I recently came across an article called “14 Things Boomers can learn from Millennials and Gen Zers”. Some of the list was helpful but I feel that some items were myths and would prove divisive among the generations. So, let me set the record straight.

1. Respect Your Juniors – Don’t look now but Boomers have a lot of respect for millennials and gen zers because of how much more they have to deal with in today’s world. Boomers went through trying times also but we didn’t have the added pressure of social media. We don’t envy them, we sympathize, especially because these generations are our children and grandchildren.
2. Pay With P2P Mobile Apps – This suggestion assumes that we don’t appreciate the simplicity and convenience of using these apps. We do appreciate it but we don’t appreciate 2% in fees and the possibility of no refunds. It’s a choice – not criticism.
3. Avoid Revolving Debt – There is no need to tell us this – we learned this a long time ago – especially in college. If we have credit card debt its because retirees are on a fixed income and this is the only way to pay for needed medications or other necessities. Even if we have not retired yet, chances are we are carrying debt from the expenses incurred during our life experiences, i.e. mortgages, our children’s college education, house maintenance, etc. Also, we tried to teach this to our children and grandchildren so that they can manage their debt better than we did.
4. Be Politically Active – Baby boomers have been influential in politics their whole lives. From electing JFK, supporting Rosa Parks, participating in Dr. King’s March on Washington and the passing of the Civil Rights Act, just to name a few. We practically invented political activism and we don’t need lessons.

There were some good suggestions in the article, such as volunteer your time, practice tolerance, be nice online and develop multiple revenue streams. However, these are good suggestions for all generations.

You can read the article here and decide for yourself https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/14-things-boomers-can-learn-from-millennials-and-gen-zers/ss-AAT0Phd?li=BBnbcA0&fullscreen=true#image=5

Happy New Year!! Its hard to believe that it is 2022 and it will be interesting to see what happens within the next 12 months. In the past couple of years I feel as if we have been on a long roller coaster ride, lots of ups and downs. Although I am not a fan of roller coasters (I am very afraid of heights), how many of history’s roller coaster rides have baby boomers witnessed and/or participated in. I am proud to say that I was part of history when I campaigned for Cleveland’s first Black mayor, Carl B. Stokes. I knocked on doors and handed out leaflets after school everyday. I was 12 years old but I believed I could make a difference (either my parents or grandparents followed me in their cars while I worked to show their support of my decision).

Baby boomers have witnessed and/or participated in several significant historical events, including the following:

1. We survived the polio epidemic and the Covid-19 pandemic through vaccinations.
2. We saw the beginning and ending of 3 of the longest U.S. wars: the Vietnam War (1961-1975), the Iraq War (2003-2011}, and the Afghanistan War (2001-2020).
3. We saw three U.S. Presidents face impeachment: Nixon, Clinton and Trump.
4. We lived through the assassinations of Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and Malcolm X.
5. We sat through the Watergate hearings and the O. J. Simpson trial on tv.
6. We witnessed the worst terrorist attack conducted on U.S. soil on September 11, 2001. America lost a total of 2,977 people that day and the World Trade Center in New York City (which was built in May, 1973).
7. Honorable mentions: Kent State shootings, Moon landing, Beatlemania, and Woodstock

I could go on and on but the list is just too long. This generation has lived through and/or been a part of some major roller coaster rides through our country’s history and lived to tell the stories. I have no doubt that we will be ready for whatever 2022 brings.

I wish you and your families a safe, healthy and happy new year.

Now that I have your attention (lol) I intend to keep it. After the year we’ve all had, laughter has proven to be one of the best stress relievers. So, here are a few of the best dirty jokes that can be repeated on social media:

“I bet you can’t tell me something that will make me both happy and sad at the same time,” a husband to says his wife. She thinks about it for a moment and then responds, “Your penis is bigger than your brother’s.”

An old woman walked into a dentist’s office, took off all her clothes, sat down and spread her legs. The dentist said “I think you have the wrong room.” The old woman said “You put in my husband’s teeth last week.” “Now you have to remove them.”

What is the difference between your wife and your job? After five years, your job will still suck.

Although baby boomers are all adults and we all know how sex works, if this blog has offended anyone, I apologize. Joking about sex is easy because sex is universal and most people can relate. Also, you can tell a lot about a person by their sense of humor. Some people use negative humor styles, i.e. sarcasm and/or ridicule, to make themselves feel better, not to make others feel better. But, most people with a positive sense of humor like to laugh a lot themselves and want to make others laugh too. These people also tend to have healthier and less stressful lifestyles. https://www.businessinsider.com/a-sense-of-humor-could-mean-youre-healthier-happier-and-smarter-2017-10

No matter what kind of joke, laughter really is the best medicine. It stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles, soothes tensions and even improves your immune system. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456

So go ahead, tell a joke, and relax!

We are all unique, with unique lives and experiences. You can ask 50 people the same question and get 50 different perspectives. We may agree on subjects but arrive at the same answer different ways. This is why humanity is incomparable – no other species can coexist with so many varying views. This is the main reason you must tell your story.

Your story is your legacy. It tells everyone the who, what, why, where and how of you. For example, someone else can tell the date of your wedding, they can tell the members of the wedding party, and they can tell where the wedding took place. What they can’t tell is the thoughts you never shared with anyone, i.e. if you had doubts when you woke up that day, what emotions you felt throughout the day, why you actually chose this person to marry. These are the things that make your story so unique – your feelings, your silent thoughts, your worries or concerns, your ideas or wishes, etc. We don’t hide joy because that is an acceptable feeling that we enjoy sharing. But when we have thoughts that we think will be cause of concern or if we have fears that we think makes us weak, we tend to keep them to ourselves. But this is an important part of the story. Your feelings, your thoughts, and your dreams shape your decisions and/or mistakes.

Share your story with your family so that they can know how you became who you are and how you lived your life. Share your story with your friends so that they can ask questions and share some of their story with you. Share your story with people who have been through experiences you’ve had who may benefit from knowing they are not alone.

1. Write down family traditions. Even if you no longer do them, traditions give us all a sense of belonging.
2. Write down family stories.
3. Write down stories about you.
4. Pass along skills and how you obtained them.
5. Write down family recipes.
6. Family photos (who’s who) .
7. Share your lessons and/or blessings.
8. Start a Family Tree.

https://www.sciencecare.com/blog/9-ways-to-leave-behind-a-legacy

Write it down in a book or a letter. Share it verbally in person or with a personal video. Tell your story.

Retirement used to be a dirty word because previous generations viewed retirement as an ending. The end of working and being useful, the end of independence, the end of an active life. It was time to sit on the porch, out of the way of a busy workforce, and watch the world go by. In those days retirement brought about a different set of difficulties, i.e. boredom, lack of personal interaction, depression, alcoholism, and financial insecurity. When my grandfather retired he hung out at his favorite barbershop to talk and drink with his friends all day because he was bored out of his mind.

However, baby boomers are changing the dynamic of retirement. For us, retirement is a beginning, not an ending. This is due to several factors, one of which is the increased current life expectancy of our population, mainly because of medical advancements. In 1950, the U.S. life expectancy was 55 years, which means most people would not reach the current standard retirement age of 65. As of this year, the U.S. life expectancy is 79 years https://greenleaftrust.com/news/this-is-not-your-grandparents-retirement-baby-boomers-are-re-writing-the-rules/ . If we retire at age 65, this gives us 14+ years of retirement. Basically, we are living longer and healthier lives.

Another factor of the changing dynamic is obtainable financial security. Baby boomers remained in the workforce longer than previous generations and have access to better retirement plans and/or financial options. The people who are aged 50 years and older today control 76% of the net wealth of U.S. households https://greenleaftrust.com/news/this-is-not-your-grandparents-retirement-baby-boomers-are-re-writing-the-rules/. With financial means comes more opportunities. Baby boomers are retiring to travel more, start small businesses, participate in hobbies, and work part-time. We see this as a chance to tackle the proverbial “bucket list”.

Baby boomers are showing future generations how to live actively after retirement. It doesn’t have to be the end of anything but can instead be looked forward to as the second phase of life. A chance to be the person you choose to be, to work voluntarily or for extra money, to spend time doing anything besides sit on the porch.

Make no mistake – social media is awesome! Having a faster way to communicate with our families and get pictures of our wonderful grandchildren is a daily energy boost. When we were growing up, families rarely strayed too far from each other because of economics. It was better to pool resources together to make sure everyone could afford a roof over their head and put food on the table. We were around cousins, grandparents, and brothers and sisters all the time. But today, that may not be possible, for various reasons. Families have to relocate to have access to better opportunities, children relocate to attend college and stay in the area after graduation, or marriage compels a couple to choose between two childhood areas. Today’s families are more fragmented and it is not uncommon for them to be separated among several states. This is why social media is so awesome but it is also why face-to-face interaction is more important than ever.

Social interaction is vital for all generations, especially ours. Mental health is just as important as physical health and interacting with another human being, face-to-face, does wonders for our mental health. There are so many ways to join groups and get out into the world to bond with others so that we are not always alone. Communicating only through social media could result in increased feelings of isolation and loneliness https://www.mercycare.org/bhs/employee-assistance-program/eapforemployers/resources/health-benefits-of-social-interaction/ This is also important for our families, especially our grandchildren. They are growing up in a time when social interaction is minimal and, during a pandemic, is discouraged. If our children and grandchildren get used to communicating with us through social media, we can’t gauge what is really going on in their lives and they can’t get those necessary hugs from us. You can’t wipe away tears, or cheer at little league games, or help chop onions for Sunday dinner together on social media.

The only good thing to come out of living through a pandemic is that we all learned the value of togetherness and it would be a shame if we lost track of that once it is contained. Family members and friends need our knowledge and expertise, which can be given through social media, but they also need a helping hand and our presence, in person, face-to-face. And we need it too.

See you soon!

My name is Charrease Berry and this blog is necessary because I am a baby boomer and lately being a boomer has become a national joke.  The next two generations have decided that we are old, outdated, in the way, and are to blame for all of the world’s problems.  I have even had a couple of younger people say “Ok, Boomer” to me and I don’t appreciate it.

Guess what, young one, I have knowledge that you don’t have, knowledge that can’t be googled, that’s not learned in school or gained by talking to your clueless friends. It’s called life experience and if you were smart you would ask me a lot more questions and take notes with your expensive IPhone. Yes, the next two generations have made technological advances that we only saw in The Jetsons, but we are vital because of the following:

1.   The software language used to make web pages possible for the world wide web (aka the internet) was created by a baby boomer name Tim Berners-Lee, who was born in 1955.  Also, personal computers were created by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ed Roberts, all baby boomers.  The next two generations just improved on products already conceived. https://bestlifeonline.com/baby-boomer-positivies/
2.   According to the U.S. Census, there are 73 million baby boomers, the second largest age group after their children, the millenials, born between 1982 and 2000. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/12/by-2030-all-baby-boomers-will-be-age-65-or-older.html
3.   Baby boomers hold $2.6 trillion in buying power and are considered one of the wealthiest generations to date and are still economically powerful.  This is due to having more time to accumulate wealth than previous generations and staying longer in the workforce. https://www.lexingtonlaw.com/blog/credit-cards/baby-boomer-spending-habits.html

This blog will continue to dispel all of the myths about how outdated baby boomers are (yes, I built the website, uploaded pictures, attached links, etc. by myself) and give us a place to read, contribute and comment on issues important to us, for us and about us.

See you soon!