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.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Volunteering: Find The Time
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Tuesdays With Shea
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
