A BOOMER'S DIARY

"Don't cry because it's over.Smile because it happened."(Dr.Zeus)
  I doubt that he was thinking of an aging population.But as one who would be considered a boomer or post war baby,I love it. My feelings are somewhere in between  tears and laughter. I have a good sense of humour and have learned to laugh at my own foolish ego. Oprah speaks of the ego as a source of torment,reminding us we are tricked to believe that we are not enough and more will help. If you buy this,more money,more recognition,luxury cars and a huge bank account are the path to great fulfillment.
  So, I laugh at myself.  I knew better but I still  pushed all these buttons. And if I was capable of tears,I would cry buckets for time I have wasted building my own little empire.
   Moreover, I know that I am not alone.We live in  a culture of consumption where more is better. The bug infects many who fall prey to easy credit and advertising.
  I have always been a people pleasing,placating guy. I hate conflict although I have been lucky enough to work with others more direct  and confronting. Most of my heroes are social workers. Their work can't be measured by popular standards of our culture. Social workers, teachers,nurses and others in the so called helping professions are not among the rich  and powerful. Many work in a highly political system where professional standards may be lost in a cloud of impression management and appearances.
I have had my share of trophies and wounds. I worked hard but didn't make much of a professional splash. I was fortunate to marry a good woman and raise four children. I am now a grandfather of two beautiful children.
   At my age, health concerns begin to surface.Friendships and relationships become more important. Relinquishing preoccupations of the last forty years for the benefit of more time and freedom is not so easy after all. Accessories of anxiety and depression are often included.
   Still, many of us have had enough of the daily grind. We long to make our remaining years the best, perhaps by reaching our peak.However, we're not quite sure what it would look like.
   Emotionally,I find it a difficult time in my life. It may just be that feelings I've carried for years have now finally demanded to be considered..
If we are fortunate enough to have children and grandchildren,the spark in our hearts becomes a torch. We see that much of the rest doesn't really matter. If we have someone to share these years,we are blessed. If it happens to be the person who has been with us for a lifetime,we look around and find that we are a vanishing breed.
  I would love to hear from you and share your story. One great thing we share as boomers is life experience.You and I have lived through the turmoil and hope of the sixties, we followed our dreams,we   struggled,endured disappointment,made mistakes,felt sad,guilty and still did our best. We have a story as we enter the last third of our lives.
  I would like to think it's a story worth telling.The wise learn from the previous generation.  The Occupy movement has an important message about greed.We have lived long enough to know the meaning of enough and to realize that striving for more and more is a sorry substitute for a fulfilling life.
 in the sixties, we challenged the status quo. Maybe we still have it in us.