Rick Bava’s new book “In Search of The Baby Boomer Generation” is the definitive book about the Baby Boomer Generation. Rick nails what it was like to grow up as a baby boomer, what it is like today and what we will be facing in the near future.
Rick traveled the US for two years having in-depth conversation with fellow baby boomers about all aspects of their lives. He shares the observations about baby boomer lives intermingled with sharing his own personal experience growing up and living as a baby boomer and the end result is a very enlightening and enjoyable read.
I related to everything in Rick’s book and he reminds us of many things we experienced that had a lasting effect in shaping our lives from our eagerness to leave home to start our own lives which was so very different than our parents to later thinking our parents were not so out of touch after all.
We were very much in touch with other boomers to experience life with our own mindset. He touches on the music we cherished, movies we watched, growing up with friends, college, then getting married and morphing into the corporate culture.
I particularly enjoy stories about remembering our childhood days, our college days, how we met our spouses and family relations. When Rick was sharing his story about listening to the World Series on a transistor radio, I was thinking hey, that was me!
We have shared a lot but we all have some Once in a Lifetime Experiences as well. That’s what makes our generation special. When we started this blog Ann and I did our fair share of telling our baby boomer stories as we called them. I loved to tell as well as hear other boomers stories from their lives.
Now many of us, especially the older boomers, are retiring. We are finding new passions, starting businesses, mentoring or discovering an encore career. Some are searching for new places to live. Along the way we are trying to make new friends while staying in touch with long time friends and relatives. Baby boomers need friends. Some boomers are even dating again. A lot of this was discussed in the chapter on Social Relationships, which I particularly enjoyed.
Rick shared many personal stories of our fellow baby boomers that represent what is happening in our baby boomer lives right now. Many people were hurt by the Great Recession and have a heavy load to deal with as we face the future we are transitioning into pretty fast. But Rick also gives examples of boomers who did most things right, getting an education, working hard, staying married, respecting family, saving and investing and now have the resources to live an interesting retirement.
Rick then addresses issues in our immediate future that we are or will be dealing with soon.
On top of our list now are retirement plans, travel, grandchildren, making new friends and connecting with old friends. Finding new passions, experiences and things to do.
Taking care of parents is a responsibility many are faced with or will be soon.
We are now ready to finally get our social security benefits (it is not an entitlement, we worked for it!) and sign up for Medicare.
Many of us have helped settle our parents’ estates and gained valuable knowledge in doing so which we are now using to better organize our own estates. We now know how important this is to do.
Rick has a positive outlook of what our baby boomer generation has accomplished and our challenging future. We have been through quite a bit and lived to tell about it!
I am very impressed by the excellent job Rick Bava has done taking the reader on this journey through our past, present and future. Get the book for an enjoyable read.
Rick Bava writes the column “The Baby Boomer Corner” for Today’s Senior Magazine.
By Robert Fowler, President
Retirement Media Inc.
Originally posted 2015-06-29 21:40:34.
