Boomer Highlight: Steve Jobs

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

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: 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

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: 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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.