The words we don’t hear much any more are: Courage, Duty, Honor, Respect, Sacrifice and Trust.  Pre-boomers, the heart and soul of the New Senior community, were born between 1930 and 1945, so we not only heard these words we understood their sacred meaning.  If you think they have a military overtone, it may be because the service branches still hold these words in high regard. 

Baby Boomers start turning 65 next year and will join the ranks of New Seniors.  The   Boomers knew what these words stood for when they were young.  Starting in the ‘60s, these words lost their meaning.  Changing attitudes and the resulting unrest over major issues such as civil and women’s rights coupled with the unpopularity of the war in Vietnam were all supported by the distain and decent of the “me generation.”

Take a minute to look at the dictionary definitions below; and remember how proud we, as American’s, once were about what these words meant to us and the nation as a whole. 

Courage: the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.

Duty: behavior showing a proper regard or sense of obligation; obedience or respect; as conduct owed to parents, older people, organizations, country, etc.

Honor: strong moral character or strength, and adherence to ethical principles; great respect given, received or enjoyed.

Respect: consideration or thoughtfulness; to feel or show honor or esteem for; consider or treat with deference or courtesy.

Sacrifice: giving up of something valuable or important for somebody or something else considered to be of more value or importance.

Trust: confidence in and reliance on good qualities, especially fairness, truth, honor, integrity, reliability or ability.

It’s not surprising that many of these words are used to define the other words.  What is surprising is to realize how far America has wandered from the practice of what these words mean.  New Seniors have the responsibility to be living examples of these words for the benefit of our family, friends and community.  Are you ready to spread the words?   

When is the last time Iraq was on the front page of the newspaper or the lead item on network television?  Based on the lack of coverage, you might think our troops have all but left the country.  Recently, however, Iraq was back in the news when the people of that country once again expressed their desires through the democratic election process.

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It will be up to the elected representatives to sort things out and govern the country on their own.  We Americans must allow this fledgling democracy to develop Iraqi-style, which means offering our help while not imposing our will.  This 7-year Iraq conflict has lasted longer than all of World War II.  It is so unpopular, here and abroad, many would rather abandon the investment of time, money and human resources and simply leave – a move scheduled to be accomplished by September of 2010. 

The US presence has dropped to some 90,000 men and women, but more than half that number will remain as advisors after the pullout.  By the end of the year, we will have spent nearly a trillion dollars in support of the Iraqi War.  The human price has been about 4,500 US troops killed, compared to less than 300 lost by all other countries combined.  In addition, 32,000 US troops have been wounded (mental conditions are not part of this number).

The toll on the Iraqis has been greater with 10,000 police and soldiers dead.  Civilians killed are pegged at 100,000.  But some estimate this number to be as high as 500,000, because of underreporting, according to About.com.  More than 55,000 insurgents perished during the years of the conflict.  Displaced Iraqis are estimated at 2.3 million and another 2.3 million are refugees in other countries.

With our stay in Iraq nearing an end, a stable government there could help:

 –   establish a democracy in a Muslim country in the Mid-East

 –   give Israel a little breathing room

 –   keep Al-Qaeda from garnering support and marshalling local forces

 –   deter Iran from starting a conflict in the area

 –   demonstrate to the people of neighboring countries that freedom is working

 –   serve notice to dictatorships that change is in the air

 –   bring home tired troops and provide backup to finish the job in Afghanistan

Reading the true results of the Iraqi election will be an ongoing process, but voting had its perils.  First, party headquarters were bombed and candidates assassinated.  Then, the citizens endured suicide bombings and rocket attacks.  Finally, there was coercion, fraud and voting irregularities.  Nonetheless, the courageous people of Iraq made their way to the polls and were proud to hold up purple-stained fingers to prove they voted. 

In the end, the people had their say; and now begins the difficult role of governing.  Americans know democracy is not always pretty in the making.  But it is the only free form of government.  Good luck, Iraq, and enjoy the adventure. 

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A recent conversation with a friend about the simple things from our respective childhoods led us to the subject of ice.  Yes, frozen H2O.  The stuff we never thought much about unless we hit a slick spot on the sidewalk causing us to slip and slide or maybe fall to the ground.  As we grew older we learned about the many dangers of ice, particularly when driving.  But back then, everything associated with ice was positive.  

For instance, the ice truck stopped by my neighborhood a couple of times each week until well after the end of World War II, because the corner grocer as well as several homes still had ice boxes.  I can remember the signs people placed in their windows indicating how big a block of ice they needed. 

The ice man, a strapping older man with a thick Italian accent, didn’t like us kids hanging around his truck.  Because he knew that as soon as he walked away to deliver his merchandise, we would scamper up the back of the truck and grab the biggest slivers we could find and hightail it around the corner.  If he returned sooner than expected, a big scene ensued.  He would wave the ice tongs above his head and vow to get us next time.  I won’t forget how much courage it took to participate in this adventure, even though I later found out the whole thing was simply an act on his part.

There were other sources of ice treats.  In the winter, icicles often form around the  porches and roof eaves.  It was fun to snap these off and suck on this giant, but tasteless, Popsicle.  Any specks logged in the ice where wiped off or spit out as they were encountered.  There was no way these could be harmful, since they were frozen.  At least that’s how we saw it.  The longer ones also doubled as a sword, which broke the first time it was struck during combat with a friend. 

In the heat of the summer, a man sold Italian water ice from a white two-wheel pushcart with red trim.  To keep the ice from melting too quickly in the hot and humid Philadelphia air, he covered the frozen block with a towel.  No one knew how often it was washed and no one really cared.  When he showed up, all the kids ran home and begged our mothers for a  nickel. 

With the coin clutched in our hands, we watched expectedly as the old man removed the towel from his precious ice block and ran the metal tool across the surface.  He dumped the shaved ice into the cone shaped cup and asked which of the array of flavors we wanted.  With the cones in hand, we found a shady place to sit and enjoy this refreshing treat, although we couldn’t sit on our front steps because of the mess we made by dripping the grape, cherry and other flavors all over the ground.  After finishing, we turned on the nearest hose and cleaned up before going back to play.

Of course, when the ponds froze we had fun skating and roughhousing for hours on end.  The most fun was playing hockey with homemade sticks and tin can pucks.  What great fun we had thanks to ice.           

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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As I understand it, the plan is to offer tax credits of $2.3 billion to US companies involved in the manufacture of green products, things like wind turbines and solar panels.  The initial estimate is that the $2.3 billion investment by the government will produce some 17,000 jobs.  If my math is correct, each of these new jobs will cost tax payers $135,294.  Since the average income of American workers is less than $50,000 and government employees get around $75,000, why is the cost for these green jobs twice that of the combined average of the private and public sectors?

We were told this move was just the beginning and that another $5 billion will be piled on top of the $2.3 billion to ensure more Americans are put back to work.  This sounds very similar to the “Cash for Clunkers” promotion last summer when the $1 billion budget was boosted to $3 billion.   The clunkers program, as you may know, cost us about $24,000 per car because showroom sales tanked for several months after the program ended.  If the $3 billion had not been spent, it is likely that the same overall results would have been realized.  However, some gas guzzlers were retired from the road and fuel efficient ones were added, so the green plan received some benefit.  But was it worth it?

The stated goal of the green energy program is to double the use of renewable energy over the next 3 years.  This sounds good; however, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) renewable energy accounted for just 7 percent of the nation’s fuel supply and wind and solar combined were only 8 percent of this.  So doubling the supply won’t do much in terms of reduced US reliance on foreign fuel or contribute significantly to reducing our carbon footprint.

We need to encourage development of alternative fuels; but the government, which does not invent products or create jobs, needs to get out of the way and let the private sector do its part.  Although the spending level is questionable, at least this green energy project is not being operated by the government. 

Pre-boomers participated in past breakthroughs that helped our country when it was needed.  And, while we won’t be involved this time around, we should encourage our political leaders to get out of the way and let the American people do what we do best.  It’s these kinds of challenges that the trailing generations must stand up and meet, because we need their contributions.

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Many will claim we live in a different world.  It’s smaller, yet more complex than before. There are a number of countries with nuclear weapons and some rogue nations trying to develop these capabilities.  Those lusting to be world powers have their own clique of supporting governments, so getting world leaders to agree on policies is difficult, if not impossible.  Our friends in Europe have their own agendas and seem unwilling to stand up for their sovereign rights let alone fight for the rights of others.  These governments are reluctant to stop erosion of their cultures within their own boarders even though these fading remnants of their national identities are being eaten away from the inside out.

Come to think of it, this seems to be what’s happening here in the United States.  Apparently, we’re becoming more like the Europeans when it comes to standing up for our nation and being willing to fight whomever tries to tamper with our freedoms from inside or out.  This may be, in part, due to the simple fact that Americans have become too soft, too permissive and too self-centered.  Unlike those thousands and thousands of young men and women who enlisted in the days following Perl Harbor, most citizens want to avoid conflict at all costs.  Luckily, there are still courageous patriots who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect this country.

Unlike the Vietnam era when we hated the war and despised the brave warriors as well, people claim to respect our service personnel even though they may disagree with the war and have an overall distain for the military.  This is hardly what our parents would have called “supporting the troops.”  This is simply lip-service and should not be a source of national pride, so let’s stop pretending it is.

We are at war with Al Qaeda, the group behind the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings on 9/11/2001 and other atrocities against the US.  This event resulted in our Armed Forces being called, once again, to fight the forces of evil on foreign soil to make our homeland safe.  Most of us realize the enemy is out to kill all the Americans they can and disrupt our way of life.  There’s absolutely nothing to be gained from trying to make nice to these mad men.  Such folly may make some folks feel better about themselves and bring faint approval from those in Europe, but it won’t protect us from future attacks. 

Today we honor our dead and wounded from what happened on December 7th and beyond.  Isn’t it time to develop a strategy to win the war against terrorism and commit the personnel and the money needed to get the job done?  Then, no one who wears the uniform of the United States military will serve without cause or die in vain.         

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My heroes were personal, part of my life, and very real.  My first hero was my mother’s cousin.  He was a Navigator/bombardier flying B-25s in the South Pacific during WWII and had a purple heart with three oak leaf clusters, meaning he was wounded three times, plus a chest full of other medals.  I still have a picture of me, wearing a flight jacket and helmet he sent, holding a blown-up picture of him while he was away flying missions.  Until the day he died, this man represented courage to me.

I had a football coach who was an all-American when he played in college.  He was a tough character and rather gruff, but I knew he cared about me and every other guy on the team.  Of course, he taught the basics of the game and told us we had to practice, practice, practice until playing our position became second nature to us.  More important, he instilled confidence in each one of us, stressed teamwork over individual achievement, and promised that the lessons we learned on the field would help carry with us through life.  I remember what he taught me to this day.

The greatest hero in my life was with me from the beginning.  I did not realize how big an influence he was on my life, so I did not give him credit for what he freely gave me.  He taught me how to play most every sport and turned me over to someone more trained when I was ready to move on.  He taught me about hard work and how to drive.  He taught me to be respectful and how to get along with others.  He was my biggest supporter and my most gentle critic.  He was there whenever I needed him but never interfered with my life, even when I was dead wrong.  He was my father.  And I’m so fortunate that he moved out to LA so we could be together the last five years of his life, because I’m a better man for it.

Are today’s kids exposed to real live heroes?  Many of them aren’t.  Yet we pre-boomer men have a wealth of experience and the richness of life to offer young people.  I make myself available for my grandchildren and try to be a positive influence on their lives.  I would gladly do this other kids if the opportunity was presented.  But, whatever I may do in my own small way, I doubt if I can impact them the way these three special men did me.

But the evening wasn’t a total bust. In many ways those present got to see democracy in action, even if the deck was somewhat stacked once outside influences arrived. This is not my voting district; but, as a pre-boomer, I went because my representative has not set a date for such a meeting during his six week summer holiday. In fact, about two-thirds of the members of congress have not or will not hold a Town Hall meeting to discuss health care or any other subject. So, I must commend the congressman for his courage to meet with the people, if only to promote his point-of-view, which is to have a government option to compete with the private insurance companies.

He claims that everyone will be covered, those with insurance can keep what they have, overall costs will go down as well, and the only ones to be taxed in his land of health care utopia will be rich people. Of course, he did not mention that with the government making the policies and enforcing the rules private enterprise has little chance of successfully competing. Business does not have the luxury of raising taxes, borrowing from itself and the citizens, or simply printing more money to keep the ship afloat. But this approach can, and will, result in a single-pay plan down the line. With this, we can expect business layoffs, a further slowdown in the economy, and probable inflation — to say nothing about what will happen to the quality of health care. These topics were not addressed at the meeting. So I did not leave with any new insights; however, speaking with individuals in attendance, I saw first-hand how passionate both sides are when it comes to the health care issue as well as government spending in general.

I got to the site at 4:30, and folks were getting ready for a rally planned for about 5PM. TV vans were in position, photographers checked out their cameras and the reporters got last minute instructions from their bosses back at the newsrooms. It was a circus atmosphere, growing in size and intensity by the minute. Signs, almost all homemade, were being paraded about by enthusiasts promoting their particular causes. Flags and banners waved as people alternated cheering with booing as the drama unfolded.

At first the “anti-bill” signs outnumbered those that were “pro-bill” by about two to one. Those attending were mostly boomers and pre-boomers. However, at about 5:30, things changed. Suddenly a younger, vocal, more coordinated group showed up (some claim they were bused in) carrying professionally printed placards saying, “Standing Together For Health Insurance Reform,” and “Stop The Insurance Industry Bailout,” or “Put Single-Payer On The Table.” This changed the mix and tone of the event for the remainder of the evening. Hmmm, and I thought it was the other side that was supposed to be the organized ones.