you are fortunate enough to have grandchildren, figure out a way to live within an hour of them. Whatever sacrifice you have to endure to make this happen, you will be repaid in spades with love, enjoyment and contentment.
This isn’t just for us either. Having grandparents nearby is good for parents and grandchildren alike.
In prehistoric times, grandparents played a vital role in the village. My friend, Sacramento State anthropology professor Gerry Drawhorn, tells me tribal elders filled three important jobs as historians, advisors and care-takers of the little ones. The hunter-and-gatherer parents were busy defending the village and collecting food. They relied on the grandparents to complete those other tasks.
In modern society, those functions have faded, but elders are still needed, possibly more now than they were a few decades ago. Baby Boomers can begin a transformation back to the extended family. For starters, we can retrieve the role of care-takers simply by being grandparents. By being there for our sometimes overworked and harried children. By being there for our grandchildren.
As for me, I’ll savor this day and then get ready for next Tuesday. That’s when Shea and I can have a few hours together… just the two of us.

Is The Third Time The Charm?

2007-09-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

On Nov. 4, 2008, the United States will elect its 44th president.
It will most likely be a Baby Boomer.
If so, it will be the third consecutive occupant of the White House from our generation.
Which leads to the question: Is the third time the charm?
No matter what side of the political ledger you’re on, it’s probably fair to say the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have split our country pretty sharply. Divisive times, for certain. In particular, the past six years have been combative and, I’m sure historians will conclude, not real productive.
In 2008, can we change that course? Can Baby Boomers produce a leader who will bring our society together? Who will lead our nation down a better path? One that will solve our problems instead of creating new ones?
Can we travel through an election season without the political debate deteriorating into a bitter quarrel? Can we inaugurate a new president on Jan. 20, 2009 with the country feeling optimistic? With everyone pointed the same direction?
The thought comes to mind because this afternoon my wife, Mary, and I went to political events within walking distance of each other in Oakland for the two leading Democratic presidential contenders.
Campaign workers were opening a new office downtown for Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who was born at the tail end of our generation in 1961. Two blocks west, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, who was born at the dawn of the Baby Boom era in 1946, spoke to a crowd of more than 10,000 people at a “block party."
It was gratifying, even inspiring, to see the young volunteers smiling broadly at the Obama headquarters, gleams of hope in their eyes. It was equally heartening to see the mix of old and young listening to Senator Clinton’s vision for America.
It harkened me back to 1968. A time when our nation was divided over an unpopular war. When the incumbent president wasn’t running for re-election. When members of the Baby Boom generation were voting for the first time.
Vice President Hubert Humphrey was the establishment candidate for the Democrats. The contender who was trying to rid himself of any links to that war halfway across the world. Much like Senator Clinton.
New York Senator Robert Kennedy was the 40-something candidate who had a flock of young followers at his footsteps. He spoke adamantly against our soldiers fighting in a foreign land. Much like Senator Obama.
Humphrey wasn’t really inspiring. He portrayed himself as the experienced, competent candidate. Much like Mrs. Clinton.
Kennedy was poetic. Audiences hung on his every word. He was a fresh choice. Much like Mr. Obama.
While there is much to compare, let us hope the 2008 election ends differently than the one 40 years ago. In 1968, Senator Kennedy as well as civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were gunned down. That summer, demonstrators clashed violently with police outside the Democratic convention in Chicago. And in the end, Richard Nixon won a close battle over Humphrey and became president. Nixon would proceed to drive a wedge deep into this country, pitting generation against generation. He eventually would resign in disgrace.
Let us hope 2008 turns out differently. That a Baby Boomer ascends to the White House and rises to the occasion. That our third Baby Boomer president heals a divided and distraught nation. That he or she grabs the wheel of our drifting ship and boldly steers it toward calmer seas.
Let us hope the 44th presidency is something the Baby Boom generation can be proud of.

Drumming Along: Life After 50

2007-09-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Is there something you always wanted to do? Wanted to master? Or at least wanted to try?
Sing? Dance? Act on stage? Parachute?
Something you didn’t have the discipline to do when you were young? Or didn’t have the time to do when you were raising a family?
It’s too late now, you might think. I should have done that when I had the chance.
Perhaps you should think again.
Middle age might be the perfect time to take a stab at the craft or hobby that’s been languishing in the back of your mental closet.
As Baby Boomers turn 45, 50 and 60, there is no time like the present to take that passion out and give it a whirl.
That’s what I did a few years back.
I have always loved music. From The Beatles to Elton John to Maroon 5, I have tuned in to the rhythms of the radio. Unfortunately, I can’t sing. Can’t carry a tune in a bucket, as my dad says. My small motor skills aren’t the best either, so musical instruments didn’t come easy.
But the drums. That was something else.
Growing up, my neighbor, Rodney, played them. He had a drum set in his bedroom. I would listen to him bang the cymbals and hit the skins for hours in junior high and high school. Seemed like an instrument I might be able to play, but I never got the courage to sit down and try it.
That desire lingered through adulthood, but it was never acted upon. Then, a few years back, my wife, Mary, and I went to Sacramento to see her friend, Nancy Pepin, and her husband, Marc. He played drums in a trio. We watched him perform at a little club in Folsom. It was great.
Marc told me he too had always wanted to play the percussion, so he’d taken up the drums at age 50.
“I’m a big believer in the adage that it’s never too late to learn something new,” he told me. Fantastic.
A few months later, on my 50th birthday, my wonderful wife and my youngest daughter, Katherine, gave me eight drum lessons from a percussionist in Danville. So, I called up, made an appointment and went. He showed me some basics and gave me sheets of practice drills. I used up the octet of lessons, kept the sheets and banged the sticks on pillows and carpets at home.
It was fun, but it wasn’t really playing the drums. I mentioned my situation to my friend, professional triathlete Eric Harr. A few months later, on my 51st birthday, a drum set arrived on our front porch, courtesy of my good pal.
I assembled the drums quicker than you can say “Buddy Rich” and began to pound away. Almost every day. Eventually, I figured out the bare skins were too loud. So, I went to a music store and purchased muffs for the drums and cymbals, so I wouldn’t go deaf and my neighbors wouldn’t call the cops.
I play most days, usually in the afternoons when I’m home from work, Mary is at her job and the neighbors are awake.
It’s been an uplifting and soul-filling experience.
I urge my fellow Baby Boomers to do the same. Now is the time to try that activity you’ve always wanted to do. Doesn’t matter what it is. If you’ve had a desire, follow it.
This is a time in our lives to quench our internal thirsts. Improve our inner selves. Break open those unopened packages.
Lynn Friedman, a video editor at a television station in San Francisco, did so when she neared 50. She’d always had a passion for photography. So, she got serious with her camera.
Took photos at events. Took pictures of landscapes. Snapped shots of people. Now, she regularly has exhibits of her work at galleries. It was a way for her to bust out of her life mold. She urges other Boomers to do the same.
“We’ve been hunkering down at the video store for too long,” she told me.
So, give it a try, Boomers. It doesn’t have to be for money. It can be for fun. Or just because it’s there.
I have no plans to join a band or perform publicly. First off, I’m not good enough. Second, that would take the enjoyment out of it.
It’s simple pleasure. The drums sit in our front room. When the mood strikes, I do a few drills, then put on a c-d and bang away to the music. If my grandson Shea is visiting, he’ll sit on my lap, grab a stick in each hand and smack the drums he can reach.
It’s recreation I never thought I would have, but I discovered late in life is not a bad time to try it.
Actor Pierce Brosnan may have summed it up best. While talking about advancing in age, he told Life magazine in 2005, “I feel like an old lion with a wonderful sense of liberation.”
Pierce is right. So, let out a roar, Baby Boomers. Find out what will liberate you.