Can The Generation That Invented The "Youth Culture," Ever Give It Up?


Hey fellow ‘Baby Boomers’ have you taken a look at the calendar lately and then a quick glance in the mirror at … you? I did the other day and I don’t recommend it. All I could think of was, “Who is that old guy with the grey hair and who looks like he swallowed a basketball?” I could go on, but I won’t. Way too painful.

Tell me, where was it written back in 1967 when my hair was long and curly and … brown, and my stomach was as flat as the concert field where I went to see the Rolling Stones, that this gig that I had signed on for that we call life, also included a hidden catch that we were going to get … older.

Was there some sinister metaphysical deal or ‘Faustian’ contract that I unwittingly signed all those decades ago? That fine print that I obviously blew by in my rush to plunge headfirst into all the best that inexhaustible youth had to offer. Don’t you think that I have a great case for one of those lawyers you see advertising on TV? You know, the ones who say, “if you’ve been injured in an accident …” Well I have! Run over. Smacked flatter than a pancake by that run-away 18-wheeler Semi called – aging.

I mean I don’t want to sound like sour grapes after having cashed in many years carefree romps with my younger self, but haven’t I, me – you, we – all been a victim of the cruelest kind of ‘bait and switch’? Assuming as we did for all these years that just because we acted like teenagers, we’d look like one – forever! Well come-on, it seems to have worked for the Rolling Stones. And come to think of it Mick Jagger doesn’t look too bad for a sexagenarian. Nor does Keith Richards for someone who was embalmed three or four decades ago. Oh all right – yes the ‘sour grapes’ are kicking in again. But I mean really … Yes, I drank way too much and Yes, I partied way too hard, but really – put next to the Stones – I was a ‘freaking’ choir boy! So how come they look OK (well outside of Keith Richards internment and subsequent mummification back in the 70’s) and I look like 40 miles of bad road?

All right. This time I promise – no more self-flagellating, aging ungracefully, self-pity. Even if I am pouting and mentally giving the ‘bird’ to every attractive, youth oozing twenty-something I see.

For all of my fellow Boomers who haven’t yet achieved that dubious distinction - crossing over the Sixty mark is about as much fun as the first time you ever went to a chug-a-lug contest and awoke the next morning to a hangover and asking yourself the age old question… “Did I really do that?”

No – I take that back. At least with the youthful hangover, you knew that by the time the sun went down you’d be ready to party again. With aging, you’re not gonna be ready for anything by nightfall except for maybe a little Jay Leno and falling asleep in the Lazy Boy.

Arrrrrugh !!! OK ….. That’s it – no more feeling sorry for myself !

I have read that 60 is the new 40. And 40 is the new 20. And … (hey, if this keeps up I’m gonna have to start buying Clearasil again). But recent unpleasant birthday angst aside, I am beginning to see a trend as the generation that indelibly stamped youth onto not only our, but the collective consciousness of the world, approaches their fifties and sixties. From where I sit (poised on the edge of my ‘Lazy Boy’) it does not appear that we have any intention of going ‘gently into that good night.’ In fact I’m willing to make a bet here and now that the Boomers are going to make history yet again by becoming the first generation ever to ‘flip off’ the Grim Reaper and make a serious stab at staying young … Forever !

Don’t laugh – I think we just may do it. Come on, wouldn’t you like to show all those teachers and parents and every well meaning adult who ever warned us, “just wait until you turn sixty – or fifty – forty. Then you’ll be sorry that you … (you can fill in your own blank here).

But are we? Sorry I mean. - that we burned that candle at both ends. And maybe got our fingers singed along the way? Yeah, there might be a few things you’d change, but all in all would you really want to trade in all those fun, wild times for a fully functioning liver and a good set of eardrums that haven’t been blasted out by too much music played way too loud (just like mama warned). Would you? Nah. I didn’t think so. Me neither.

And buck up guys. I was watching good old Jay Leno the other night between popping my pills for high blood pressure and a bad back. (yeah, too many cheese dogs and nights spent sleeping in a VW Microbus) and he had on two great icons from our generation, Dianne Keaton and Sally Fields. Wow – Woody Allen’s sweet, cute, ditzy chick (no pun intended for the Dixie Chicks) and the girl who played both Gidget and the Flying Nun! I mean how cool is that! And you know what? They both looked damn good!

And hey – what with all that we know about nutritious diets, exercise, tossing away the smokes, cutting out the booze and ‘other substances’ (well at least cutting down on them) and our generations answering to sagging libidos – Viagra – well who knows; we just might make it…. Forever!

Ric Wasley has spent almost forty years wandering through corporate board rooms and honky-tonk bars. He now divides his time between writing mystery novels – Shadow or Innocence - http://www.kunati.com/shadow-of-innocence-hip-myster/– A McCarthy Family Mystery – Published by kunati, and observing the really ‘juicy parts’ of the human condition

Baby Boomers Road to Health


Current trends indicate baby boomers are going to be living longer than our ancestors. And, with living longer, the baby boomers road to health becomes an important issue.

We all want all want to maintain the benefits a healthy life has to offer. Baby boomers are no different. However, as we age our immune system becomes more and more depleted of it's ability to protect ourselves against viruses and bacteria. Preventative measures may very well be our wake-up call to maintain overall health.

Baby boomers should know one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world is the Acai berry. The Acai berry has been used for centuries by the people of the Amazon rain forest to increase strength and stamina. It's beneficial effects are well documented and merits considerable consideration by baby boomers who want to continue along a healthy pathway to their road of health.

Dr. Barnett Meltzer who has shared Acai with his patients views the Acai berry as a super-food. He states, "I've shared Acai with my patients and I see them improving their attitude, their mood and their health. When people start taking it, they not only feel better, their attitude improves, their brain chemistry improves, and their mood improves. So I see it as a kind of super-food because of physical effects on the immune system, and it's mental effects in improving attitude and mood."

Baby boomers road to health needs that extra edge. We need that boost for health purposes. "We not only want to lead a healthier life, we want to feel better during our golden years, "said one baby boomer. "Perhaps this is the natural medical breakthrough I've been searching for."

Baby boomers want to retire happy. To retire happy we need to have a healthy existence. Our health effects the way our everyday life is lived, the way we feel, the way we think, the way we are. Without our health we begin to have challenges upon challenges.

Baby boomers road to health is becoming an increasingly everyday regime throughout the world.

For further information about Baby Boomers Road to Health contact....

Hearing Loss, That's A Boomer!


Recent studies have shown that people belonging to the Baby boomer generation are more exposed to hearing loss than members of former generations. Baby boomers are generally considered to be people who were born after World War II, which is the period directly after 1945. Due to many soldiers coming back from the war to see their wives again, there was a baby boom. All the people born during that era are now in their 50's or 60's, and many of them are starting to suffer from hearing loss. People do start to wear out as they get older, and it's not uncommon to suffer from hearing loss, however studies have shown that baby boomer generation is very quickly losing their ability to hear.

Many people may not know that Bill Clinton, who is himself a boomer actually used to wear a hearing aid. This could be because he is the generation that is a product of rock and roll. Research done in this area has shown that currently almost 38 million boomers are suffering from one or another type of hearing loss. They are usually unaware of the fact that they are watching television with increased volume, enough to disturb other people who are trying to concentrate on something else. In fact maybe the person will be completely unaware of their lack of hearing until a neighbor complains about their TV! Due to the fact that many people don't suspect they have hearing problems very few boomers are seeking medical help.

So why exactly are baby boomers more vulnerable to hearing loss than other generations? One possible reason is noise pollution. The previous generations lived in a much quieter environment than today. Nowadays everything is loud, pretty much everything makes a sound, from planes soaring above our heads, to machinery digging up the road. Workers become accustomed to the noise when they have to deal with it in their everyday life and therefore they can actually end up losing their hearing.

Hearing loss occurs gradually and so many boomers are still unaware that they might need a hearing aid in order to improve their hearing ability. Some people just blame other people, they claim that other people speak too quietly! They should be made aware that the sooner they accept that it's their hearing that's the problem, the sooner they can do something about it, and the sooner it can be resolved. Hearing loss is not only frustrating and troublesome for the patients, it can also be frustrating for the rest of the family. Hearing loss can also affect the persons earning potential and even their ability to work. Studies have also shown that men are more likely to experience hearing loss in their 50's and 60's than women of the same age.

The first step in preventing hearing loss is to avoid very noisy areas. If you have to work in a noisy environment, then make sure that you wear ear-plugs or ear defenders to protect your precious ears. Headphones should only be used when absolutely necessary, for example when you have to hear each and every word of a conversation. When someone is wearing a headset, quite often they are perfectly unaware of the volume unless someone else points out that they can also hear what they are listening to.

Baby boomers are advised to have thorough check-ups done by an audiologist to discover if they are suffering from any hearing loss. Early signs of a decreased ability to hear are unable to hear on a telephone, especially on a cell phone. Quite often people learn to lip read without being aware of it, this may be why you cannot understand anyone when they turn away from you. This might sound trivial, but the sooner the problem is discovered, the better the chances are of finding a solution. If you're at all concerned about your hearing go and talk to your doctor.