Baby Boomer Generation

When I was a child, I was around many older people.  Even my own parents were considered elderly. I was only ten years of age.  They were in their 50’s.   I came from a small town where people knew the value of  a dollar.  Hard work was just what people did. The really older folks, such as my grandfather, shared stories of working in saw mills.  Work days were from dusk until dawn.  Evenings were for resting and preparing for another work day. If school was in session, parents made sure that children did their homework.  Much of the evening was spent reading and writing by the entire family.  Bedtime came early after all home work and chores were completed.  The nights were short because the work days started very early.  A work week could easily consist of six days.  Sunday was a rest day spent relaxing, going to church and enjoying the family.

I really do not remember much talk about retirement in those days.  As a matter of fact, what I do remember is folks working until they were very old.  There were still cows in the pasture to milk, chickens to be fed, and wood to be chopped for the fireplace or heating stove.  There was a lot of preparation to get the crops in before the bitter cold winter arrived.  Also families worked together to assure that they were prepared to survive the winter months as mother nature came roaring in with snow,ice and chill factors below zero.  Time did not stand still.  It took much longer to do things such as laundry, cooking, lawn maintenance and such.  Yes, the old wringer wash and tubs took a lot of time, not to mention hanging the clothes on clothes lines. Then there was ironing not permanent pressed.    Meals were fixed on a hot cook stove.  Potatoes were peeled and mashed.  Green beans were picked from the vines, washed and snapped.  Corn was shucked, cleaned and boiled.  There was no such thing as a microwave.  I can remember my Father mowing the lawn with the push mower as mother prepared  meals.  There was no weed whacker just hand clippers.  Then there was the regular watering of the flowers with a garden hand held hose as soon as the sun went down.  After the evening meal,dishes were washed in the sink by hand and then towel dried. Of course they were put back in the cupboards to be used again the next morning.  Pots and pans were cleaned with Brillo pads.  There were no automatic dish washers or no stick pots and pans.

In our home we did not even have running hot water.  We heated bath water on the stove.  This too took awhile.  Water to wash clothes in was heated in a big black kettle outside with a fire built from wood under it.  Everything that we did appeared to be a long process of work.

So you might be thinking to yourself as you are reading, “What is the point of this story?”  Therefore, I am going to tell you.  Most of us boomers have been working since we were knee high to a grass hopper as the old saying goes.  This boomer is TIRED.   My retirement DREAM was NOT to keep on WORKING at age 63 but it appears that is what life has in store for me and some of you.  We are  boomers though that have seen many rough times.  We made it then and we WILL make it now.  Maybe the good ole days were good preparation for what ever life challenge that we have today.  Now some of you boomers that are in the over 55 communities enjoying life, you will still be able to meet adversary because you have been conditioned in your early years.  So live it up!  Enjoy every moment.  For those of you that are ready for that lazy boy recliner, enjoy the heck out of it.  Then for those of you that like to learn and stay busy, remember to visit your local senior centers.  You can volunteer there too if you are still into working.  Oh let us not forget, live healthy, eat green vegetables, exercise to keep that body strong and in shape.  Do that for yourself too.  Who knows where health care is going.  It  still beats the the town Dr. that we had in my childhood. He only showed up one day a week.

My question to you is this; Do you boomers really think that we had the easy life as I read so much about in the news?  Did we really set out to destroy the world for those that follow us?  Were we not just trying to live and survive as those before us did and those after us will do?  I say one thing that was true before my time, during my time and hopefully after my time that will remain the same is just this:  It will always take Love for One Another to Make the World Go Around.  As soon as we can all get over the blame game,the sooner each of us can get on with that most important thing of all; Peace, Contentment, Love and Living!  As I have said before and I will say once again, WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE!  May peace be with you as boomers go into their retirement years.

Senior Community Guide for: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Lake Oconee, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York City, Norfolk, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Reston, Richardson, Rochester, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, St Louis, Tampa, Tucson

Originally posted 2011-12-08 11:59:02.