Fogyism

Want to feel really out of it? Like an old fogy? Even the word fogy is old school for God’s sake!

But if you really want to feel out of it, check out the New York Times best albums of the year.

There were 25 artists listed in total and I only was familiar with 7 of them (see my list at end). See if you can do any better:

Charli XCX, ‘Brat’ and ‘Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat’

Brittany Howard, ‘What Now’

Vampire Weekend, ‘Only God Was Above Us’

Billie Eilish, ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’

Kali Uchis, ‘Orquídeas Parte 2 (Deluxe)’

Willow, ‘Ceremonial Contrafact (Empathogen Deluxe)’

Beth Gibbons, ‘Lives Outgrown’

Elucid, ‘Revelator’

The Cure, ‘Songs of a Lost World’

Nala Sinephro, ‘Endlessness’

Arooj Aftab, “Night Reign”

Les Amazones d’Afrique, “Musow Danse (Bonus Edition)”

Beyoncé, “Cowboy Carter”

Chat Pile, “Cool World”

Dawes, “Oh Brother”

English Teacher, “This Could Be Texas”

Angélica Garcia, “Gemelo”

Orla Gartland, “Everybody Needs a Hero”

Ka, “The Thief Next to Jesus”

Michael Kiwanuka, “Small Changes”

Kendrick Lamar, “GNX”

Charles Lloyd, “The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow”

Laura Marling, “Patterns in Repeat”

Residente, “Las Letras Ya No Importan”

St. Vincent, “All Born Screaming”

Yes, we had bands with funny names in the 60s and 70s, but I’m not sure they topped Vampire Weekend, Chat Pile, or English Teacher.

It’s all good. They have their music and we have/had ours. We had mix tapes and CDs, they have Spotify and Apple Music. They can follow the lyrics and I’m not sure we ever could (and there was not Internet where we could look them up). On the plus side, the group English Teacher called their album “This Could Be Texas” which I’m hoping is apocryphal (because the real thing is scary enough).

Maybe we should jump on Apple Music and sample some of this music to see if we’re missing anything. Worse case we waste an hour and can go back to our ancient playlists. Best case, we like some songs very much and become new music converts. You never know.

[I knew of Brittany Howard, Billie Eilish, Beyonce, Michael Kiwanuka, Kendrick Lamar, and Charles Lloyd (if he’s the same jazz saxophone musician from my era), and St. Vincent]

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Stuff Avalanche

I love the title and the concept. Boomer offspring are going and maybe have already started to navigate the avalanche of stuff that baby boomers have amassed over the years.

Do you try to separate the good stuff from the mediocre or just get a removal company to haul it all way (sound of hands clapping…well, that’s that)? If the boomers are dead and gone, the process is unsentimental (dictionary sez it’s a word). But what if we’re alive and kicking and it’s time to downsize with the help of your offspring.

Keep in mind that baby boomers were raised by parents that went through hard times (the depression, duh!) and years of uncertainty. That translates into behaviors that included saving every rubber band, balls of twine, newspapers, and much, much more. On top of having “save everything” parents, most boomers have lived in the same house for twenty years or more. Things come in the door but rarely go back out.

Organization professionals advise boomers and their children to start in the most unsentimental places. Think under the sink, in the linen closet, and down in the basement. There will be less emotional attachment there than with the china cupboard or the photo albums. And don’t even think about the bags full of photo slides that you can’t sort because no one has slide projectors anymore. [Moment of truth: After stalling for years, I finally tossed all my slides from vacations and family events. It was impossible to cull them down to those worth saving, and what would I do with them in any case.]

If you have children or do not, you would be doing everyone a big favor if you started the winnowing process on your own. Make friends with everyone down at the Goodwill store as you make your weekly deposits of furniture, clothing, appliances, books, records, tapes, CDs, and so much more. After you unload everything you can treat yourself to a used flannel shirt or silk blouse. That seems fair, doesn’t it?

Your children/executor will thank you many times over if you make their job easier. I can honestly say I have had very little donator’s remorse whilst thinning out the avalanche. Can’t remember even one time that I thought I should not have tossed/donated something. But we are having fun rummaging through what everyone else has given. The trick is not to come home with it.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Gen Alpha?

What? We’re going back to the beginning of the alphabet?? I can’t keep track of who is in Gen Z and the only reason I know who millennials are is because it’s right there in the name.  Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z, and now Gen Alpha? I guess it would have helped if there were more letters after Z but so be it.

Anyway, the Alphas are those born between 2010 and 2024, the first generation to be born entirely in the 21^st century. Maybe that’s how they got the Alpha handle. They are practically born with smartphones in their hands (and can type on them with 2 thumbs) and have been in front of computer screens or tablets for their entire life. That makes them super-empowered and quite likely to lord it over us until baby boomers are just a memory.

The amount of time they have already spent online will unquestionably exceed all prior generations. This constant exposure to technology is a bit of a social experiment, in that no one knows the consequences of such intensive experience.  Experts surmise that such a concentration could reduce their attention spans and make social interaction problematic.

Oh, and remember the pandemic? So does Gen Alpha and they remember virtual learning and Zooming giving them an unprecedented close-up view of how the educational system has changed. For the better or the worse? Who knows, but Gen Alpha will find that answer. It is predicted that 1 in 2 Gen Alphas will get a university degree. Ironically, many Gen Zers are forgoing college to pursue trades such as plumber, electrician and welder. Wish I could be around to see how that works out.

It’s been said that Gen Z is using technology as “an escape,” while Gen Alpha uses technology “to live and enjoy their life.” Rather than viewing learning and gaming as two separate activities, Gen Alpha sees them as the same thing. You could say they are experiencing gamified learning.

So, our future, in the short time we have left, may ultimately be in the hands of gamers with short attention spans. What could go wrong? At least they are avid environmentalists.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

What's The Word?

No seriously. What is the word I was thinking of not more than an hour ago?

Has this happened to you? Does it worry you? Do you think it’s early onset Alzheimer’s?

How do you differentiate normal brain aging from dementia?

I’m glad you asked. Loads of boomers are freaking out when they can’t find the book they had in their hands just minutes earlier. You forgot why you went into the kitchen? We’ve all done that. Can’t find the car fob? No biggie. Finding the fob in the refrigerator and not recognizing what it’s used for? Uh-oh. Senior moments can morph into Alzheimer’s but you need to know the difference between that and normal cognitive aging.

Normal cognitive aging starts at age 40 and affects 3 areas of cognition, and they can shift at different rates.

Processing speed is how long it takes you to see something, think about what it is and respond.

Crystalized intelligence is the knowledge, vocabulary and skills you’ve acquired over a lifetime of experience and education.

Memory is the ability to recollect from your past and learn new information now.

In normal brain aging, the crystalized intelligence stays intact. However, processing slows down – as much as 50 percent by age 80. Memory decreases as well and can fluctuate from one day to the next.

Forty percent of us will experience memory impairment by age 65, but not go on to develop dementia. You might not be able to retrieve someone’s name when you see them but you still recognize that you know them.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a term to describe more significant memory loss. About 16 to 20 percent of Americans over 60 have MCI and about 10 to 20 percent of them develop dementia each year.

Want to check for MCI?  Take the free Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE), developed by Ohio State University. It won’t give you your results but you will probably have a pretty good idea how you performed. If you’ve been able to understand what you’ve read here, odds are you don’t have MCI.

Want to help prevent MCI? There’s lots of steps you can take. Aerobic exercise and lifting weights aids your brain. Treat your blood pressure and other medical issues. Stimulate your brain with games and puzzles. Try continuing your education. Have a sense of purpose. Socialize often. Get treatment for depression.

None of these things will guarantee you will be MCI free or not succumb to Alzheimer’s, but doing nothing won’t help either. Just don’t forget to do them!

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Myth vs Truth

In case you missed it, we’re approaching “peak 65” which marks the ascension of the youngest baby boomers turning 65. Why is that a big deal? For one thing, it may set off a huge wave of retirements. Good, say younger workers. Get out of our way so we can take those jobs.

Not so fast. Don’t believe the hype. All baby boomers are not rich. In fact, most of these retirees coming up soon are financially unprepared to stop working. According to the latest analysis, these retiring boomers may risk living in poverty.

In the aggregate, boomers are rich, or at least the wealthiest slice of the generation. That is if they are White and have a college degree. Boomers who are women, people of color and who only have a high school education are lagging way behind and will soon realize that their resources are inadequate for retirement. How bad off are they? One in four workers nearing retirement have zero dollars in savings. And with little time to make up that shortfall, their situation only grows worse.

We are facing that all too familiar situation where the common misconception is that all baby boomers are filthy rich slugs who are sucking the economy dry while younger workers suffer. The reality plays out much differently. Peak boomers with only a high school degree have saved a median of $75,300 for retirement, compared with $591,158 for college graduates. Social Security is designed to replace only 40% of a person’s working income, while the average benefit is about $23,000 per year — far from enough to provide a comfortable retirement.

The only upside is that younger workers such as Gen X, millennial and even younger workers will finally get what they have been clamoring for – the vacated jobs of baby boomers. The hidden cost of this labor transfer may be higher social security taxes to support struggling boomers.

You can’t say you didn’t see this coming if you read this or followed the news. Boomer poverty is in our near future and it’s real.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Close Enough

Being late is just rude. If you agree to meet someone and you set a time, then they show up 10 minutes late, why wouldn’t you be miffed. It’s rude for one thing and it shows a lack of respect. You got there at the agreed upon time but they kept you waiting.

This won’t come as a shock to many baby boomers, but many Gen Zers believe showing up ten minutes late is as good as being on time. Seriously. Almost half – 46 per cent – of those aged 16 to 26 believe that being between five and ten minutes late is perfectly acceptable, just as good as being punctual.

[Brief sidenote here: The original meaning of punctual described a puncture made by a surgeon. The word has meant lots of other things through the centuries, usually involving being precise about small points. And today punctuality is all about time; a punctual train or a punctual payment or a punctual person shows up “on the dot.]

Well, if Gen Z truly believes 10 minutes late is on time, that’s a hell of a way to run a railroad. Hold on. Maybe Gen Zers are running the trains! The times on the schedules are more aspirational than real. And if the train leaves 10 minutes late, is it really late or as good as punctual?

Baby boomer bosses have zero tolerance for tardiness, research reveals. Well yeah. We may have a lot of faults but we always make it a priority to be on time. Tolerance for tardiness decreases with age, however. Around 39 per cent of millennials (ages 27 to 42) forgive friends or colleagues for being up to ten minutes behind schedule, dropping to 26 per cent for Generation X (43 to 58) and 20 per cent for Baby Boomers (59 and over).

Seven out of ten Boomers said they have zero tolerance for any level of tardiness, with 69 per cent saying ‘late is late’. Just 21 per cent of Gen Z agreed with that.

As the British poet and essayist Charles Lamb said, “I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by leaving early.” If there’s a better tee shirt for your favorite Gen Zer, I haven’t seen it yet.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Roots. Not the Movie

When I say roots, I mean the one that rhymes with boots, not puts. And my roots were firmly established sometime around 1955 give or take a few years. Like all children of the 50s, I played outdoors all afternoon and all-day Saturday without a care in the world. Apparently my mother and father were not worried either, because they never asked where I was or what I was doing. I can only surmise that nothing bad seemed to ever happen, so why would they worry? They children of today will never know how idyllic that world was.

Most of the time I was playing with other kids in the neighborhood, either in our backyards or down the street where there were acres of open land and even a small pond. Playtime nirvana it was.

But back then you had to root for a baseball team and I chose the Brooklyn Dodgers. Or they chose me. I think the appearance of Jackie Robinson sewed it up for me. Black athletes and white athletes playing sports together. Something told me this was right thing to do and this was the way it should be. Then much later along came a Brooklyn born Jewish pitcher by the name of Sandy Koufax and he was a rising star. To top it off, in one of most important playoff games, he sat out because it fell on one of high holy days (Yom Kippur to be exact). That was only a month after he had pitched a perfect game, so I think his talent was unassailable at that point.

Plenty of school mates were New York Yankee fans, but I just knew the Brooklyn Bums were my kind of team. I wasn’t too disappointed when they moved to Los Angeles. After all, they had palm trees there so it couldn’t be all bad.

I continued to be a Dodger fan right up to and through puberty, and then as one would expect, baseball took a backseat to girls and cars, the twin obsession of many adolescents. However, to this day I believe that my fascination with and support for my Dodger team taught me some valuable lessons about what it meant to be a righteous human being. And here's a note to warm a Dodger fan's heart: an original Topps Sandy Koufax baseball card goes for over $1,200 now!

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that's not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Should I Stay or Should I Go

That’s the big boomer dilemma. Should you stay or should you go. (Apologies to The Clash, 1982) Age in place or head for the hills. Not hills really; more like swanky assisted living (swanky…there’s a word nobody uses anymore, especially not when referring to average assisted living digs).

Where do you want to live in your “golden years?”  Aging in place has a multitude of pluses. It’s familiar. Your friends and family may be nearby. You’re surrounded by accustomed stores and services. But what aging in place really comes down to is maintaining a sense of independence.

Why then would you move into an assisted living residence? For many boomers, moving now, before it’s a necessity, puts them ahead of the game when the day comes that they need more medical care and caregiving assistance thereby maintaining the quality of life they want.

If you are going to stay where you are, it will most likely require some modifications to bathrooms, kitchens and lighting. A two-story house isn’t going to cut it, so that might necessitate a move to one-floor living. Three-thousand square foot homes are out of the question. Down-sizing is a must. You will also need to start acquiring a corps of workers to get your groceries, mow your grass, shovel the snow and take care of the mechanical infrastructure. Most important of all, you will want to be locking down a caregiver arrangement since that will be essential to aging in place.

Self-sufficient types may not want to hear it, but if you are hellbent on living independently, you will need to weigh the risks. The time will come when you must balance your personal freedom against your safety and health needs.

Aging in place often comes with a level of social isolation that may appear attractive to iconoclasts but if you’ve read any of the stories about hoarders who live in dreadful conditions, it should give you pause. Twenty-four seven me-time has the potential to obliterate common sense.

Lastly, how much does it cost to age in place? How much you got? It may take more dollars than you think depending upon how long you live. I don’t have the stats at hand, but one thing is clear: most people are living many years longer than their than their forebears.

The Clash didn’t have the answer and neither do I.

Darling, you got to let me know
Should I stay, or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here till the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay, or should I go?

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Attention

Editor's Note: I wrote this back in 2016 but nothing's changed, only gotten worse.

So I’m having drinks with good friends at a new microbrewery…

Wait, is that my niece’s new profile picture? Cute.

Anyway, you were saying how there are so many of these new brewpubs cropping up and…

Dogs on trampolines! So funny. The boxer looks like he just discovered he has four feet. Hysterical.

So these brewpubs are like everywhere. It seems like a new one opens every week. What’s up with that anyway?

Oh, look! Here’s that picture of us at the beach that I posted a year ago today. Great memories.

I’m thinking that this artisanal beer thing has got to level off. There just are not enough beer drinkers to support this many breweries, don’t you think?

Wait, look at this! Who knew you could dice an onion like that? I’ve got to try it.

Now if there was a bar that specialized in margaritas….that I would definitely go to, wouldn’t you?

This is hysterical….a picture from my high school class. I don’t even want to know what they look like now.

But where was I? Margaritas, yes. Imagine a bar that only serves different kinds of margaritas. And maybe mezcal tastings too. That would be great.

Hey! Is this Vladimir Putin riding a tricycle bare chested? That’s very cool Photoshop work.

Have you ever had mezcal? I read that it could be the next big thing. Bigger than tequila. Only there may not be enough to go around. They make it in really small batches.

Ha! This cat is afraid of seeing its reflection in the mirror. Funny!

Maybe we should just go to Mexico, you know, go to the source and get some mezcal before they ship it to the states.

Huh? I don’t get these Yoko Ono quotes, do you? They go right over my head.

I hear that Oaxaca is one of the best places to go to try these small batch mezcals.

Listen to this! Do you believe this kid is seven years old and he can play the drums like that. Unbelievable!

Well it was great seeing you again. Think about the Mexico mezcal trip. It could be a lot of fun.

OMG! Look at these tacos!

According to a 2015 Nielsen survey, 52 percent of Baby Boomers (ages 50-63) and 42% of Silent Generation (ages 65+) respondents say they use technology during mealtime.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that's not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Mean Streets

I can remember when I would look at homeless people at various intersections around town and wonder what course their lives took that they ended up living rough. What sharp and twisted turn of events caused them to lose everything –– both possessions and dignity. With so many people living on the edge with no savings or family to turn to, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the only recourse is a life on the streets.

It may look easy but it’s a hard, hard life. Harsh weather, a lack of decent clothing, and the absence of any semblance of nutritional intake take a huge toll. You may think you see the same people on the streets, but it’s actually a continually changing cast of characters. And every day, more members join the cast.

The crude signs they hold are real admissions of both the state of their existence and how they came to be asking for spare change in the median strip by the stoplight. They are hungry and anything will help. They are veterans who came home with psychic and physical wounds. They are abused daughters or battered wives. The stolen shopping cart, wagon or duffle bag holds everything they own (and some things they don’t). The dog on a leash is both a faithful companion and a way to tug on the heartstrings of pet owners (i.e. if not for me, give some spare change that will help feed the dog).

There’s no real census for these desperate souls – only an estimate that fluctuates with the season or weather. If you travel on any major street with a median and stoplights, you can do your own count.

Do you think the homeless person at the traffic light takes in a lot of money during rush hour? Some drivers will hold out a single dollar bill. Will that happen five times, ten times, or more? Let’s say they collect ten dollars for two hours spent on the corner. That might buy them a nutritionally poor meal from a fast-food joint, and it might be the only meal for that day. They might even make enough for a second meal tomorrow.

By now, you might be asking yourself, how does he know so much about homeless people? Ah! You’ve guessed the answer. I’m just one more homeless person who was lucky enough to have someone tell my improbable story.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Space Race

So boomers plan to stay put. That is at least 55 percent of the folks that were surveyed said that was the plan. The are not moving any time soon. The problem is that they live in what’s termed “time capsules” – homes that were built before 1980 and have not been renovated. Seventy-three percent have lived in their homes for 11 years or more.

You’ve probably read (numerous times) that boomers are preventing millennials from finding homes for their families. Experts call it a generational tug-of-war. When boomers finally buy the farm (give up the ghost, cash in their chips, push up daisies, kick the bucket, we could go on and on…but wait, no we can’t), these homes are going to need substantial renovations.

Only 25 percent of those surveyed were planning on making accommodations for aging in place with safety and accessibility features. Go ahead. Picture that walk-in bathtub. Don’t lie. You know the one. It’s the one you see advertised on Facebook and in AARP publications.

When millennials finally get their hands on these properties, they could be looking at a substantial investment –– either to upgrade roofing, plumbing, mechanicals, etc. or just the removal of two dozen grab bars and a walk-in tub. Some good advice for millennials might be to invest in home improvement companies over the next few years because those companies will be repairing a huge number of homes in the next 15-20 years.

Eighty percent of the boomers surveyed believed they would leave an inheritance, presumably a property and some cash. But in an odd disconnect, only 51 percent of millennials expected to receive an inheritance. However it turns out, it could be one of those “be careful what you wish for” situations. If it’s a sizable inheritance, that will cover the renovations to an inherited house. If there is no inheritance, a millennial may end up house poor as they try to keep a property that requires extensive renovations.

Something for all the generations to think about.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Boomer Humor

Yeah. It rhymes. But that’s not the best part. We’re quite self-deprecating when you examine the body of our work. The tricky part is knowing whether to laugh at our jokes or cringe.

Here’s an example; the first of many:

“Name a city that changed your life.”

“Wuhan.”

Get it? Of course you did. I don’t know why I even felt the need to ask.

Much of boomer humor can be found – where else, on Facebook, Instagram and Reddit.

Here’s a typical example:

 Or this:

 Boomers don’t need pictures to get funny. Here’s some of their wordplay (behold the irony):

Behind every successful baby boomer zoom webinar there is an underpaid 24-year-old intern with a 115 wpm typing speed.

Boomer purgatory is the iOS emoji keyboard. Right now there are thousands of them trapped there, unable to send a picture they’ve taken of a computer screen to a person they met at a farmer’s market. 

As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.

As I watch this generation try and rewrite our history, I’m sure of one thing: It will be misspelled and have no punctuation.

I haven’t gotten anything done today. I’ve been in the produce department trying to open this stupid plastic bag.

So, you’ve been eating hot dogs and McChickens all your life, but you won’t take the vaccine because you don’t know what’s in it. Are you kidding me?

Coffee was just a dime in my time. Now it’s a whole lecture about beans and brewing.

Respect your parents. They graduated from high school before there was Google.

Well, I think a man who tells people he’s boss in his home will lie about other things too.

What's the difference between a baby boomer and an avocado? One is a soft, wrinkly vegetable. The other one is an avocado.

I have convinced my grandma that the baby boomers are as dependent on technology as us. When she said " you millenials are so addicted to technology," I quickly glanced at her life support. That was the last time she said it.

If I had a dollar every time a baby boomer insulted me, I could afford a house in the economy they ruined.

And this one got to me….seriously:

My mind is like an internet browser. At least 19 open tabs, 3 of them are frozen, and I have no clue where the music is coming from.

See? We can do funny.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that's not all – you can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Grey Divorce

It’s a thing. Boomers are getting divorced in large numbers. Sixteen million people aged 65 and older in the U.S. lived solo in 2022. That’s 3 times the number who did so in the 1960’s.

Remember when Tipper left Al Gore in 2010. We were shocked –– kind of. They had been married for 40 years. Bill and Melinda Gates? Justin and Sophie Trudeau? Yep, that’s a clear pattern. And it’s not some celebrity thing. Divorce rates for persons over 50 doubled between 1990 and 2010. Currently, one third of all divorces are people over 50.

The covid pandemic may have had some bearing as couples discovered they had different perspectives on vaccines, masking, and the politics of it all in general. Then there’s also unfaithfulness and other transgressions that can send a marriage south. The fact remains that these so called “silver splitters” just get to a place where they want to live apart, to fulfill their own goals untethered by a loveless union.

For many boomers, the option of remaining with a partner in a loveless or unhappy union represents a waste of what they hoped would be some of the best years of their lives. Many of these boomers are remaining single rather than jumping into new relationships and marriage. About 50 per cent remain alone several years after ending their marriages.

The number of single-person households headed by people over 75 is shooting up fast, and expected to number 14 million by 2038. Since most of these boomers show no interest in repartnering, there could be a real crisis in eldercare looming ahead. More often than not, the silver splitters are also splitting their nest eggs, cutting their savings by half. That can add significant pressure on their lifestyle and financial stability.

Not surprisingly, loneliness looms as one of the greatest disadvantages to living alone. Double duh!! Even if the financial situation is relatively stable, boomers going solo report that even when they make numerous social connections and build community involvement, it does not buffer them from a high degree of loneliness.

The trend is clearly going to continue but mental health experts, as well as financial planners, warn that the downsides can outweigh the upsides.

If you've contemplated splitting, you might want to heed the words/song by Eric Idle: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that's not all – you can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Like Good Cheese

 

The case for age maximums. Whoa! Are people really talking about that? Yes.

We’ve always had age minimums. You couldn’t get a drivers license until you were 16. You couldn’t vote until you were 21, then it became 18. Workers need to be 14 or 16 for most jobs, and now some politicians want to change that to 12 (and shame on them!). You need to be age 35 to be President (more about that in a moment). Military service requires enlistees to be at least 17. In most states you need to be at least 18 to marry and some pols want to lower that minimum (shame on them too!). You must be 18 to rent a car, and coincidentally the reason for that is because it’s the minimum age to sign a contract.

Perhaps because there’s been so much attention given to Biden’s age (and Trump’s), the discussions about age maximums have come to the fore. Looking at the rationale for age minimums, you would have to conclude that the reasoning behind them was a sense that one must be mature enough to fight, vote, marry, drive or work.

Okay, then why have age maximums? Are we not mature enough? We’re like fine aged cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano. If maturity is not the problem, what then? Surveys suggest that most voters believe there should be an age maximum for elected officials. The problem arises when the discussion turns to what the age maximum should be. Should it be the age when they run for office or the age they must resign from office?

One man’s senility is another man’s maverickness (that can’t be a word but it should be). Bernie Sanders was 77 when he ran in 2020, a year older than Biden. Are some 80-somethings still sharp when it comes to decision-making and cognizance? Most definitely the answer is yes. That means it will be very hard to define exactly how old is too old. (Going back to age minimums for a moment, you could also make the case that some 16-year-olds are probably mature enough to vote and possibly more maturely than their parents.)

I don’t want to get paranoid about this, but if there are going to be age maximums for elected officials, couldn’t they cap the drinking age next? Going to have a real problem with that one.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Peak Burden

The name of a mountain? Do they mean Burden Peak?

Nope. It refers to the moment in time when almost all boomers will be age 60 or older. It’s now projected to be sometime around 2029. That’s when the youngest baby boomers will begin to turn 65.

If you think peak burden sounds ominous, then you’re going to hate the term “population time bomb.” Hey, it’s not our fault. Our parents chose to have children when they chose to have children. Once again, the sheer size of the boomer population is causing stress to the economy, and it’s only going to get more stressful.

One of the most obvious stress factors is that boomers are hogging the housing supply. Not only does that cause a shortage of stock for younger generations, it also pushes up demand which pushes up prices. Last year was the worst year for housing sales since 1995, and boomers show no inclination to downsize any time soon, so millennials that have children can’t find housing large enough for a growing family.

The next problem caused by peak burden is the labor shortage. There are more job openings going unfilled – about 9.5 million jobs to be specific. Worker shortages in turn can cause inflation. Boo! We’ve had enough of that due to Covid.

Then there is a stock market in which 80% of the stocks are owned by people 55 and older. I know! That statistic is shocking. Younger generations don’t have the spare funds or the inclination to invest. When boomers get nervous about market stability, they are more likely to sell. When there’s a big sell-off, we risk a recession. Then it would be like watching those dominoes falling.

Now if you’re not worried enough about these factors so far, you can throw in the fear (in some minds) that Social Security will run out of money. I know that won’t happen but the fear mongers love to throw that one on to make the dumpster fire more impressive.

What to do? Follow the advice of Alfred E. Neuman. You remember him from MAD Magazine. Boomers grew up with Alfred. He turns 68 this year and retired back in 2019 when he was only 63. Al’s advice still resonates with baby boomers: What me worry? It will serve us well when we hit the peak burden, for sure.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

We Got It Right?

Just when you thought Boomers were getting blamed for everything, it turns out some younger generations think we are on the right side of some issues/contemporary trends.

A Reddit user posed the question: What are some things that Boomers got right? The following is a sampling of the feedback received. It may give you hope that all is not lost, and that younger generations can see that we get some things right after all. So, winner, winner, chicken dinner for you!

App Exhaustion — Boomers are just tired of apps. Stop making us download an app and set up an account for everything. You’re just collecting our information.

Outdoor Kids Play — Make them go outside. Take them to a park. Let them stop using their thumbs for a while so they get some fresh air.

Overpriced Concerts — $125 for one seat! That can’t be right. There’s some crazy inflation at work there.

Phones at concerts — Take a few pictures of your favorite act but what’s the deal with trying to record the whole concert? You’re never going to watch it again and you’re annoying the people around you. QUIT IT!

Kids Online — Is it really a good idea to let young kids have unfettered access to what’s online? A lot of adults shouldn’t have access never mind 10 year olds.

Tablet Babysitters — Watching parents ignore their kids in a restaurant or public space while the kids overdose on their tablet games. Try paying attention to them and engaging them in conversation instead of using tech toys as your babysitter.

Face Tattoos — Do we even have to go there? What kind of person thinks that’s a good idea? Removable studs are one thing, but permanent tattoos? Sheesh!

Gender Reveals — Dumb, dumb, dumb. How did this stupid reason for friends and family to gather ever get started?

TV Volume Is Screwed UP — Everyone, young and old, agrees that the volume is really effed up. Music comes over too loud and when you scale it back then the dialogue is a whisper. With all the technology out there, can’t they do better?

Blinded by the Light — It’s not just the pre-cataract surgery crowd! Everyone complains that headlights are too bright and night driving can be dangerous. Once again, can’t the automotive engineers do any better?

This is by no means a complete list, but isn’t reassuring to know that it’s not just aging Boomers who think we’ve got some problems that need solutions.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Kindling

There are loads of issues that can divide millennials from boomers, but one of the most curious to me is printed books vs Kindle. For a generation that’s hardcore when it comes to being online, texting, Tweeting, etc., it comes as a surprise that so many of them seek the pleasure of reading a physical book – that is words printed on paper.

Some millennials explain this fixation with paper books as a means of snuggling up with a digital-detox tool. Okay. I find that strange but valid. Some millennials admit to making notes in the margins and/or folding corners of pages that they want to come back to (presumably they own the book rather than defiling a borrowed tome).

It’s hard for me to not sound like a cheerleader for Kindles (especially since the parent company involves/revolves around he whose name cannot be said out loud), but the darn things are just so convenient.

You can read in a darkened space (think bedroom or airplane) without disturbing your bed/seat mate. Along with that feature, you can go to dark mode so that the type appears as white on black, making it emit even less light while still being highly readable. When you close the cover, it saves your place. Conversely, when you reopen the cover, it takes you back to where you left off. Libraries have oodles (Merriam-Webster still indicates that is a real word, meaning a lot.) of Kindle books that you can download directly to your device – for free. Yes, the paper editions are free as well, but require you to drive/walk to the library to pick them up and take home.

Regular Kindle users will note here that I’ve saved the very best advantages for last. A Kindle allows you to change the size of the font. It sounds like such a small thing, but as our eyesight degrades, it’s a big deal that one can boost the font size. Not only can it be enlarged, one can also select what font you would like. As if that’s not enough, you can also alter the contrast to make the type darker black or the background a brighter white.

With the impending doom of artificial intelligence totally wrecking our lives, I think it’s comforting to know that the simple, modest Kindle does everything I need. Plus, now I can use my bookcase to store my collection of papier-mâché chickens.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Blame Game

Tired of reading/hearing how baby boomers are ruining the economy, sucking up resources, and hoarding houses and wealth? It’s almost like people have forgotten all the positive things our generation contributed: the peace movement, civil rights, gay rights, feminism, environmentalism. Instead, the storyline seems to be that we’re greedy bastards just taking everything we can get.

The problem with blaming boomers for being greedy is that it’s complete bullshit. In fact – this is the key takeaway here – baby boomers put in more than they take out. How do we know this? Because the facts tell the story.

Boomers are working longer, well past what used to be considered the conventional retirement age. Remember when your parents and their friends retired at 65? Not many boomers fit that stereotype. Yes, the pandemic pushed some to take retirement early, but it also encouraged many more to stay on the job. That means that we are paying payroll taxes for more years. We might not ever see any of that money via social security, but nonetheless, we’re still paying into the system.

Even boomers who are drawing social security are not sucking the system dry. We still pay taxes on our income (including social security). We pay for supplemental medical benefits. We pay sales, property, state and local taxes. There’s no escape!

Bear in mind also that retirement is essentially self-funded. Vacation and holiday costs are out-of-pocket expenses, and they help stimulate the economy to boot. AARP discounts? Big deal. You get a little off on your rental car or dinner, and those discounts are coming from the private sector that is trying to earn your business, not your government.

Last but not least in the argument that boomers put in more than they take out, here’s the bottom line. When we die, our offspring and/or our designated charities are going to get whatever cash is left, which will most likely be substantial sums. We really can’t, as the saying goes, take it with us.

The next time you read an op-ed that blames greedy baby boomers, be sure to go to the comments section and set them straight with the simple fact: we put in more than we take out! You’ll feel better when you do.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Aegism

It’s time to call out aegism in all its forms.

Yeah!! What he said!

There’s only one problem. Boomers themselves may be the most aegist among us. Think about it. We are the ones complaining about aching joints, or hearing that’s rapidly fading, or knees that need replacement, or no longer being able to race through an airport to catch a flight.

That’s right, we’re old. Not only does the rest of the population recognize that we’re old, we know it as well. You may say what about “you’re as young as you feel?” Bullshit. We are definitely feeling it. Especially when you wake up each morning. There is this brief inventory in which you codify what hurts today. The bursitis? The bad knee? The wrenched shoulder that still aches?

Holy cow! We really are old! We know it and so do the people around us. They see the gray and white hair. They see our confusion when our iPhones tell us to do something but we have not figured out what it wants us to do. They try not to look at us texting with a single forefinger instead of both thumbs.

We are on the losing side of life. Losing memory, strength, balance, cognition, and more.

But all is not loss (or lost). Some things are found. We appreciate each other in deeper ways. People, places and moments mean more to us then when we were rushing around trying to be someone and be someplace. We have the luxury of time and the insight earned by experience to more fully enjoy what’s happening around us. We take less for granted and that alone can deepen our appreciation for this time in our lives.

It’s a good time to remind ourselves of the elders who continued to exhibit vitality and artistry well into their 90s and beyond. We all know someone in this category, whether they be personal acquaintances or famous artists or philosophers (Jimmy Carter comes to my mind). They made the most of their life experiences in order to maintain mental vitality despite the physical constraints that come with old age.

Okay, we can do this. Ignore the physical decline and appreciate what we can do with our minds. Starting NOW!

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.