New Seniors

It’s been a long 235 years since a group of early American’s risked their livelihoods, their possessions and their very lives when the Founding Fathers signed The Declaration of Independence. These were our first heroes and we learned about their courage through American History lessons beginning in the elementary grades all the way through high school. They put everything on the line for freedom. Have we become so blasé that freedom no longer has the meaning it once had?

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.

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.

Once upon a time, there was a young boy who loved Christmas. He loved the decorations, the trees, the cookies, the trains, the carols and all the things that represented Christmas to him. Most of all he loved getting gifts. The more the merrier. But after the presents were opened and the newness of the gifts wore off, he always felt let down.

The debate over what is the appropriate greeting for the season has been going on for years. December 25th became an official federal holiday in 1870 when it was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant. Why, then, has Christmas become the focus of so much controversy?

Pre-boomers were taught the first Thanksgivings was a day of gratitude expressed by the early settlers nearly 400 years ago in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The pilgrims thanked God for delivering them to the new world where they could live free of religious persecution, for surviving the first year, and for the harvest to sustain them in the winter months ahead. We also learned they shared food with the local Native Americans.

Armistice Day celebrated the end of World War I in 1918 and was the predecessor to Veterans Day. The fighting on the Western Front ended at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. This peace was ratified in the Treaty of Versailles the following year. The day was set aside to honor those who fought in “the war to end all wars,” particularly those who died.

You may be thinking we had our day, now what? Well, there’s lots to do in the weeks and months ahead. New Seniors have plenty on our plates. There’s the fight for fairness in health care and other issues affecting those 65+. Making our voices heard when it comes to electing representatives who understand and respect our needs. Connecting with other New Seniors. Being a force for good in our communities and for generations to come. Plus much more.

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 will be 65 or older this year.

Being a New Senior is more than a point in time or the commemoration of being 65 or older. It is a state of mind. When we New Seniors were born, 65 marked the beginning of the end for those lucky enough to attain this age. Today it marks the end of the beginning. It is the time to use the life experiences we have gained, individually and collectively, to make a difference; so the world will better off when we leave than when we found it. This means there’s a lot to do in the years ahead.