Isn't It Ironic?

Wow! I actually did it!

I've posted before about how baby boomers are going to change perceptions regarding retirement, basically by choosing to pursue a secondary, or encore, career that aligns with a personal goal or passion. And, guess what! I have managed to do just that. Ain't it great when a plan works?

After fifteen years at a job in which my role had become mundane and dealing with serious personal issues at the same time, I was beginning to feel like my life had become a movie — which made me feel really old. 

The movie was "Finnegan Begin Again," starring Robert Preston and Mary Tyler Moore. (It got really bad promotion, because it's a sweet movie — about old people.) For those who have seen it, I felt I was living the life of the Robert Preston character, Mike. Ironic, in a Freudian sense.

Then, ironically, the communications medium I had declared an invasion of privacy — and the first step in the loss of civil liberty — gave me my heart's desire... the dream job... the encore career. The National World War I Museum was wanting to fill a position, for which I was uniquely suited. And, I knew this because I admired the Museum and "liked" its Facebook page. 

Again ironically, the 15 years of experience at a career I had come to loathe was instrumental in helping me get my dream job. The seniority I held at that job turned out to be leadership in an induced coma. I'm pretty sure there has to be a beatitude that covers this. And, if there isn't, there should be.

The plan had turned out to be the right direction, after all. The belief had been real. I feel I am making a living without working. How many people get to say that and mean it? 

The definition of irony is life. 

Encore! Encore!

The die has been cast. I've publicly announced my intention to retire next year. I purposely made it a known fact with my employer because I'm the type of person who resists stepping outside of my comfort zone. And, I'm long overdue for a shake-up. By setting it as a declared goal, I am forcing myself to take deliberate steps to achieve it. It's just how the bullish mind works. For more information on that, click here, but I can save you the trouble. I'm methodical, deliberate, plodding... have you ever seen a cow path? Cows follow the same path they took the day before, and the day before that, even though it's not a direct route to their destination. 

However, while sticking with a path that has proven successful, albeit convoluted, succinctly describes a Taurus personality — or at the very least MY Taurus personality — I think it could easily apply to the baby boomer work force as a whole. We are a demographic that challenged the status quo by refusing to follow the straight and narrow line. We boldly chose a path that allowed us to see what was possible if we strayed a little here and there. Sometimes it worked out for the better, sometimes not. But, what's important is we imagined something different. And, we're not quite done with bringing about change. The generation that questioned everything is now reshaping attitudes about aging and, specifically, retirement. 

The attitude of "never growing old" has carried over for some of us, the idea that if we stop moving, we start dying. Medical science has allowed us to expect as much as 25 more years of life than what our parents had. I know I don't think of myself as the same 60+ years old that my parents were. Some of us are still trying to recover from loses sustained by our overconfidence in a fragile stock market. Technology has given the baby boomer generation choices that did not exist previously. All of these factors add up to a completely different concept of retirement. And, while we may not be willing to continue in the same rat race, myself included, we're still not quite ready to throw in the career towel. In the truest sense, a lot of us have reached that fork in the road and are electing to detour from the tried and tested route to take a path less traveled. We're up to the challenge of "what if" just one more time.

There's some really good news in this economically. For one thing, those classified as senior citizens have more wealth than that age group has ever had before. In fact, a recent AARP study showed the numbers of seniors living in poverty has declined by 6% in the past 20 years, while the proportion of older Americans enjoying a "high" income has increased from 18 to 31 percent. That's pretty significant, considering the strain on Social Security may not be as catastrophic as most doomsday preppers have been predicting. 

In fact, according to US News and World Report, some investment firms have proactively taken steps to identify markets that will benefit from the upcoming senior spending trend, which include medical care (of course), travel (certainly) and consumer products that include... don't laugh... Depends, fiber supplements, vitamins and anti-aging products. 

Also, by stepping out of current long-held positions, boomers not only open the door for employers to hire younger employees for a reduced salary, the boomers give themselves an opportunity to follow a passion, learn something new, share well-honed skills and knowledge, volunteer... make a difference, which has been and always will be our legacy. Already there are a number of books and websites dedicated to what is being termed as "Encore Careers."  

The boomers will be the first generation to truly blaze the trail for retirement in the 21st Century. World, are you ready for this?

The Geezer Boom

But, I can only find out by trying. And, if it turns out I haven't courage enough, we'll soon know it. ~ "The Best Years of Our Lives"

Wow! I was amazed to see that I haven’t blogged since February 15!! What can I say? My life went into overdrive around the second week of March, and it hasn’t let up for one minute since. And, I guess, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have participated in a paranormal investigation, tried four new restaurants, done volunteer work, read three books, and maintained my workout schedule, while working and taking care of normal daily chores, not to mention having to play catch up on yard work after a mild winter and early spring. I am only slightly disappointed that I haven’t lived up to the New Year’s resolution of posting to my blog at least once a month, because the good news is living up to the other resolutions has be the primary reason for failure to keep this one. How are you doing on yours? I’d love to hear about your successes!

As I was doing some reading regarding Baby Boomers aging, I was astonished to find an article in The Gerontologist, titled “Not Your Mother’s Old Age,” that cited 39 different manuscripts on the subject. A community newspaper in Seattle reported about a summit conducted at South Seattle Community College during which boomers were able to voice what they wanted and needed from the community as they age. There can be little doubt that our generation is establishing brand new perceptions on the so-called golden years. An article in InfoWorld stated: I would love to know how you are making the most of the best years of your life.

“The aging of the baby boomer generation will spur technological innovation and change the entire health-care system,” age researcher Joseph Coughlin said Friday, speaking at a panel discussion on health care and technology sponsored by the New England Business and Technology Association.

Get ready world. You are entering the era of The Geezer Boom.

As I recently told a friend of mine who, in true baby boomer form has decided to learn how to pilot a plane, we make growing old look good. And, I personally think the biggest disparity from past generations is with baby boomer women. Martha Nelson, 65-year-old author of Black Chokeberry, a novel about three disparate older women coming together to share a home, said,

"We’re more worldly, stronger, financially savvy and healthier than our ancestors – through no fault of their own – and we know what we want.”

Yes, we certainly do. Have you recently noticed more ads on TV featuring older women with realistic body measurements? That’s because marketers and advertisers know 80% of baby boomer women control 80% of the wealth in the United States. 

The most important thing, however, is that we realize that, just as our demographic has impacted huge societal change through every stage of our lives, what we do as “geezers” will determine the process of aging for our children and grandchildren. We need to be responsible, yet innovative. As a demographic, we wield enormous power. But, with power, in any capacity, comes responsibility. Our descendants will live longer than we do. We need to make sure their “golden years” are just as exciting and fulfilling as we will inevitably make ours. We need to set the standard for aging. Let me know what you’re doing to set the standard for making growing older look good.

Second Childhood

What we do know is that... another awakening took place; that the human spirit is more powerful than any drug and THAT is what needs to be nourished: with work, play, friendship, family. THESE are the things that matter. This is what we'd forgotten — the simplest things. ~from the movie "Awakenings"

So often time it happens, we all live our life in chains, and we never even know we have the key. ~The Eagles, "Already Gone"


As I mentioned in my previous post, my primary objective in writing this blog has been to do something toward setting a new standard on attitudes about aging. I have some friends who spend a lot of time dwelling on the past, moaning about lost youth, remembering the so-called better times when all was new and exciting. Or, worse, there are those who desperately fight the inevitability of growing older, torturing their bodies with plastic surgery and chemical supplements to convince themselves and the world they are just as virile, just as agile, just as young as they want to be... which is really just silly. How can the past be better than the here and now or, more significantly, the future? Why is aging something we’re all supposed to fight off? I think it’s time for us to pull out that revolutionary spirit our generation is so famous for and create the social norm of deliberate aging. George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.”

Grab a pen and paper, put yourself in a positive frame of mind and deliberately think about some of the nice perks you’re experiencing since turning 50. For me, there are quite a few, so I'll get this ball rolling…

First and foremost — and this underscores everything that follows — is an attitude shift with regard to pursuing what makes me happy rather than adopting the happiness formula of others. When all of us are young, peer pressure is so pervasive in our lives that acceptance  becomes one of the most important aspects of existence. I spent an obscene amount of time worrying about whether or not people liked me (I was convinced they didn’t), wanting to be one of the cool kids (I most definitely was not) and trying to stand out by copying exactly what my friends were doing, wearing, saying. Are there any heads nodding in agreement on this sentiment? Around the age of 50, I seemed to develop an attitude shift of, “Sorry you don’t like me, but have a nice life anyway!” And, the end result was amazing confidence in myself, total acceptance of my limitations and unmitigated pride in those little quirks that make me unique.

I’ve noticed, also, that people have become much more tolerant of my straight-forward way of communicating. I haven’t figured out why frank expression is permitted from the moment we begin to speak, even admired as the truth of the innocent, until about the age of 6, when it suddenly becomes anti-social and remains so for the biggest portion of our adult lives. Then, just as suddenly, around the age of 60, it’s OK again. Jump in with any theories on this. Not that it matters. There are few things that are a bigger irritant to me than trying to prove superior intelligence with diarrhea of the mouth, using 50 words to express what could be just as easily understood with 10.

Another plus is that nerdy knowledge, like history (which I love, but found to be such a conversation dud 30 years ago), is now cool. Start spouting off some historical facts to someone in their 20s and they are blown away… seriously. I once corrected someone on the quote attributed to Marie Antoinette, “Let them eat cake,” which she didn’t say, and loved it when the person said, “I didn’t know that,” in a way that suggested I just had to be an incredibly smart person. Or, maybe my head swelled so quickly that I was oblivious to the inference that I was so old I probably had first-hand knowledge. Doesn’t matter. I’ll shamelessly take any credit for intelligence, regardless of intent.

What’s even more recognizable by me is how my own perception of what I consider cool, interesting and fun has changed. For example, I think feeding and watching birds is one of the coolest things in the world to do. There, I said it… think what you like. Truth be told, I could have admitted this years ago. I have no clue why enjoyment in feeding, observing and learning to identify birds is taboo before the age of 50. But, again, it doesn’t matter. I live in the city, but in the spring and summer, I can open up my house and hear birds singing like I’m living in the middle of a wooded park.

Sometimes, I wonder if it’s the chicken and egg paradox, as in my newly found interest in learning about wines. Recently, I participated in a wine tasting during which a European gentleman introduced the wines, describing the processes and providing history for each winery represented. It was extremely informative. And, there’s just something about a man with a charming French accent talking about wines that makes you think, “This man is a FREAKING WINE GENIUS!” Of course, on the subject of wines, it doesn’t take a whole lot to dumb me down. While I’m loving the learning process as it unfolds, I wonder sometimes if this is a latent interest that was suppressed because there was nothing in my life before that would encourage pursuit, or is it the maturity of my years that has prompted the enjoyment of both the taste and the knowledge? Doesn’t matter. I don’t always drink wine with my meal, but when I do, at least I know what I’m doing… kind of.

Which brings me to a personal revelation with regard to my musical tastes… in particular, jazz. I’ve come to realize I’ve always liked it. Steely Dan; Earth, Wind and Fire; Chicago; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Santana; Steve Wonder… all artists I loved in my youth — and still do — and all have musical styles steeped in jazz. But, I never would have acknowledged that fact 30 years ago when I was actually bobbing my head to “Shining Star” or “You Haven’t Done Nothing.” I listened to rock and roll. My parents listened to jazz. Now that I’ve embraced this realization, I've learned so much about the genre. Holy cow! The musicality, the talent, the expertise… it’s like finding the Holy Grail of music. But,  that’s a future discussion.

Summing up, the best thing about growing older is that the perspective on life becomes more realistic. I’ve lived through some heartbreakingly sad times that literally brought me to my knees and emerged stronger. I’ve loved and lost, and the sun still came up every day. I’ve been desperately poor, but survived and prospered. I’ve learned how insignificant, yet precious, we all are. There are some things I wish I had done differently, but I don’t know anyone with whom I would be willing to trade lives, even myself as a 20-year-old. And, as far as I’m concerned, the best is yet to come!

All in all, growing old is an awakening, the realization that work, play, friendship, family… these are the things that matter. Everything else, including regret and fear of aging, is chaff to be winnowed away and forgotten. It’s all in perception, and I plan to deliberately approach each new tomorrow with gratitude, wonder and excitement. How about you? You wanna play? Or, grow old?

Resolutions Revisited

Here we are, at the end of January. How’s everyone doing on your New Year’s resolutions?

Some of mine are future goals, requiring months of planning. (See “Shifting Gears” post below.) I have managed to sustain my commitment to lower my stress level by escaping into some leisure reading — two books this month, Endurance (Shackleton gave new meaning to the term “having a bad day”) and Reign of Madness (about Juana of Castille… classic example of the Women's Movement being long overdue). I participated in a hard hat tour of the Kansas City Museum being established in Corinthian Hall and was so impressed, I became a donating member. (I highly recommend this tour if you live locally. It’s only $5 and the curator is an entertaining guide.) I’m still trying to work out some volunteer time with the Kansas City Historic Foundation.  And, I’ve managed to sock a little money into my savings (needless to say, no link provided here). Surprisingly, my fail has been in trying a new restaurant this month. What can I say? It's hard enough to stay within my daily limit of 1,200 calories without using up half of them in one meal dining out.  And, I haven’t found a restaurant with a low calorie menu that makes my taste buds tingle in anticipation, especially when I can prepare an outrageously delicious low calorie dish at home (this recipe is incredibly healthy, easy and tasty, even as leftovers). I may have to change this resolution to be one of just finding restaurants with healthy, low-cal menus besides the prerequisite grilled salmon with steamed vegetables. Got any recommendations?

My No. 1 resolution was to work out at least five hours a week. I’ve had to make a slight adjustment to that goal. It became clear to me that I was trying to work a fantasy body with a reality regimen. I think the proper term would be “ego check.”  At any rate, I’ve only been able to manage a maximum of four hours a week. It has meant some changes in lifestyle that I never would have thought I would be able to tolerate — for instance, getting up at 5:30 a.m. in order to go to the Y and still have time to shower and get ready for work.  Working out at night didn’t seem like a good idea to me… trying to wind down for bedtime with all those hormones, like endorphins, thyroxine and epinephrine, running amok in a body that is already confused by the switch between estrogen and testosterone levels. Stop the madness! Besides, at 6 p.m., my body switches over to zombie mode. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to stereotype zombies or imply they aren’t physically fit; however, I’ve never seen one on a treadmill, in movies or real life. Just sayin’. I used to think that the only people who get up before dawn every morning are the ones whose job is to have an up-close-and-personal relationship with protein in its natural state — warm and breathing. I have a little experience with farm life. It’s why I work in an office. So far, though, the early morning roust is working surprisingly well.

But, the resolutions are just mileposts in a journey, right? It’s all about setting up a lifestyle that will provide a fulfilling life after retirement and beyond, physically, mentally and emotionally. Baby boomers have the proud legacy of setting the standard for social awareness. We’ve never been satisfied with a status quo.  I’m looking forward to continuing that tradition and being a part of the “social revolution” that forever changes the attitudes on aging, even within our own age group. Why, we’re just getting our second wind! There’s still so much to do!!  

Optimistic Acceptance of the Inevitable

The eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flarin', bullets loadin'
You're old enough to kill, but not for votin'
You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin'
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'
But you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction.
(Lyrics from “The Eve of Destruction” made popular by Barry McGuire, 1965)

 

When I think of all the worries people seem to find
And how they're in a hurry to complicate their mind
By chasing after money and dreams that can't come true
I'm glad that we are different, we've better things to do

Let others plan their future, I’m busy loving you

(Lyrics from “Let’s Live for Today” made popular by The Grassroots, 1967)

Some people like to say the boomer generation was short-sighted in planning their futures. Born in an era of affluence and raised — translated by some as indulged — by parents who suffered through the hard-scrabble existence of the Great Depression, there can be no denying we took consumerism to the dizzying height that drives every economy in the world today. And, even today, we spend more money in this consumer-based economy than any other generation before or after. Whether or not that is a good thing is a matter of economic debate and totally dependant on perspective. Some people shudder at the thought of what will happen to the economy when baby boomers are forced to curb their spending habits due to living on fixed incomes.

I guess from the viewpoint of hindsight being 20/20, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that we weren’t the best financial planners. I say, you had to be there. We came of age during the decade of the 60s, recounted by most historians as the most violent period of the 20^th century. An era described with terms like “counterculture,” “social revolution” and, my personal favorite, “FUBAR,” seemed to emphasize the futility of concentrating on building a career that would allow us to pay for the growing costs of inflated consumerism, including the outrageously expensive education of the 2.6 babies we would eventually beget while supplementing our parents who, lo and behold, thanks to modern medicine, were living far beyond their own planning. I think we all pretty much felt we had enough on our plates, thank you very much, without contemplating “who will need me, who will feed me, when I’m 64.”

It is painfully obvious that we weren’t aware of the impact of such a large population sharing birthdates that fell within a mere 11 years. I don’t think we were even aware of how large a population we were until the 80s. It’s a given we didn't foresee all the ramifications of boomers retiring at the same time. Instead, we admired the solvency of Social Security during the following 40+ years… easy to do when you have a population of over 75 million contributing. Fast forward to 2011 and whoopsie… guess what… those 75 million are starting to pull the plug. What to do? What to do? Just mentioning the fact causes the stock market to drop 20 points.

I’m a pragmatist, and my take on this situation is this… sooner or later, people are going to have to realize that 1) the cash cow is retiring, and 2) they’re going to need to find a new cash cow. However that is done, it’s guaranteed to be painful for some, resented by most and blamed entirely on the baby boomers. So be it. But, whether later generations want to admit it or not, the vast majority of the money in Social Security was contributed by, and on behalf of, the baby boomers. It’s not an entitlement, it’s our money, pure and simple. It's time for everyone to just accept that, deal with it and move on.

Trust me... regardless of whether baby boomers bankrupt Social Security or not, the world will keep turning.

Don’t hate me because I’m a baby boomer.

I think some people, especially Gen X upstarts, believe me to be a little too proud of my baby boomer status. Whatever. Baby boomers are defined by the 60s decade. Some people nowadays look back on that time with a sense of nostalgia. Sure, a lot of cool things happened, but it wasn’t all drugs, sex and rock and roll. Some parts were downright ugly. Anyone who survived them without obtaining an arrest record, FBI file or change in country of residence is entitled to some bragging rights.

I’ve read several articles recently in which 20-somethings are complaining that if the baby boomers would just retire (roll eyes here), there would be more opportunities for them. Yet, there is a growing number of employers who are recognizing that following generations do not have the commitment or work ethic of us oldsters and are making efforts to encourage the experienced older employees to remain, rather than risk the expense of training someone just to have them jump ship a couple of years later. Employment analysts report that the total cost of training a new employee, including lost revenue due to reduction in prime production levels, on average, equals three times that person's annual salary. Average tenure on a job for baby boomers is 11 years. For Millennials, that number drops by half. That's a significant difference in ROI. 

Quite frankly, you whippersnappers should probably think twice about pushing us to move out of the work force. It’s not just the impact on Social Security that has Congress nervous about baby boomers retiring. All you have to do is look at how marketing has followed the spending patterns of our huge demographic over the years to understand the power the boomer consumer has on the economy. Trust me... You do not want us having to severely curb our spending habits due to being on a fixed income. The numbers are irrefutable. Boomers have more discretionary income than any other age group, control $7 trillion of wealth, own 80% of all money in savings and loan associations, spend more money per person than any other age group and account for a whopping 40% of total consumer demand. Yeah, chew on that for a while.

Truth be told, baby boomers could just as easily claim that the recent change in attitudes regarding retirement age and Social Security is part of a conspiracy to keep our money flowing into the coffers. Ford Motor Company is certainly paying attention. It is the first and only automotive manufacturer to use a "third-age suit" to give younger engineers and designers a feel for the needs of older drivers. The suit mimics some of the physical restrictions that are common for people over age 50. Want to know why? It’s because the average American household purchases 13 cars over a lifetime — and seven of those are purchased after the head of the household turns 50, according to a survey conducted by AutoPacific.

And, that’s just the beginning. Experts predict that, by 2050, for the first time in history, the population over 65 will be greater than the population under five. You can have no doubt that, true to our history of setting the standard for social awareness by upsetting the status quo, baby boomers will drive the development of products that accommodate rather than discriminate, sympathize rather than stigmatize, and appeal to users of all ages and abilities. Just as we were the catalyst for change to make it easier for later generations to go to college, women to achieve C-suite positions and everyone to see what goes on in the oval office, all while teaching the world to sing (right before enjoying a Coke), we will effect change on the mythic limitations of age.

 So, I make no apologies for being loud and proud of being a boomer. From birth, our very existence has effected social and economic changes, some due to our sheer number, others due to our collective beliefs, some good, some bad. But, we’re still here, and we are obviously still relevant. If you youngsters just absolutely have to blame somebody for our continued strength, blame modern medicine. Average life expectancy at the turn of the 20^th Century was 45. It is now 78. When you get to be my age, it’ll probably be 100, and all the 40-somethings will be lobbying for you to step aside.

Age is nothing. Attitude is everything, so take heart with this... We made it super hip to be young. We are now making it super hip to be old — because that’s just the way we roll. You’re welcome.