Pre-Boomer Musings

Pre-boomers, those of us born between 1930 and 1945, seem to have done a pretty good job of planning for the “Golden Years.”  We saved, because our parents, who endured the depression, taught us to.  We were on the receiving end of the many years of economic growth this country experienced.  And, we invested those earned dollars in sound investments.  Even with the downturn in the financial market, we sat tight and have seen it begin to recover as the nation slowly climbs out of the economic recession.

So there’s nothing for us to do but sit back and enjoy life.  Right?  Not if you intend to live for a while and hope to enjoy it the way you expected.  Our parents got a surprise gift when they found themselves growing older and having a better quality of life than anticipated.  Pre-boomers saw this and planned accordingly for our own futures.

Now we are faced with cuts in Medicare to the tune of $500 Billion.  We have real concerns about what this will mean in terms of senior health care.  And the reforms being discussed may have a greater impact on new seniors than younger Americans, since we have a need for more care as we get older.  In addition, increased taxes and possible inflation are real concerns for those of us on fixed incomes.  That’s why we must take a look at the responsibilities we have in retirement.

Aside from being wonderful grandparents and great grandparents as well as doing the things we didn’t have time to do when we were in the workforce, today’s new seniors can make a difference in myriad ways.  We have experience.  We have time.  And, we have vitality.  These assets can be applied to help solve problems in our communities, our states, and even in Washington DC.

But don’t expect people to knock on your door and ask you to consider being of service.  It’s going to take a personal commitment and requires an effort on your part to get involved.  This may mean writing letters and making phone calls to elected officials about spending programs, not delivering on promises made, or simply letting them know what you think is needed.

Joining organizations that you believe share you values has the added benefits of being able to share the workload with others and serving as a social network as well.  New friends can broaden your outlook and bring more fun to life.  Of course, once you’re part of the team, the leaders will find lots of areas where they want you to help.  But you know what you can do and how much time you’re willing to spend, so don’t do more than you feel comfortable doing.

The must important thing is you’re in the game.  After that, only you can decide how deeply to be involved.  My experience has been that being of service is personally satisfying and can make a meaningful difference.  Take a look at how ordinary citizens changed the debate about health care reform.  That was anything but ordinary.

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