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Now that summer is here most New Seniors will, no doubt, have some favorite recollections of their youth.  From playing with friends and neighbors to get-a-way cabins by the lake or cottages by the ocean to going to camp or being involved in local activities the time was full but we always wanted to have more things to occupy our time.  Over the years, the reality of youthful impetuousness and the desire to be constantly entertained has given way to an appreciation, maybe a yearning, for those easier softer times.

Younger people may look at nostalgia as an older person’s day dream.  This may be because the young are not far enough away from life’s events for people, places and things to have a lasting impact or meaning on them.  Another reason that the past is significant is when the product, service or circumstance no longer exists.  And, the older you get the more things disappear and the more attractive those memories become.

In due time the Gen X, Y and whatever other generational groups come along will find their own moments of nostalgia.  These may be the quiet days before the Internet was invented, remembering their first cell phone, what was “in” prior to body piercing and tattoos becoming popular, or how enjoyable life was before the great recession.  Time will reveal what is worth remembering for today’s younger people when they become tomorrow’s older people.

New Seniors who were born in the ‘30s through the mid-‘40s are considered pre-boomers.  While the depression is not stored in their memory banks, WWII is.  They remember the war years and the ultimate victories.  The coming on the scene of television, 45rpm records, the Korean Conflict, 3-D movies, moving to the suburbs, and the birth of rock and roll were all important events in the lives of pre-boomers. 

Boomers did not start arriving until 1946, but they took what their older brothers and sisters had and expanded on it.  They experienced Vietnam with its protests, civil rights and the women’s movements, plus a whole lot more.  They are turning 65 at the rate of 4 million individuals per year and will continue to do so through 2030 until all 76 million of them have attained New Senior status.

What will be nostalgic in the minds of boomers as they continue the aging process?  Will it be the historic events such as those mentioned above, those that are frivolous in nature like or strictly personal situations that can be conjured up anytime they want to take a break from the stress and strain of modern life?  Whatever the reason remembering the good times can’t be a bad thing.   

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Back in the ‘60s, the federal government decided it was in our best interest to have cigarette packages carry a warning that smoking could be a health hazard.  It appeared on the side of every package.  Soon it appeared in all ads as well.  The next move was the banning of all cigarette advertising on both radio and television.  Then, there were more and harsher warnings along with educational campaigns that spread the woes of second-hand smoke.  This led to smoking bans in restaurants and virtually anyplace outside of ones home or car.  Now, even these once safe havens are also under attack.  

Continued pounding away at the dangers of cigarettes achieved the desired result of reducing the number of Americans who smoked.  However, with this came reduced revenues, since tobacco products were an important source of tax dollars.  So, the government did what it does best and raised taxes on tobacco products, particularly cigarettes.  All the while, subsidies were still being paid to tobacco farmers.

Less than half the percentage of US adults smoke today compared to a half-century ago.  However, what seems to be a never ending quest to control the electorate, politicians and their bureaucratic colleagues are pushing harder to reduce cigarette usage.  This seems like a strange way to treat a legal product that generates considerable tax dollars.  But the decision has been made to scare people to stop or never start smoking in the name of better health for everyone.

Have you seen the illustrations that will be adorning the cigarette packages?  There’s a clean lung next to a smoker’s lung.  Another has a smoker sporting a tracheotomy.  And, of course, there is one that features a corpse, with the body obviously being that of a smoker.  There are others, but you get the idea.

Only the die-hard smoker in denial, a cigarette company executive or a politician from a tobacco growing state will extol the benefits of smoking.  Therefore, we will probably see tobacco usage decline further.  Taxes will be increased so the cash cow can continue to fund the projects aimed at shrinking the size of the market in this game of round robin. 

What non-smokers have to worry about is if the government will use the same heavy-handed tactics to stop us from eating the foods we enjoy.  This, then, becomes an attack on our freedom.  Are we willing to allow Big Brother to usurp individual choices and personal responsibilities in order to conform with what someone else says is good for us?  Isn’t it time to let the elected representatives know, as Americans, we still claim the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

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With more than 14 million workers unemployed and millions of others under-employed or lacking skills to get ahead the future looks rather grim.  And with manufacturing jobs going overseas, most of them unlikely to return, our once big consuming society is about to turn into a nation of individuals who are just-getting-by.

Government spending has done little to improve the situation.  To the contrary, the United States is deeper in debt than at anytime in the 235 years since our founding.  Our elected representatives can’t or refuse to find common ground on spending issues.  And, the unfunded liabilities at the federal, state and local levels are about to leave these government entities and individual voters broke.

Americans have always rallied to overcome adversity.  The question is will we be able to do it again?  This nation does best when we unite and work together to accomplish the seemingly impossible.  We did this through wars, financial crisis, physical disasters and more.  Yet many wonder if we have strayed so far from the founding principles that selfish interests will take precedence over consideration for the greater good.

The 76 million Baby Boomers were told they were special and acted that way.  Referred to as the “me generation,” they changed the national landscape over the past 50 years.  It was the baby boomers who fought against the war in Vietnam while fighting for civil and women’s rights.  They continued to make an impact throughout all these years. 

Boomers, for better and worst, helped make America what it is today.  Now, they are becoming New Seniors as the oldest of them turn 65 this year.  And, they will continue to do so at the rate of 4 million per year through 2030.  However, it must be remembered, this generation has not been known for making sacrifices.

The folks who are part of Gen X, and Y along with those coming after them are scrambling to provide for their families, as are the younger Boomers.  So, the New Seniors must act like the adults.  We have the experience and desire to make America the land of opportunity for our children, our grandchildren and their children as it was for us.

There’s a lot on our collective plates.  Besides stopping the spending spree, we must address the short and long-term future for both Social Security and Medicare.  At the same time, faith in America has got to be restored.  We have seen this happen before, yet many of those who have not experience great national problems are turning pessimistic and believe that America is on a path of decline.  This defeatist attitude is truly the greatest evil of all.  New Seniors can play an important role in overcoming such thinking.

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At the beginning of the last century, the average lifespan for Americans was 47.3 years.  By 1950 that jumped to an average age of 68.2.  Today, we can expect to reach age 78.6, but women outlive men by 5.5 years, 81.2 versus 75.7 respectively.  And, by 2030 (the year all Baby Boomers will be 65 or older) the US average lifespan will reach 81.2.  However, by that time, women are expected to live less than 4 years longer than men.

But there’s much more to the subject than statistics.  New Seniors, those 65+, have firsthand experience that America is living longer.  Many of us got to be introduced to our great grandparents and most of us grew up having grandparents in our lives.  Probably we did not pay much attention to this phenomenon, but we did benefit from the mere fact that it happened. Now, as we reach the next phase of our lives, the subject of life expectancy has become more personal. 

The life expectancy numbers improve at birth because infant mortality rates have improved markedly in the past century.  Childhood disease in this country, such as scarlet fever and polio, have been controlled to the point were reaching adulthood is a better bet than ever before.  The deadly diseases such as cancer, diabetes, coronary and even AIDS have been arrested while not being eradicated.  And, death by influenza, the plague and dysentery are no longer a threat to most of our population.

So upon reaching 65 the majority of us are in pretty good shape, especially if we have watched our diets, exercise and have regular physical checkups.  Even with once fatal or debilitating illnesses, there are treatments that allow people to live longer, more productive and comfortable lives.  Nonetheless, all good things must come to an end, and that’s were the debate centers.

Some experts believe aging is a natural part of living.  They suggest every one over 65 has one or more disorders or diseases that must be addressed now or in the future.  As symptoms for these issues arise, specialists should be called in to deal with each individual problem with the family doctors acting as coordinators and overseers of the patients’ wellbeing.  Another group takes the holistic approach and treats aging as the disease with the various conditions that occur being part of  this disease.

Either way, we are not going to get younger, so New Seniors will have to let those following us be the guinea pigs.  In the meantime, if you want to live longer you could move to any of 20 countries with longer life expectancies than the US.  Or you could move to a location in this country that you don’t like.  This won’t extend life, but it will sure seem like it got longer.  Better yet, spend as much time as possible with those you love and your life will be richer and more enjoyable.  Isn’t that what it’s all about?     

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Unemployment is over 9%, with 14 million people out of work, and the situation is not likely to show marked improvement in the near future.  On top of this is the unknown numbers who are underemployed or have simply given up looking for a job.  The extended unemployment benefits have or are running out for these folks. 

Many of those who have been hit hard by the recession are uninsured, so this becomes a drain on the nation’s already over-stressed health care system.  Those of us who are insured find our health insurance premiums are on the rise. 

These people, and those who are working but are financially overextended, find themselves having to walk away from their homes or living in them without making mortgage payments.  That means more houses are on the market at lower prices in order for the banks to recoup some of their losses.  At the same time, it is difficult for people to qualify for financing.  For current homeowners, this translates to reduced equity and less likelihood of being able to sell their property even at a bargain price.

Nobody can deny that many people are hurting.  As Americans, we want to help the less fortunate, but there comes a time when trying to save a drowning person will result in our own demise as well.  Why can’t those receiving unemployment benefits earn the money by engaging in state or municipal work?  This would help communities and may encourage folks to worth harder at getting a job.

Consideration ought to be given to the food stamp issue, since more people use them than ever before.  Welfare in general needs to be reformed.  If a recipient has smart phones, video games and a flat screen should they qualify?  And, if someone is going to check on what the money is buying, they might find out what kind of car is in the driveway.  This is not a matter of the government poking its nose into private matters, rather those taking public money must be responsible for what they do with the dollars taxpayers are spending on their behalf.

Reducing waste, fraud and abuse will help if coupled with good stewardship by our elected representatives.  However, the current financial crisis won’t be fixed until people are willing to let the government rework the two major entitlements: Social Security and Medicare.  Until citizens accept the fact that these programs are not sustainable in their present form, the government will fall deeper in debt.  It’s time to put aside party politics and unite to solve common problems that sooner or later will affect every American.  Scaring us won’t fix things but caring will.    

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New Seniors (pre-boomers and the early baby boomers) are the ones who benefited most from the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation.  It may seem strange to those younger than we are to consider being born during the Great Depression or WWII to be a good thing.  But it was.  We saw first hand, or soon came to understand, what incredible strength, faith and courage our parents and the others of their era had.  They were patriots.

They, their parents or earlier ancestors, came to this country with a dream: the hope of building a new and better life.  One were they could be free.  And, one where their children would have endless opportunities to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  These people left behind whatever they had and whomever they knew to come to America.  They understood it would not be easy but believed it would be worth it.

Few arrived here with money or the possibility of work.  They lucky ones had friends or relatives provide them with food and shelter.  When jobs were found, the hours were long and the tasks difficult.  Yet these new Americans were determined to make it and while doing so they made this country a better place for all of us.  This makes them patriots.

It’s almost impossible for us to think of what they went through.  Although stories passed down let us know it was no cake walk.  What our patriot parents went through was a long arduous journey through the ‘30s and directly into fighting a War on two fronts in the early ‘40s.  Many of us remember those war days, when people lived in both fear and faith for nearly five years.  And we all benefited from their efforts as the country moved from 15 long years of darkness into the sunshine of post-war prosperity.

Those who carried the message of family tradition and the responsibility that goes with the freedoms enjoyed in this great country of ours are leaving us at an ever increasing rate.  The pre-boomers are approaching old age as the boomers join us as New Seniors.  In the meantime, we have work to do in order to help get the US back on track.

This Independence Day, let us commit ourselves to using what we learned and what we believe to reignite the feeling of patriotism within in our families, our friends and our communities.  The true greatness of America began with the individual and became  bigger, stronger and more beautiful as people worked together to make this the land of the free and the home of the brave.  This may be the moment in history when we can do our part to let the American dream live on for our children and grand children.  There is no better birthday gift we could give to the country that gave so much to us.

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We are allowing a minority fringe to hijack America by changing our accepted and preferred way of life to fit their agenda.  And, it affects a great deal more than shooting off fireworks one day a year in the local park.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal government’s arm for setting rules and regulations to keep American clean, safe and beautiful for all its inhabitants, human and otherwise.

Has this agency become more interested in control than it is for the total welfare of the more than 300 million people living here?  Take the three inch long smelt that is endangered by the irrigation system in California’s Central Valley farm area.  Billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs have vanished because the government has closed down the canals.  No wonder food prices are going through the roof.

There’s a species of lizard in West Texas that is dwindling in numbers.  If the environmentalist get their way oil drilling there will be put on hold.  Add that to the lack of drilling licenses issued for the Gulf of Mexico after the BP oil spill, along with the administrations refusal to drill offshore in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans or tap into the rich reserves in Alaska and it is understandable why we are being held hostage by those unfriendly countries (Canada excluded) that export oil to us.

The effort to get Americans to switch to other forms of fuel has been spectacularly unsuccessful.  Ethanol costs more to produce and results in corn shortages worldwide.  Without this commodity, many will die.  Electric cars have been proposed, but coal is frowned upon as an energy because it pollutes, even though it is a highly cost-effective energy source and abundantly available within the borders of the continental US. 

However, neither the facts nor the current financial straits we are experiencing seem to stop the government from blindly forging ahead with plans to immediately take America off oil and change the country to renewable energy, sort of like they way it wants us to instantly change our eating habits.  How do they intend to make this happen? Wind and solar power are still a more expense form of energy. Plus, depending on how the energy will be used, power grids and charging stations must be built – a long and expensive process.  And, nuclear energy became taboo after the disaster in Japan.

The energy situation is just one of the areas where the environmental activists, the EPA and the administration appear to be working at cross-purposes with the will and needs of the people.  It’s time we took a stand and said no more regulations until America gets back on its feet.  Maybe the place to start is by being sure we can celebrate the country’s birthday with a rip-roaring, patriotic display of fireworks.

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Jennifer Garner, actress turned advocate for Save the Children, thanked the administration for the funding but warned, “this is not enough.”  She went on to tell reporters, “I have a child entering kindergarten and believe it or not, a huge part of why you are successful and bright and cheerful, clean, pretty looking people is because you were able to sit in a circle when you got to kindergarten – that is kindergarten readiness.”

So let’s get this straight, Ms. Garner and others like her believe that being able to be still and sit in a circle is kindergarten readiness?  Try selling this concept to the parents of any healthy, active 5 year old boy or even some girls.  Could the objective of the program be to produce a bunch of cookie-cutter kids that behave the way they are told and, therefore, can be trained in a way that will allow the government to teach young absorbent minds what it wants them to learn?

Isn’t it the parents responsibility to provide the early instruction, basic training if you will, for the children?  They teach the toddlers by example, reading to them and exposing them to society.  Family values are a big part of a child’s development.  Should parents leave this up to the state?  What about the notion of religious teaching?  No school receiving federal funding will be permitted carry out the wishes of all parents, so whatever the children are taught will necessarily be religion-free. 

By taking the child out of the home environment the parent forfeits the early nurturing contact with the youngster and deprives the children this basic need.  Operating under government regulations will mean all children must receive the same degree of care and attention in order to provide equal treatment.

Some may argue that many families are comprised of working couples or single parents, which justifies the need for toddler schools.  This is outweighed by the potential loss of parental control and authority government run facilities the will occur.  If you doubt this, look at today’s public elementary schools compared to when we were young.  Bible reading and prayer are out, but revisionist history and gender diversity education are in.

This new program is designed to establish the government as the super-parent, the all-knowing and all-providing entity that will take care of everyone’s needs from the cradle on, and do it fairly as opposed to the way a living, loving parent does.  Is this what America is becoming?  If you like this, go with it.  If you question this approach to raising our kids, contact your elected representative and let them know that you believe parents must have responsibility over their children.

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The forerunner to the company was established in the 1880s when the firm’s founder invented a machine that helped the US Census Bureau complete the tabulating task in two rather than ten years and saved the government millions.  In 1911, this firm combined with three others to form the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR).

In 1914, Thomas J. Watson joined the company as general manager and became president a year later.  He was innovative and believed in team work as well the motivation and retention of good employees.  Soon after he arrived, the first disabled employee was hired.  He started training programs.  And it was Watson who coined the famous company slogan: “Think.”   Ten years after his arrival, the company changed its name in order to more accurately reflect the company’s mission and goals to International Business Machines (IBM).

Even during the Great Depression, IBM continued to hire people and was among the first companies to provide group life insurance, survivor benefits and paid vacations.  All the while, Watson saw to it that the firm reinvested in its future through research and development activities.  He strongly believed in “world peace through world trade” and had that statement inscribed on the headquarters building in New York.  But, when WWII broke out, he offered his company’s facilities for the production of military ordnances.  It was during the war that the first woman became an IBM vice president.  Immediately after the war ended, the company hired its first black salesman.

As the post war recovery took place, the company was faced with making the transition from mechanical counter devices and systems to the electronic age.  This effort was interrupted with Watson’s death at age 82.  His son, Tom Watson, JR., took over and completely reorganized the company while keeping his father’s philosophies and policies in place.  After his retirement in 1971, IBM continued to flourish.

The shift to PCs and an influx of new technology in the early 1990s had a devastating effect on IBM.  It had to shed old products and seek new areas of opportunities. The firm lost nearly half its workforce, but continued to practices the proven principles for success.  

Today, less than two decades later, IBM is back up to about the same number of employees and revenues have increased to well above previous levels.  This demonstrates that a commitment to excellence at all levels within a company can payoff for everyone involved, in spite of setbacks.  Other companies could learn from IBM’s performance.  And, the government might learn a thing or two as well, if it were so inclined.