The
Government of Canada defines Baby Boomer as someone born between 1946 and 1965,
so why, when the first Boomer celebrated his/her 65th birthday in
January 2011, did the media proclaim that our economy would plunge immediately
because a huge burden had suddenly been dropped on every self-serving 30-something,
give or take ten years either side? Considering we’re healthier, wealthier and
better educated than previous generations, and that most of us will continue
working for many more years, there’s no need to get so excited. After all,
isn’t 60 the new 40?
Baby
Boomers were welcomed after WWII – cuddly bundles of joy into a world at peace.
The Depression was over, jobs were plentiful and our parents raised their families
in an increasingly affluent society. The Boomers thrived, schools were as overcrowded
then as they are now, moms went to work, TV became the babysitter, and the Cold
War scared the socks off everyone. The Boomers grew up, forsook their parents’ sensible
shoes, wore sandals and beads and went to Woodstock.
Then
they became responsible adults and earnestly strove to create a better world.
Honest. We did our best. After the party that was the 60s for many of us, we
settled down. We were good providers and we had great expectations for our
children whom we fully expected would do better than we did. We worked hard to
ensure that happened, and … it did.
The
world we created has flaws, major flaws. Some would say we messed up. But we
also made enormous strides in human rights, technology, communication, health
care, transportation, infrastructure, comfort of living and quality of life. Major changes as well as simple
benefits like maternity leave, mental health days and more than two weeks
summer vacation to name a few, were imagined, fought for and achieved during
the Baby Boomers’ tenure.
So,
we’re getting older – off to the ice flow we go. We may have gray hair and some
wrinkles and let’s face it, our eyesight and our hearing are challenged, but we
didn’t suddenly become dumb. We offer love, support, experience, wisdom and the
occasional handout. And most of us are still excellent drivers.
