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The presidential election of just over a year ago was about change.  Americans were tired of the ways of Washington, and many believed in the candidate’s message of change.  He won impressively, but not with a mandate.  In fact, there was nothing specific laid out on the campaign trail.  Change in attitude, openness and fairness were the recurring themes fed to people hungry for something different.

Change came so quickly.  The vault was open, and money was being shoveled out the door faster than it could be printed.  The Stimulus package, including the takeover of GM and Chrysler. Cash for Clunkers, which sold more foreign cars than US brands.  Cap and Trade, taxes and fees that will put our industries at a competitive disadvantage and cost consumers more for energy.  Plus the now infamous Health Care Reform bill, the legislative disaster that demonstrated how poorly politicians listen to their constituents.  These are not solutions; they are part of the problem 

While those elected by us are following their own agendas, the people of this country are crying for jobs, so we can get the workforce back on its feet and get the economy going, then growing, again.  The simple truth is the people have lost confidence in the government’s willingness and ability to do the right thing.   

Spending is out of control and the debt is dangerously high.  The question is when will the politicians get a handle on financial issues?  Many of us want the government to slow down, examine their priorities and then go about the peoples’ business.  Yet the pleas from concerned citizens continue to be  ignored.  No wonder trust in our elected representatives has dropped so low.  No wonder protests, town hall meetings and grass root movements are so popular with the people but not the politicians.  No wonder incumbents of both parties facing November elections are worried about being booted out of office.

Politicians must start using common sense, forget about pet projects and, for God’s sake, when the time comes to bring up legislation, work together with those across the aisle to bring the people something we can believe in.  In the meantime, Washington needs to create an atmosphere were businesses, large and small, are willing to re-invest in the future of America by putting people back to work.  That’s real change. 

Isn’t this what New Seniors like us want and expect?  We need to let our elected representatives know how we feel on the issues that matter to each of us.  While we may account for less than 15 percent of the population, those 65+ deliver nearly 30 percent of the vote in primaries and off-year elections.  We are the people who can change things.

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Yes, the Pre-boomers are the ones.  We picked up the ball after the post-World War II boom and ran with it.  During the 1950s our generation was learning in school.  In the 1960s we learned on the job.  And from the 1970s on, we quietly applied on creativity and newly gained experience to the work at hand.  Pre-boomers, it is now being realized, were the last generation to actually believe and invest in the notion that it was our responsibility to build a country where our children could be better off than we were. 

We were the teachers, doctors, public servants, trade and business people who served this country through the long period of peacetime prosperity.  Fortunately, we learned from the generation preceding us.  The Greatest Generation survived the Great Depression and fought the Great War.  They laid a solid foundation by teaching us about faith, family, hard work, prudence and patriotism.  And we applied these principles to our daily lives.

As the bridge generation, Pre-boomers tried to instill the philosophy of living to the Baby Boomers, our younger brothers, sisters, cousins and, in some instances, our children.  For most of us, Gen X and some of Gen Y are our off-spring.  Where we might have fallen down is in leading them by both precept and example.  We were so busy doing what we were taught to do that we did not see that society had lost its compass and was rudderless in a sea of “me-ism.”

The Boomers are the most prodigious group of consumers that ever lived.  They learned if one was good, two must be better and three or more was best.  This “buy your way to happiness” philosophy seemed to work for a while.  A husband and wife working meant living well.  And when the kids came along, those at the upper end of the salary scale could buy a house in a nice area and send the kids to nice schools.  They didn’t save much but the house was building equity and the 401K was looking good.

Everyone thought they could buy a house or get anything else they wanted.  The system was in place and those managing the financial and other institutions were ready to extend credit.  Forget about being able to afford something just buy it if you want it and sign on the bottom line.  Then the storm came and sunk many boats. 

We Pre-boomers are sorry for not warning others about the consequences of the “buy now and hope for the best” attitude.  The crash hurt us too.  Our savings have dwindled, our home values are down and our lives have been affected by the current recession.  But we are more than willing to discuss the principles that worked for us with anyone who is ready to listen, including business people and, of course, our politicians.  

Some people claim 50 is the new 40 and 60 is the new 50.  But what about those of us who are already 65?  Once we reached the so-called “retirement age,” pre-boomers discovered an entirely new world lay ahead of us.  Maybe that’s why our generation (those born between 1930 and 1945) believes we look 5 years younger, feel 10 years younger and think 15 years younger than our dates of birth may suggest.

Medical science, better lifestyle choices and positive attitudes have combined to help people enjoy longer, healthier lives.  Folks turning 65 this year have many years ahead of them – 20, 25 or more – so we ‘re not finished yet.  We have a wealth of experience, understanding and blessings to contribute to our families, friends and communities.

There’s not much we can do about the natural, physical aging process.  Time takes its toll; however, proper eating and exercise are proved to help maintain the quality of life, longer.  The one thing we often forget is the mental part of aging.  Gone are the days of sitting in a rocking chair and waiting for the end to come.  Our generation has been too active for that.  As I heard someone say recently, “I may be retired, but I’m not tired.” 

We can all take encouragement from that message.  More and more New Seniors are getting involved in their communities: volunteering to help in schools, visiting and taking food to those who are homebound, sharing what they’ve learned over the years with younger generations – including their own grandchildren and great grandchildren.  The opportunities to be of service are endless.

Being busy and being useful diverts our minds from ourselves and takes away those annoying aches and pains, or at least overrides them to some degree.  Maybe more important is the mental well-being this brings as you do something for others.  We did these kinds of things all our lives, and we felt good about doing them.  So there’s no reason to stop now.

Please share with us your experience, observations and feelings about being a New Senior and what you have done or are doing about it.  This will dispel some of the myths associated with turning 65 and will help make the transition a little easier and smoother for those still facing this life passage.

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This is not a reflection of an over-inflated group ego, rather it is simply a fact that people 65+ have the life experience and the understanding that comes from growing up in more traditional and civil times.  Therefore, our generation can bring some much needed common-sense to the problems all Americans face today.  We know that fighting amongst ourselves is fruitless and tearing down our institutions or ignoring the things that made our country great will weaken us more than any external enemy possibly could.

But many New Seniors are worried more about themselves than ever before.  They wonder why the government is willing to bypass Social Security increases for the next couple of years, even though Congress has voted to give themselves cost of living raises.  And, they find it hard to believe that the Medicare budget is going to be slashed by more than $500 billion with these dollars being spent on other, more important, programs.  There is a growing impression that the legislators have forgotten their promises to us.  They forgot who produced goods and supplied services for the past 50 years or more and paid taxes for all that time.  Is the government ready to turn away from us just when we are at the age of needing more help and more care?

I recently talked with two gentlemen about these issues; the results support my previous observations.  One of them thought nothing could be done.  He believed the “system” is working against us, because we are not earning income and no longer contribute to the tax base.  We are, in his mind, a burden on society.  His somber attitude suggested he had given up. The other fellow became increasingly upset as the conversation continued.  He argued that those over 65 have become complacent, a herd of sheep if you will.  His reaction was to get mad.  Mad as hell, like the old newscaster in the movie, Network.  He didn’t offer a plan, but he sure displayed a lot of emotion.

These fellows represent the extremes of the issue.  The solution lies in the great gray area between these two black and white opinions.  We are not helpless and hapless individuals at the mercy of the government or anyone else.  And, it’s not our nature to sit around and complain while waiting for others to take action on our behalf.

We New Seniors have power.  The power of our convictions; we know what’s right and what’s wrong.  The power of our voices; we must write, make calls and stand up for the things we are passionate about.  And the power of our votes; the products we buy, the places where we shop and the politicians we elect need to be made aware of what we believe, what we want and what we will do if they don’t take us seriously.

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The events that took place over the next several decades didn’t disillusion the generation born between 1930 and 1945.  We were too busy with our careers and raising a family to get involved in many social issues; but our younger brothers and sisters, the baby boomers, jumped in with both feet.  While many believe the pre-boomers set the table for change, it was the boomers who participated in the feast.  Civil rights, women’s rights and the anti-war movement were too appetizing for them not to partake. 

Along the way to standing up for the rights of others and fighting everyone and everything for the causes they believed in, boomers came to expect the same entitlements for them as well.  This is understandable, since they have been known for years as “the me generation.”  This attitude does not necessarily translate to working to make their dreams come true.  Often it meant wishing for things rather than working for them, since buying happiness is a big part of living in the dream world of instant gratification.

This criticism of the most vocal generation in our nation’s history is not meant to diminish any contributions made by individual boomers.  However, it does suggest if it weren’t for their sheer numbers, which translates to big spending power and big voting power, the boomers might not be deemed as remarkable as their own self-promotion heralds.  How they work through the current circumstances the country faces, deal with the changes Washington is mandating, and then transition into retirement will be telling. 

What was once a nation of savers has became one of spenders.  The United States turned into the divided states with personal interests coming ahead of what was best for us all.  Where once people pitched in to help others, we moved to the sidelines to watch rather than participate or, worse, show no interest in the events affecting ones life.  Such attitudes caused us to ignore, over the past decade, the warning signs of the dangers that lay ahead both outside and inside the country.  This attitude also resulted in a willingness to let the government – federal, state and local – enact laws, reduce services and increase taxes so long as individuals could do pretty much as they pleased.

The day of reckoning has arrived.  Our world is not the same as it was.  We can’t trust our elected representatives to act in our best interest.  There is no where to turn accept to each other and start talking about the future and what it means to us collectively.  Pre-boomers are starting to do this, and maybe their commitment will serve as an example to others.  Because the combination of community, civility and connectivity could help the country come together and brings us back to living in the real world, again. 

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Letter writing was a process.  We selected a fine-quality stationery to carry the message and picked the right pen — a fountain pen, the kind we filled from an ink bottle.  Often we wrote draft of the letter to be sure it was thoughtful and not rambling.  Our best penmanship was a must, and we always read the letter before posting it.  That’s how we pre-boomers were taught.  The way we go about communicating today bears little resemblance to this dying tradition. 

Communications capabilities resulting from technology have replaced letter writing for the most part.  As soon as we receive an electronic message of any sort, we hasten to provide a quick response.  Usually no one has asked for an immediate reply, but our culture is so accustomed to instant gratification that we feel compiled to do so.  Writing is only one of the communications tools that have become a faster-than-the-speed-of-light phenomenon.  All forms of transmitting and receiving thoughts, ideas and instructions have suffered from the “fast is better” attitude, a trap into which we have all fallen.

The idea of being on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week is the curse of the computer age.  It started with beepers, then cell phones and now its BlackBerrys and iPhones; all of which are networked with our desktop and laptop computers.  We could turn off these “conveniences” but are afraid someone won’t be able to get through to us or maybe we’ll miss something.  Are we that important?  Is what they have to say that earthshaking?  Could all of us benefit from a little downtime so we can think instead of react?

Gone are the days when a letter took several days to deliver and the recipient read it and considered it before writing back.  This process took ten days or more.  Of course, if a fast reply was in order, one could always call.  However, business calls were restricted to office hours and personal calls were made at the appropriate times as well.  Now, we try people on their cells, leave text messages and back these up with emails.  The sense of urgency is so instilled in us that we have lost all subtlety in the way we present the message, no matter which mode of communications we use.

Drama, sweetness, sincerity, expression and gentle persuasion have given way to punchy statements, abbreviations, poor grammar, even poorer spelling and a lack of sensitivity in current day communications.  Instant photos or streaming videos with sound captured on a cell phone and sent to everyone we know have a place in society.  But all to often, these mini-messages water down our ability to build relationships and nourish them by painting pictures with our words through a personal one-on-one letter that means something to the person who sends it as well as the person who receives it.  Imagine texting someone a love letter.  How romantic.       

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We pre-boomers lost our desire to idol worship a long time ago.  Sure, I had my favorites while growing up.  There was Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams in baseball, plus the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies “Wiz Kids” team that lost the World Series to the Yankees in four straight games.  I still remember the names of entire starting lineup from when I was thirteen.  There weren’t any recording stars on my list since the rock and roll hoopla didn’t get going until 1954; however, the girls of my era did go crazy over Johnny Ray and a couple others.  My football heroes were college players until the mid-60s, when I was working in New York, and became a Jets fan; because Giants tickets were impossible to get.  I’m not suggesting Joe Namath or any of the others were angles, but they didn’t use being in the spotlight as an excuse to be downright hostile every time they came in contact with reporters or fans.

That was then and this is now.  It could be the expansion of the news media and the 24/7 coverage.  Or, the stress of being in the public eye to the degree that there is no privacy anymore.  Of course, it might be the simple fact that attitudes have changed.  Stars get paid a lot of money and many have a deep-seated feeling they can never live up to what they earn.  The cocky ones, in particular, express their internal fears with outward demonstrations of anger.  The ones that perform the best on the stage or the playing field are those doing it because they love what they’re doing and love pleasing the fans.

People have said that everyone wants to be a star.  Maybe it should be restated to say every young person wants to be a star, to be noticed, to be idolized, to be loved by everyone.   This concept is what’s behind the amazing display of poor behavior that pops up on the Internet in the form of home video or cell phone photos and clips.  Why else would anyone post this trash that is degrading to them or others – making their 15 minutes of fame available for the world to see forever?  Even acts of defiance are still cries for attention, suggesting that without help they could go off the deep end.

As pre-boomers, and the grandparents and possibly the great grandparents of the youth of today, you and I can be an example to them.  Tell them about your early years and what you did to overcome insecurities through hard work that produced results in the classroom, on the playing field, and throughout your life.  Even small successes have endowed you valuable experience to share with these young folks.  And, while nobody can live their lives for them, you can help by providing the tools and the know-how to live and enjoy life.  Because of the special bond you have with these loved ones, you can be their best role model.

After putting away my baseball glove, there was football and soccer.  But that’s all I had to look forward to besides school work and nights that got progressively colder and days that got grayer.  The only break in this monotony was the Christmas holiday, which was three months away.

By about mid-October, my attitude would change.  I guess after resigning myself to months of dreariness, some of the joys of the season flowed into my mind and washed away some of the negativity.  I became aware of the beautiful colors of the many different varieties of deciduous trees in the woods, parks and streets of the area in which I lived.  And, with the house closed up, there were great smells emanating from the kitchen such as a pot roast in the oven or pies baking.  I even liked the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and still do.

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As the leaves changed from their autumn brilliance to a drab brown, they fell from the trees and covered the ground.  In the ‘40s people racked the leaves into piles and burned them in the street; there were no ordinances against this type of activity back then.  But before they lit a match, the neighborhood kids loved to dive into these soft piles and scatter the leaves once more.  When we got caught, our job was to put the leaves back in piles again.  Strangely enough, the smell of smoldering leaves was rather comforting.

Halloween was different in those days.  Most of us dressed up in outfits made from old clothes found in the back of our parents or grandparents closets.  Then we’d slip on the appropriate mask and go to the homes of people we knew in the neighborhood.  The stuff we got in our shopping bags were apples, homemade ginger snaps, loose candies, and sometimes a couple of pennies to buy whatever we wanted.  Nobody worried about some kook putting foreign objects in the food or hurting the kids in any way.

By November it was really cold and damp.  It was too early for snow, but I remember the recurring needle-sharp rains that stung my face and hands.  Once the rain stopped, the humidity remained high making the air seem colder than it was.  “Raw” was what we called it.  But the weather didn’t matter on Thanksgiving Day.  Our house was filled with people and there was plenty to eat; because in addition to what my mom made, everyone else brought something special.

Over the holiday weekend, I’d help my dad put up the Christmas lights.  Once this task was completed, he helped me set up my trains in the basement, so I could enjoy this once-a-year treat for the next six weeks.  Come to think of it, the fall was actually kind of fun once I got use it.

What excited me were the latest chrome laden machines coming out of Detroit.  I used to walk to the car dealers near where I lived to watch the cars being delivered or press my face up against the showroom window, because kids were not allowed inside without an adult.  I leafed through all the car magazines on rack at the drug store and dreamed about driving down the avenue in a big-finned auto and catching my reflection in the store windows to see how cool I looked.

In November of 1954, I turned 16 and passed my diving test a few days later having learned to drive on back roads before the big day.  My first cars were a far cry from what I dreamed of driving.  A ’36 Ford came first followed by a ’37 Ford.  They weren’t big and beautiful like the Detroit iron of my dreams, but as we used to say, “I had wheels.”

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It wasn’t until I started making money on my own that I was in a position to buy a new car.  I started with a Thunderbird and soon moved up to Cadillac’s – a string of them.  It was the car I wanted to drive for as long as I can remember.  And, each time I was fortunate enough to get a new one, I must admit the reflection in store windows was thrilling to see.  This continued for years.

Back in the beginning of my driving career, gas was cheap.  Even after the fuel shortages of the ‘70s, the cost of filling up the tank wasn’t a big deal.  But, since the start of this century, gas prices have climbed and went through the roof last year.  I no longer own an American built car, but I don’t drive a particularly fuel-efficient one either.  And  my love affair with my car is a thing of the past.

This change of attitude is not just because I’ve gotten older and hopefully more mature.  Part of it is that all cars, with a few exceptions, look like other makes of cars.  Small cars are just mini versions of the bigger ones.  Whether they’re made in the U.S., Japan or Europe, it’s hard to tell which one is which.  Besides, most of what I see on the road is silver/gray, white or black.  Cars just aren’t sexy any more.

Now we are moving rapidly into the “green age.”  In my opinion, cars will not only be more fuel-efficient, they will look like it too.  My rationale is simple: there’s no sense driving a vehicle that gets high gas mileage if other people don’t know you made a sacrifice in order to save the planet.  Of course, we may not have much say about what we drive since the government controls the auto industry.  That being the case, I don’t expect to be admiring myself in the store windows driving one of these new age cars.

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The public, in general, has shown its lack of enthusiasm for continued spending and the consolidation of more parts of our economy to be under government control.  This is because we realize, from experience, that this combination will result in higher taxes.  The polls, Town Hall meetings and the growing number of signatures on an endless number of petitions clearly indicate the people are saying “no.”

Party affiliation is being trumped by the concern citizens have for their own financial situation and personal wellbeing and what the rising national debt means to future generations.  Yet the administration insists a health care bill be passed as quickly as possible.  Congress used this panic approach on the stimulus package.  But, while the House applied the same kind of pressure on the cap and trade bill, it’s having troubling clearing the Senate.  Do-it-fast legislation is tantamount to asking your father for the car keys next Saturday night, and when he says “I’ll think about it” you push for an immediate decision even though the answer is invariably “no.”

Maybe this kind of arrogance is exhibited by the politicians because they think seniors won’t remember how our wishes were ignored.  Or, they believe the mid-term elections are more than a year away, and the mood of the constituency will be better by then.  Or, their power has corrupted them to the point were they think nothing can stop them now, forgetting the fact that we put them in office to serve the people.  Why won’t they listen to us when we say “no?”  Don’t they realize this flagrant snub of the electorate may result in them sitting at home when the next congress is sworn in?

Let’s refresh their memories a bit.  Tell them how you feel about the job they’re doing, or not doing.  Remind them how important the senior vote is, particularly in off year elections.  We represented nearly 30 percent of the turnout in 2006.  I suspect the new seniors, pre-boomers (born between 1930 and 1945), will have a disproportionate say in who goes to Washington next time.  This is true with state and local elections as well.

So, stand up and be counted.  If you don’t do it now, chances are you never will.  And there’s too much at stake to let someone else make decisions for you.  Get together with your pre-boomer friends, join groups and organizations that demonstrate an understanding of your needs and share your concerns.  Together we can and will make a difference, now and in the years ahead.  This is one more reason pre-boomers are called “the can-do generation.”  We can all say “yes” to that.