We the Baby Boomers blog post # 3

As promised oh faithful blog followers, I will dazzle you with my statistics, and enlighten you with my knowledge of the Baby Boomer era.  Actually growing up as a boomer, I experienced a very diverse set of life events.  I was born in 1958, so I wasn’t an early boomer, but I wasn’t at the end of the era either.  I was somewhere close to the middle, and that was a really good place to be.  Although a youngster, I remember all the talk about Woodstock.

We were a generation of love, hippies, drugs, and rock and roll.  I grew up on a farm, so I was not as privy to the drugs, but reveled in the age of rock and roll, long hair, and love.  In the early sixties bell bottom pants became popular, and were generally worn with Cuban heals, clogs
, or Chelsea boots. By the late sixties they transitioned into part of the hippie culture, and in the early 70’s they became more main stream. Sonny and Cher wore them on their television program making them hugely popular.

This was also an age of political change.  In 1969 the selective service was reinstated. This was the first time since 1942.  The selective service would end in 1975, and the draft was suspended in 1976. It seemed as though the government believed we would be in a time of peace for years to come.  Only five years later, in 1980, selective service was reinstated for all males born from 1960 onward.  War was on the horizon again.

In 1993 the first boomer was elected into the white house.  Bill Clinton, born August 19, 1946 became the first Baby Boomer era president.  During that same year, Time Magazine reported on the religious affiliations of the Boomers, stating that 42% of boomers were religion drop outs, 33% had never strayed from the church, and 25% were returning to some form of religion. Was the influence of a boomer president sending people back to religious affiliation?  There is no way of knowing what caused the resurgence toward the church.  It is interesting to note that those that made the trend back to church were not as committed as those who never left.

It is often said that the age of boomers was shared across the world. While we were sitting on a hillside at Woodstock, the Brits were rocking to Beatlemania, and Italy was dressing in mod clothes and “buying the world a Coke”.  Until next time, please bring your seat backs and tray tables into an upright and locked position.

Author:  Donna S. Hopwood

www.retirementplanningstore.com/stress-free-retirement.html

We the Baby Boomers 

                One of the things that I can say about being a boomer is that our idea of work ethic is early to bed, early to rise, and work hard throughout the day.   Nowadays, it seems to be all about staying out late, partying, having

fun, and if you are late for work or don’t show up it’s no big deal.  For those of us who are running the companies of today, it is a big deal.  This is the age of entitlement.  Generation Y has reaped the benefit of Boomers hard work, advancement in technology, and the economic growth.

Everyone has a cell phone; the average age of receiving a first cell phone is 11.2 years of age.   Nearly one in 10 children age 5 has a cell phone.  Although technology for cell phones has been around since the early 1900s the first actual hand held cell phone made its maiden call on April 4, 1973.  (On an interesting side note this is also the year that the Supreme Court ruled in the Roe vs. Wade case making abortion legal in the United States.)

That means that the Baby Boomer generation had gone from 9 years (for boomers born in 1964) to 27 years without the convenience and headaches of cell phones and the accessibility it provides.  How in the world did we manage without them?  Actually we managed just fine.  We didn't want or need to be accessible 24 hours a day.  We believed in hard work, following the laws of society, church, family, and appreciating what we had.  The Y generation is more rebellious, tied to all the latest technological advancements, and waiting for the next new gadget to fill their time and minds.  We dated and flirted in real time.  Social media has taken the personal interest out of dating.  Boomers read books, played board games, and hosted holiday parties where the entire family was there and happy to be so.  In this day of change, just try to get even half of the family to sit down for one meal a day. 

Having said all that, I am a Boomer, I raised three children, and I hope I did a good job.  I believe anything beyond that is out of my control. When a child becomes an adult, it is up to them to make the choices that define who they are and the path they take.  In the next blog I will discuss some of the trials and hardships we faced as a baby boomer and some statistics that you might find interesting! Until next time, take a moment to pull out a board game, dust if off, and invite your adult children over to play! It will be a memory you will hang onto forever! 

Author:  Donna S. Hopwood
www.retirementplanningstore.com/safe-money.html

We The Baby Boomers

The baby boomer generation is considered to be those born between 1946 and 1964.  We were born in a time of optimism and change. The recession was over, and there was a greater push for education and career among women.  The work place changed dramatically with greater ethnic and gender diversity.

Having grown up through the Women’s Movement and the Civil Rights Movement, I can attest to the social change this country went through in the 60’s and 70’s.  Women were fighting for freedoms primarily centered on their own bodies and minds.  The feminist movement or women’s liberation as it was called, was about equal pay for the same job, the women’s reproductive rights, rights against sexual harassment and domestic violence to touch on a few.   The movement actually came in three phases. The first stage was primarily centered around political equality, second came the social and economic equality and finally the third phase was a renewing of the first movement for furthering equality in the political arena. Women became a force to be reckoned with. They had a voice and were going to be heard.

During the economic upswing, many baby boomers over spent, thinking there would be never ending resources and financial opportunity.  Most are or will work well past their 60’s to make up for lack of proper saving.  Because the boomer generation worked so hard to create equality in the workplace, many of us identify ourselves through what we do, our accomplishments in the work force, and our successes.  To leave that behind is like leaving a part of our identity. 

In upcoming blogs we will look at issues and advantages on an individual basis. As a woman born in the boomer generation, I can only comment on my personal growth, activities, and how being a boomer has affected my life.  We were a generation of overachievers and part of that legacy I believe is that our ‘next generation” is one of entitlement.  Our children did not grow up knowing the sacrifices we endured.  They do not have the work ethic that made us so proud.  Will that lack of grit leave a mark on history that we as boomers will regret?  Maybe.  

Author:  Donna S. Hopwood

www.retirementplanningstore.com/safe-money.html