Pre-Boomer Musings

Some say experience is what you gain when you don’t get what you want.  A less cynical way to look at what New Seniors offer society is the knowledge base and the character built by having lived life for 65+ years.  We can look back on even the seemingly bad times and still find something worthwhile to share with other generations.  So our role is to be the teachers of life’s lessons for all who listen and observe.

Those born between 1930 and 1945 have a wealth of experience simply because we were lucky enough to be born in difficult times.  The Great Depression and WWII brought much pain and suffering to our parents.  We did not endure the experiences thrust upon them.  The need for a job, food, clothing and shelter were the basics denied many in the ‘30s.  And for the first half of the ‘40s the reality of war took its toll in human lives and emotional distress. 

What we don’t remember from those days, we heard about from those who raised us.  They believed it was important to know what happened, how they got through those difficult times and were committed to provide us with the opportunity for better lives than they had.  These events, and what the Greatest Generation learned from the experience, then became the foundation on which our lives were built.  What they taught us about values, teamwork and belief in a common cause are things we will never forget.

Even during the dark days, when our parents were hurting, we were kids and therefore saw more of the brighter sides of life.  They took the blows for us and got us on the road to success.  Probably no generation had more educational and career doors opened as wide as we did.  What an experience.  We were the roots of rock and roll.  Most of us were in school and missed the Korean War.  We saw segregation exposed and integration come in.  Watched the Vietnam War come into our living rooms through the magic of television, when just a few years earlier we were being entertained by Howdy Doody and Uncle Milty.  Lived through a short missile crisis and a long cold war.  And experienced the assassination of a president and a civil rights leader.  All left lasting impressions.

The civil unrest during our lifetimes ranged from union disputes, mostly when we were young to the civil rights, women’s rights and anti-war protests.  The first two resulted in justice and the later ended with the United States losing its first war.  All three had a profound effect on how the nation thinks today.  Along the way, we witnessed a president resign, the Soviet Union melt down, China emerge and another president go through the impeachment process.  There was also gay rights, smoking bans, the Internet, emails, ethanol, reality TV, texting, social networking, apps and a lot more.

Living through the events and developments of the past 65+ years does not make New Seniors experts, but it does make us experienced.  We have gone through more change in our lifetimes than previous generations.  Therefore, New Seniors learned how to navigate  around and through change, accept it and not lose sight of the values we were taught.  And we’re willing to share it, because experience really is all it’s cracked up to be.     

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