New Seniors

We learned from our parents that, “money doesn’t grow on trees.” That’s because those of us born between 1930 and 1945 were raised during the Great Depression followed by a period of sacrifice during WWII. Along with the baby boomers now turning 65, we were taught that America never had to endure such dire times again as long as we worked hard and “saved for a rainy day.” The clichés seem old now, but their messages remain true.

Did you hear about the impetuous high school senior who hung his invitation to attend the prom on the school wall and got in trouble? The girl said yes to the date, and the principal said no to the prom but later reversed her decision. There is a lesson we can learn from this story that has been boosted by media and social network publicity.

Mark Twain once said, “Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.” A recent poll indicates that most Americans (51%) attribute weather conditions to long-term planetary trends while only 19% point the finger to human activity. But you can bet this won’t stop the debate about who really is to blame.

If you are 65+, you know what it means to be a New Senior. And if you know someone who is 65+, you can see that New Seniors are not like the seniors of old. The concept of being a New Senior started with the Pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945). We are more than 30 million strong, and all of us are 65 or older.

Most people 65+ remember WWII or heard firsthand about what happened on the home front during those frightful years. While our troops are currently engaged in wars and unrest away from home, there is a battle going on right here in the United States. The battle to get the national debt under control affects not only us it impacts the future of our children, their children and beyond.

Wearing poppies, waving flags, parades, placing flags and wreaths at soldiers’ graves, twenty-one gun salutes followed by hot dogs and ice cream at the local American Legion were all part of the Memorial Day pre-boomers remember as kids. It was a solemn yet celebrative day because we remembered those who died serving our country and rejoiced in the freedom we enjoyed as a result of their sacrifices.

During the first half of the past century, having extended family members living in the same house was part of way life for many Americans. For a variety of reasons, this made emotional and economic sense. After WWII this way of life faded, but the extended family is making a comeback. And, the concept may have many built-in advantages for all involved.

From the ‘60s through the millennium, I flew about once a week. Many were short hops, lots were coast-to-coast and there were international trips as well. For the first decade or so I loved it. Then I endured it. And, finally, before retiring in 2003 I despised it. Was my attitude a result of getting older or has air travel sunk so low?

Just in time to change summer camp programs, New York state politicians made an ill-fated attempt to stop campers from enjoying the games we loved to play as children. The legislators claim regulation is necessary because dodgeball, freeze tag and kickball pose a “significant risk of injury.” Is this effort part of a broader, more sinister plan to eliminate the competitive spirit among America’s youth?

No one is suggesting as Horace Greeley once said that opportunities lie in the West, in places like the state of Washington. Although the country has down in its worst period of unemployment since the Great Depression, people have been finding jobs in Washington DC and other bastions of government rather than going to areas traditionally known for finance and manufacturing. Why is this an unhealthy sign for all Americans?