Milestones

 

Is there some award for reaching the 20^th anniversary of a blog? Is that a thing? If so, sign me up because BoomSpeak was launched around this time in 2006. What were you doing in 2006? What were any of us doing?

The term “weblog” was coined in 1997 and within two years shortened to just “blog.” Soon there was a spate of blogs being published and many new software platforms to help you publish your personal journal. Specialization brought new contributors in niches such as technology, travel, fashion, food, computing and many more. Many bloggers attempted to monetize their blog by selling ads but that required proof that your blog was reaching a huge audience.

Ad sales never took hold for BoomSpeak, not that we didn’t try (the dreaded Google Adsense). In retrospect, the blog remained pure by not having ads. From the start it was a place where boomer contributors could express their thoughts (and relevant fiction) about our shared experience of growing up as part of a generation of unprecedented scale. We used the tagline “Your whole life’s in front of you” because it tapped into the potential and optimism that our generation shared. We had – make that have – great potential still, even in hard times.

The arrival of Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Podcasts, and TikTok has exploded the channels for content creators to share stories and perspectives. Despite that proliferation, there’s still a niche for the humble blog. You most likely have noticed the arrival of Substacks by well-known and not so well-known authors. For many of us who hang on to the humble blog, a Substack is long-form blogging by another name, and I’m okay with that. More than okay, because it’s opened the door for some great writing by talented people.

Boomers have taken a lot of hits in recent years and that’s to be expected because of the scale of our generation and the resulting influence we’ve had over politics, science, the arts and more. The bigger the target the more arrows you draw. Part of my mission as a BoomSpeak blogger is to put the emphasis on the shared experience of growing up as a boomer, and remembering the many altruistic contributions we made and continue to make.

If you are a boomer and have something to say about it (or read what others are saying), BoomSpeak continues to be the place to come. If you’ve never contributed, now might be a good time. If you’re a past contributor, it’s time to write for us again. We still have something to say and this blog is the place to say it.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. 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.

Milestones

When it comes to age milestones, baby boomers have racked up quite a few momentous ones. For the sake of historical reference, I am referring to the leading edge of boomers born in 46 thru 51. For those of us in that group, sixteen years old meant you could get a drivers license (in many states) and that was a big deal because it gave us almost unbridled mobility. Hell, we didn’t even have drivers’ education in those days, which meant lots of white-knuckle experiences for our parents. It did inspire a ton of popular songs about car culture (Little Old Lady from Pasadena, Mustang Sally, Dead Mans Curve, and Little Deuce Coupe to name only a few).

Twenty-one? A perilous time. There was a war on and we could be drafted even before we were eligible to vote. Looking back, it’s almost comical that we thought we would change our world, but with the sheer size of our cohort’s impact, we did change it. There are still arguments about whether the change was for better or worse.

Thirty. So momentous it spawned the TV show Thirtysomething. A show about life in Philadelphia for boomers turning 30 was fascinating enough to last for 4 seasons. For many boomers, 30 marked a moment of self-awareness…Hey, we’re actually grown-ups. It also marked the beginning of our inevitable dominance of culture and politics. It had to happen because there were just so many of us. (In 1964, Boomers represented 37% of the total U.S. populaton)

Fifty is our next biggest milestone and a wake-up call. Our bodies are no longer as limber as they once were. We’re the dominant influence in culture and politics (including a few boomer Presidents), and the groundswell of complaints about our generation began to grow louder and more persistent. These days you cannot avoid our bad press, as it has become clear to the generations that followed that we have messed up their world completely. You could argue that point but there’s just too many Gens with letters after the term who will push back on the argument.

And now – the Big 80. The oldest baby boomers will turn age 80 in 2026. We’re down to 20% of the total population and shrinking fast (in number and stature). From 79 million in 1964 to 67 million in 2024. Now we have to wonder if we are moving from milestone to millstone. Once we were celebrants and soon we may be seen as burdens (if we haven’t already made that transition).

I like to think that it’s a positive transition. We made it! Life expectancy in 1947 was 66. Now, it’s close to 79. If you really want to take the long and positive view, our next milestone may just be 100 and let’s hope we stick the landing.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. 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.

 

Lost Reservation

It’s been quite a while since I have done a celebrity interview. I think it was Leo Davinci. Sometimes you can’t ignore a coincidence. Case in point, I ran into Tony Bourdain as I was leaving my local dumpling carry-out place. Coincidence or karma? Who knows? Or doesn’t know?

Tony? Is that you? I bet you miss the biz.

Regret is something you’ve got to just live with, you can’t drink it away. You can’t run away from it. You can’t trick yourself out of it. You’ve just got to own it.

That sounds like classic Tony Bourdain. Everyone misses your take on travel.

As you move through this life…you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you.

Well, you covered a lot of ground with the Parts Unknown show.

If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.

You wouldn’t believe how many imitators are out there trying to do what you did.

Skills can be taught. Character you either have or you don’t have.

There are so many cooking shows on TV now.

Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.

What do you look for when choosing where to eat?

I’m excited by any food that’s prepared by someone who’s proud of what they’re doing, who puts a personal imprint on food.

Where you off to next?

It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn. Perhaps wisdom, at least for me, means realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.

Very cool. Any parting advice for us foodies?

Drink heavily with locals whenever possible. 

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. 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.