Boomer

As if being a woman of a certain age and having lived a somewhat June Cleaverish lifestyle, at least in the 1960s, isn’t enough, my generation fits into that recently despicable segment of society known as the Baby Boomers.

The Government of Canada defines Baby Boomer as someone born between 1946 and 1965, so why, when the first Boomer celebrated his/her 65^th 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.

As seen in airdrielife magazine, Winter 2012/2014 (lifetimes column, p.59) www.airdrielife.com