Calling All Baby Boomers

When I was younger, the term “Baby Boomer” was used quite frequently when referring to my generation. I would not understand the term until later on in life. Something caught my eye recently and I realized, we Baby Boomers are getting older, and now we are seniors. When did this happen? Where did the time go?

A Baby Boomer was born between 1946 and 1964, post WW II. Our generation sent a shock wave through society. We would stand out and step out of societal norms, creating change. We were independent thinkers, with much on our minds. The term “Free Love” was used a lot but it went beyond a type of rebel thinking. It was an attitude of acceptance of others and leaving the structured box that our ancestors had lived in. Sometimes we were referred to as spoiled, wild kids, running around the country with no direction but I beg to differ. We took the reigns, creating a generation of growth, making us who we are today.

The 1950s brought consumerism at its best, making a way for families to own their own home. A wave began to come over this generation and with it some self-doubt. Would we continue on a path that we have always known or would we began to ask for change. Segregation began within the schools and cities, attempting to remove racial barriers. The beginning stage was set “separate but equal” but this was not enough…we cried for more equality.

Our young brothers fought in Vietnam, and we watched as our own fathers marched to war. As we wore the MIA silver bracelets on our wrist, we prayed our own fathers would not be the next one on the list. There were even a few Boomers who protested relentlessly against the war. Our own kind turned against our soldiers, spitting on them as they came home. This would not mark a proud moment for Baby Boomers.

Then there was Rock & Roll and Motown sounds playing loudly in our bedrooms, as our parents protested with all their might. We followed Buddy Holly, Elvis, the Beatles and hung out at Woodstock. The media stayed in a frenzy as the rumors of a type of “mind control” was taking over their kids. If we listened to the Rock and Roll records too much, as they all had subliminal messages, we would be taken into the cult and forever lost. Elvis sent parents into shock with his hip moving antics. We did not care; we were ready to break free.

We were the first generation to grow up watching television. It was something that was not just in the privileged houses anymore. We enjoyed programs such as I Love Lucy, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Brady Bunch, The Twilight Zone, and later on in teen years, Mash, Happy Days, and the Jeffersons. The “Make Love Not War” was one of the most popular sayings around.

Baby Boomers knew the art of work and play. We spent hours outside until we were called to dinner playing in the park. Friends would gather at the light post as we played hide and seek in the neighborhood. The girls gathered to play Jacks, two squares, jump rope, and hop scotch. Staying inside was not an option, as we heard our mom’s say, “go out and play!” Of course, this was only after our chores were done. Rushing around to do chores so that we could meet our friends was common as Apple pie. Family structures began to change as the society moved into a different time. Sadly in the process some traditional things were lost. For the first time, some of the core values were no longer important. We as Baby Boomers remember and it may be up to us to bring them back before it is too late.

There were many tragic events that took place that will be forever remembered. We watched the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King. Our generation was the ones who demanded change and we were not going to sit down and take the way things were. We fought for civil rights, women’s rights, putting aside our protest signs, we watched the first man to step on the moon, and history was changed forever. We were individual thinkers and wanted something different for ourselves. We took risks whether they were smart or not. Sometimes we jumped and asked later. Material things did not matter, as much as relationships. We were not willing to sit back and just take what was dished out because we wanted to feed ourselves.

I do believe that life has snuck up on us Baby Boomers. We were ‘movers and shakers’ in our time. We did not think too much about growing older as we were too busy to think of such things. We are now seniors ourselves, taking care of our aging parents, and sending our last child through college, and trying to work until the legal age permits us to retire. We are wondering…what happens now?

This is for all the Boomers out there who are scratching their head, thinking life has passed them by. In a flash of an eye, we are looking in the mirror seeing our parents. I have some good news! It is not over yet…we have work to do. It is time to quit counting the grey hairs in the mirror, and remaining stagnant in the easy chair. It is time for us to get up and move, become the ‘movers and shakers’ we once were. You are saying, I am too tired, I do not have enough money, I have this condition, I am retired, but I am telling you there is work to be done, the world needs us.

I have some ideas to share with you and I hope you will take them to heart. They will change your way of thinking and you will be proud to be called a Baby Boomer.

Have you ever once walked into an Elementary school except to drop off your grandchild? Do you know how many children are in need of a mentor? What if…one morning you wake up before noon, shower, get dressed, and volunteer to do story time. Maybe you could be a tutor to a child who is having difficulty reading. Just because you are retired, does not mean you had to fall off the face of the earth. You are needed in this world. There are not enough teachers to help every child.

Remember the days when you sat under the tree sporting your long hair, playing some John Denver songs, dreaming of living in the mountains. Why not pick up that guitar and teach some underprivileged kids how to play. Teach them the old songs so they will not be lost. Do you know that teaching a child how to play jacks and hopscotch cost nothing? Children now days do not know how to play without some mechanical gadget in their hand. What better person is there to show a child how to play than a Boomer?

So you protested against everything you could think of as the cool hippie you were. You stood on the grounds of the college with your bell-bottoms, big hair, and held the posters high. Our young people need to hear about the days of the civil rights movement, and many other important events. Sit down and write it out, present it to the local library and become a local speaker, recalling the events of the day. Teach our young people about being an advocate for things they believe in. There are many issues that need to be addressed maybe the younger generation does not know where to start. Boomers are the ones to show them, as we have been there!

Volunteer at the nearby shelter, assisting families who have hit hard times. If that does not cause a stirring within your heart, I do not know what will. Many families need guidance to figure out their bills and to have a life plan. Maybe this is your calling.

Start a community garden within your neighborhood, sharing your knowledge with the younger families. I do not know about you but I grew up with a hot meal on the table. There was no going out to eat all the time. We need to encourage the young folk to sit down to family dinners. Maybe you have a recipe you have forgotten about but can teach that young mother how to cook a cheap, healthy meal, bake bread, or maybe a pie. Things are getting tough, and we have been there. Who would be better to show our young people how to stretch a dollar than a Boomer? Yes, it is true…maybe you as a Boomer made huge mistakes in the past concerning money or may have been thrifty but the point being is you have knowledge that needs to be shared from lessons learned.

Get moving and in the process get healthy. Do not just settle for all the pills that a doctor may prescribe, knowing a diet change would make a world of difference. You know that we as Boomers cannot afford health insurance unless it is through our jobs. We are too young for Medicare and too young for social security. If they continue to move the retirement age up, we had better be able to run the mile or we are going to be in trouble. We have to take care of ourselves so we can be of service to others. We may have elderly parents to take care of and the last thing we want is our elderly parents taking care of us.

The bottom line is that you matter and all your life’s experiences will benefit others. When we look beyond our own circumstances, things change within our own lives. We as Baby Boomers carry with us a rich past and one worth sharing with others.

Calling all Boomers to make a change once more.


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