This is the first of a series of articles about the values, ideals and traits of character that give baby boomers uniqueness. I believe it is important for all boomers to think about these things. It contains some important reminders of who we are and maybe even a bit about what we still can be.
I have always taken a bit of pride in being a baby boomer. Lately, I started writing articles about our generation and the things that make it distinctive from those that went before and those that follow. Not only that, my interest was piqued further when I realized that I was facing retirement, Medicare, Social Security and all the other challenges all Americans face at this stage of life. As I looked around me, I noticed how many boomers there are who are either not financially prepared or else vastly underprepared for what lies ahead, and I wanted to share some principles, ideas and plans that have helped me cope with these new realities in the hope that they can help others too. Let's begin with the following list.
It is time for a disclaimer. The list and descriptions that follow are not meant to be scientific, definitive, or even objective. I have no training in sociology, or any other field of the kind, and I do not pretend otherwise. What this is, then, is a summary of my own observations as one who has passed through this life as a member of one of the most distinctive generations in history.
What traits of personality and character have baby boomers valued the most? Here is my list (not in any particular order of importance).
People who are "real." - We have no time for phony, fake, or counterfeit people whether in politics, religion, or personal life.Personal freedom - We invented the motto "Do your own thing" to express our live-and-let-live desire to be seen as individuals and let others have that same freedom as well. The result is that many of us became fierce individualists.
A new kind of patriotism - We rejected the idea of our fathers, "My country, right or wrong - it is my country." Many of defied the laws and policies of our country and some of us even left it to flee to Canada or elsewhere in an outraged contempt for the conduct of the Vietnam War or civil rights abuses. America has never been the same naive nation since. At the same time, we have seem images from Woodstock of those who literally wrapped themselves in the flag out of a love for this nation and the freedom it gave us to express ourselves - even in protest.
Integrity - As an adjunct to our love for the genuine and distaste for the phony, we expected ourselves and others to be people of integrity. This extended to our leaders, our teachers, our family members, and our peers. In the sixties, when we were young, we said, "Don't trust anyone over thirty." We believed that there were very few in authority who told the truth about anything. We could only trust each other.
Justice for all - We were the generation that changed America during the Civil Rights Movement. We did not accept the idea that the Pledge of Allegiance applied to any particular group of Americans in its assertion that we are "one nation, under God." We stood up and said that if some of us are treated differently from any others, how could we be one nation? There are still many hills to climb to reach full equality, but our generation is the one that was there at the beginning of the journey, and the world has never been the same.
Optimism - We are a generation of optimists, almost to the point of blind idealism. If this were not so, how could we believe that we could get to the moon? How could we believe that the world could get better? Why was one of our favorite Beatles' songs, "All You Need Is Love" if we didn't believe that love could change the world? Optimism has always been at the heart of what it is to be a baby boomer.
Savvy - Whether it is how to be leaders in technology or industry or science or any other field, "We get it!" We have found out how to use common sense and hard work to build something to be proud of. Now, over 50% of all the wealth in America is controlled by baby boomers. That was not a freak accident. We had the savvy and know-how to do it ourselves.
In the days and weeks ahead, you will see articles about each of these values (and perhaps more). This has been a brief overview and, hopefully, not unpleasant reading.
However, there is an admonition here too. If we were such ground breakers and optimistic individualists before, what happened? Why don't we see more of that now that we are older? Life isn't over yet, you know. As we start to retire, we can still set the agenda for how our futures as individuals and as communities is shaped. So, what are you waiting on? Like Nike says, "Just do it!"
Thanks for staying with me to the end. I have a free gift for you just for reading this. At the bottom of this page is a link to my private website reserved for the use of people like you who want to explore ways to a better future. If you follow this link, you will see a video I did which will explain in more depth some of the truths expressed here. It will also introduce you to some people that helped to mold my thinking about my own future.
Here is the link. http://timmorrisonline.com/?t=ezinelist
No comments:
Post a Comment