Baby Boomers: Who They Are and What's In Store for Them in the Future

One of the largest populations in the United States is the baby boomers
generation. This particular generation is known to have contributed a lot in
modern society. Culturally, they have contributed deeply in music and art.
Politically, they contributed a lot about civil rights.

So, you may ask and be interested who these baby boomers are. First of all,
baby boomers are people who were born within the years 1946 and 1964. They were
called the baby boomers generation because of the increase in birth rate after
World War II and was considered as one of the largest increase in population in
the United States

The after effects of World War II produced a lot of devastated economies around
the world. Because of this, the United States war factory began producing
peacetime goods and materials to be used in their own country and also for
export to help their allies to recover their own economy. This produced a lot
of income in the United States as well as high paying jobs. Because of this,
families around the United States were earning a lot. This resulted in better
education, and also enticed families to produce more children. This is why the
baby boomer phenomenon started.

The United States economy was constantly on the rise after World War II. When
the baby boomers came of age, education was widely available for everyone. Many
baby boomers were attending college and the United States were producing
professionals in the country.

You also have to understand that baby boomers came of age when civil rights
protests were all over the United States. They were protesting their civil
rights and also protesting the conscription for the Vietnam War. Many even
avoided military duty and failed to show up after being drafted.

You also have to understand that baby boomers grew up in a world where the
United States military was the most powerful military in the world. They grew
up in a world where the enemies were communists and socialists. You will see
that people who were born in the baby boomers era has distinct political views
and are very politically active.

In fact, the highest office in the United States today is being run by a baby
boomer. Another fact is that before this person, a baby boomer also held this
office. They are Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. As you can see, they have a
very distinct policy on how to run the country. Both of them have policies that
enforce a lot on civil rights and also increased funding for the military.

Today, baby boomers make up almost 28% of the United States population. This is
considered a lot based on American history statistics. You have to consider that
today, baby boomers are now aging. Because of this, the government and also baby
boomers are growing more and more concerned of the retirement and health
benefits that they will get from the government once they retire.

It has been found that almost 7 million of older Americans have no health
insurance. Many low income baby boomers face a problem about health care.
Because aging and illnesses is always associated, you have to consider the fact
that in the near future, there will be a lot of old people, mostly baby boomers.

This is why the United States government is now taking the necessary steps in
increasing their budget for health care and retirement benefits. Also, because
of the decrease of birth rate after the baby boomer era, the United States will
lack manpower to sustain its economy in the future after most of the baby
boomers retire.

Even private organizations, such as insurance companies are now providing low
cost health insurance for baby boomers.

However, because of the existing state-of-the-art medical technology today,
baby boomers are expected to live a lot longer than their predecessors. Also,
baby boomers are now becoming more and more aware of the illnesses and are
frequently visiting their doctors for a regular check-up.

Baby boomers indeed made an impact in today's society. They contributed a lot
to the society on political, academic, cultural, economy, and also in the
industry sectors of the United States.

Baby Boomers Defined and Their Impact in the Society

Today, there are countries which are considered as overpopulated. This is due
to the increasing birth rates in different places, despite the measures of
controlling birth. Babies born after World War II, when economic prosperity was
at its highest, are called Baby Boomers. The exact years covered are from 1946
to 1964.

You might be wondering what caused this boom. After the war, all the cities and
places affected were all provided with an increase in goods as well as services.
The US also helped other economies by supplying them with goods in order to
rebuild their economies. This resulted to an unprecedented economic growth
which lasted for many years and only slowed down by the year 1958.

Aside from that, many individuals were also given the opportunity to attend
college. And with the increase in college degree holders, the opportunity for
getting high paying jobs increased. Many families benefited from this economic
growth, and with higher incomes, they can provide for many children. And so
many babies were born in this particular time frame.

What most parents didn't know is that these babies will soon grow up as
domineering and rebellious individuals. But this doesn't mean that baby boomers
are all bad. It's just that majority of the group comprise these kind of
individuals but there also those who are peace loving and observes the social
norms of the society.

What exactly is a baby boomer? There are many definitions and almost every
definition is acceptable. In most cases, the baby boomer is identified because
of his/her characteristics; but most of the time, it is based on the year that
they were born.

Baby boomers are further divided into boomers and shadow boomers. Boomers are
babies born from 1945 to 1957 while the shadow boomers or the echo boomers were
born from 1958 to 1963.

During those years, about 79 million of the baby boomers were born. Babies born
during this significant time have different cultural and political patterns.
There are still many arguments as to the exact years, and this has something to
do with another generation, the so-called generation 'x'.

Baby boomers are often hard to understand; and that is why baby boomers and
their parents have a generation gap. There is a gap because boomers and parents
differ in experiences, habits, opinions, and behavior.

In the 1960s, a great cultural difference between the generation of baby
boomers and their parents included musical tastes, drug use, fashion, and
politics. The baby boomers had great power because of their large number and so
they gained influence, and power. They were also not afraid to rebel against
established social norms.

Baby boomers were able to make a generational identity, and they were even
recognized by Time magazine as 'man of the year' in 1966. They were famous for
the catchphrase 'don't trust anyone over 30'; and this is probably because of
the gap created between them and the older people.

This particular generation was not afraid to rebel against the society. They
loved rock music, young males grew their hair long, young activists dominate
during protests, increased in drug usage, and sexual revolution was only a few
of the things that baby boomers love doing. Many elders detest this kind of
acts but because of the large number of youth baby boomers, they can't do
anything about it.

Then there is the so-called culture war between the boomers and the generation
'x'. They were constantly accusing one another of moral crackdown, sold-out
ideas, undisciplined behavior, and wild outbursts. But both generations were
able to make a mark in history.

Baby boomers will grow old. And soon enough, they will realize the value of
life that their parents have been trying to teach them. Baby boomers are not
really bad. Sometimes it has something to do with the society that they lived
in. As youths, it's but natural that they want to be recognized and to gain
acceptance. They are assertive and do whatever they like.

This may be due to the fact that they were able to enjoy a prosperous life,
with fewer worries because of the widespread economic growth. Baby boomers are
part of the history, and they are here to stay.

Understanding the Baby Boomers Definition

The term Baby Boomer pertains to the people who was born during the soaring of
birth rates just as the economy continuously prosper in numerous countries
during the post war years.

In America, the term is directly synonymous to the people whose birth year's
fall before the war in Vietnam and after the Second World War (WW II). Hence,
Baby Boomers possibly cover one generation or more.

The term Baby Boom also depicts the population as well as culture of the
Americans. This is contrary to the demographics shown throughout the world
during the post WW II, which did not present the American families' sustained
growth.

Definition

The start of Baby Boomer generation is classified into different designations.
Steve Gallion, writer of the book Boomer Nation, divided the Baby boomer in two
groups: boomers who were born from 1945 to 1957; while the other is the
so-called "Shadow Boomers" who were born from 1958 to 1963.

The Shadow Boomers, however, is not taken as proper name to refer to Baby
Boomers in some instances. The term "Echo Boomers" is more accepted as the
proper substitute to Shadow Boomers.

Another two writers, Neil Howe and William Strauss, stated in their book
Generations that people born from 1961 to 1964 encompass cultural as well as
political patterns, very much alike as compared to those who were born from
1955 to 1960.

There is also the Thirteenth Generation, as writers termed it. The Thirteenth
Generation is also called as Generation X, the Generation of Cold War, this
refer to the people born from 1961 to 1981.

Howe and Strauss succeeded in creating influence. There were approximately more
than 79 Million babies who were given birth on that generation.

There is also an argument that the start of Baby Boomers can be traced back to
the Vietnam War. But there are claims that the right defining event is the age
band of the Hippies, The Beatles, and The Motown Sound.

Overview on the Beliefs of Baby Boomers

The birthrate in the United States of America rose to almost 20% after the
World War II (1946). It again increased to another 12% in 1947. Finally, it
peaked up to 4.3 million babies in 1957. Therefore, from 1946 to 1964, there
were 77 million babies born in America, they were called as "baby boomers".
Today, boomers comprise 28% of the US populations since the birthrate returned
to normal in 1965.

But the said numbers of babies are considered as a statistical anomaly in the
birthrate of the United States according to some researchers. It is because
some of the baby boomers have detached themselves in that generation and lives
as if they were not born between the years 1946 to 1964.

Discriminations even happened considering baby boomers as different species.
They were compared to the 1969 generation where they were marked as the
holiest, most curious, and brightest of all generation in the human history.

As the years passed by, these opinions have greatly changed and the boomer's
criticism reached a fevered pitch. The baby boomer's generation was dubbed as a
self-absorbed generation. They defined themselves not through sacrifices as
their parents had experienced but by indulgences. Other critics even wrote that
throughout the American history, baby boomers were the most self-seeking,
self-centered, self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing, and self-interested
generation.

These views about the boomers have an underlying gravity, unifying principle,
and hermeneutic understanding of the world. The reasons behind are natural
survival, class struggles, relativism, and lack of knowledge. Boomers became a
part of the culture. But their concerns lie more on dominant concerns and
dominant passions.

The Boomer's Six Commandments was even established based from these worldviews.
But these do not apply to all baby boomers because there is always an exception.
There is no monolithic generation. It was shaped by circumstances wherein these
circumstances are not uniformed like generations. Nevertheless, every
generation must live according to commandments or rules.

1. - Thou shall be hip. According to some studies, the baby boomer's major
problem is the refusal of growing up. Their adolescence periods were prolonged,
taken in various forms such as physical fitness obsession, youth worship, and
embarrassment on the natural aging process. Others include their aspiration to
stay in style, hip, and current. Boomers do not consider it as a mere
trendiness but a tendency to being externalized and magnified. That is why even
during their aging years, they try to maintain the fashion of their era
insisting that those times were frozen on them.

2. - Accept culture changes to stay relevant. The boomers foresee themselves as
a force that can transform cultures. However, they did not succeed. Instead of
becoming culture transformers, the culture itself transformed them. The boomers
accepted the culture's promise of eternal relevance for their rendered services.
The only problem was that this relevance can deliver them only popularity.

3. - Honor thy individuality. America is the civilization known for radical
individualism. The novel expression that is acquainted only with egotism
sapping public life virtues and later on destroy and attack others. Boomers
lived during the peak of the women's rights, civil rights, anti-war movements,
and reproductive rights.

4. - Thou shall forget history. Boomers always declare themselves as the first
generation to experience new milestones in their lives which include
childbirth, adolescents, parenthood, marriage, and middle age. They know
history, however they just question its importance to them.

5. - Thou shall feel guilty if you sell out. Boomers manifest their guilt
interestingly. They maintain the defiance attitude along with their youth
convictions as they abandoned convictions themselves. At heart, boomers remain
as revolutionaries while they live the protestant, middle class, white-bread
American dream.

6. - Thou shall question authority. There was a serious problem that rises on
the part of most boomers. Their motto was to trust no one over thirty. Their
rebellion towards authority is a skeptical approach to the pastoral authority,
polity, and doctrinal standards of the church. Boomers have rejected this
authority in two ways. They either denied the Bible's authority right away or
relativize the Bible's authority like a Protestant Evangelicalism.

Although these boomers' rules create issues and controversy, it influenced and
altered the way on how American thinks. And even it was predicted that all
boomers will be gone, still many baby boomer's followers are still there.

Aging Baby Boomers, All About Your Life

First of all, baby boomers are people who were born within the post World War
II era and before the Vietnam War. These people are called baby boomers because
of the increased birth rate during this period. In the United States, there are
about 76 million in total baby boomer population. Even George Bush, the current
President of the United States is part of the baby boomer population.

Today, many baby boomers experiences age discrimination in the workplace. Some
baby boomers that are qualified to do the job are not accepted by companies and
some are laid off from their current job just because of their age. It is
important for you to know that this is a violation of the ADEA or the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act. It is also important for you to know that
when you experience age discrimination in the workplace, you have somewhere to
complain to, which is the EEOC or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

You of all people should know about this because as a part of the baby boomer
population, you came of age during the time where people were fighting for
their civil rights in the United States. Chances are, you were part of those
people who were fighting for civil rights, which include equal employment
opportunities.

This generation is the generation where rock and roll started and where hippies
were popping out to protest the Vietnam War and their rights as a citizen of a
democratic country.

Health is also an issue with baby boomers. It was found that there was a
significant increase of hospital and doctor visits by baby boomers. In fact, in
1992 there were only about 42 percent of people visiting the doctor at the age
of 45. In 2002, the numbers increased to 53 percent. Most baby boomers suffer
from different ailments, such as diabetes, stroke, heart attacks, arthritis,
and high blood pressure.

This is because of the diet and lack of exercise that baby boomers experienced
during their era. Because of this, many people are now more health conscious
than the era of baby boomers. Some baby boomers even considered losing weight
and getting active to prevent or at least minimize the effect of the mentioned
diseases.

New drugs are now also available for baby boomers for preventive care. With the
technology available today, aging baby boomers are now able to seek the medical
attention they need. They can also benefit from the different government and
private organization offers, such as free medical check ups and free
hospitalization.

With all the benefits of today's medical technology, it is expected that baby
boomers will likely live longer than previous generations of Americans. In
fact, of the 3.4 million people born in 1946, 2.8 million are still alive and
will get the benefit of living longer than their predecessors because of the
advancement in medical technology.

This means that you can expect to live longer than ever before.

26 percent of the American population is made up of baby boomers. This means
that in the coming years, Medicare will be much more in demand than ever
before. You can expect that there will be a need for more hospitals and there
will also be a need for more professional caregivers around the United States.

However, because of the latest medical technology, baby boomers will not only
expect to live longer than previous Americans, but they will also enjoy better
health condition. More and more baby boomers today are now health conscious and
are staying as active as they can in order to prevent serious diseases such as
diabetes and heart related diseases.

So, if you are a part of the baby boomer population, you can expect to live
longer and also live a happier life than the previous generation. You should
thank the advancement of technology in the medical field and also the
increasing awareness for health in today's world.

Characteristics of Baby Boomers, What Baby Boomers Are Like

After World War II, the birth rate in the United States of America
significantly increased. This is also the generation that is called the baby
boomer generation. People who were born between 1946 and 1964 are called the
baby boomers generation. Great people were born in this generation and two of
them already became president of the world's most powerful nation, the United
States of America.

You should understand that people who were born in this period has a wide range
of political view because of the things they went through in the United States.
This generation is the generation that fought to emphasize civil rights and it
is also one of the foundations that made America what it is today.

This is also the generation where many new things were invented.

First of all, you have to understand the characteristics of baby boomers. You
have to consider that these people were born in an era where it was dominated
by American Military might where the enemies where socialists and communists.
This is the era where the cold war started. This is one of the main reasons why
people who were born in the baby boomers generation are politically active and
are always interested in the political status of their country.

The people who were born in the baby boomers era also grew up where they came
of age when they were fighting for civil rights. This means that they are
people who are aware of their rights as a citizen of the United States and they
will do whatever it takes to keep that right.

During those times, gadgets and different kinds of household appliances were
popping out of the market. Also, it turned post war factories of the United
States to produce different kinds of household tools. Because of this,
unemployment was virtually nonexistent, provided that you are Caucasian and is
willing to work.

Today, baby boomers make up a large amount of share in the political, cultural,
academic, and industrial leadership. They are the people who contributed a lot
in modern society. In fact, the highest office in the United States had two
baby boomers namely, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. These two presidents of
the United States were the two first baby boomers president and have led the
way to further improve the economy of the United States. They also provided new
jobs for people and emphasized widely on civil rights and freedom.

Culturally speaking, baby boomers contributed a lot. They contributed music,
and art to society. Music such as rock and roll, Motown Sound, and beats are
what started the music you hear today. Baby boomers are also politically
active. In fact, these people are one of the leading people who protested
violation on civil rights and the war on Vietnam. They emphasized widely on the
freedom of choice and they also moved to bar discrimination in the workplace.

The baby boomer generation is also considered lucky in terms of medical
technology. Because of the advancement in today's medical technology, many of
these aging baby boomers can benefit from modern hospital equipments and
medicine. They are also more health conscious than their predecessors, and
increasing numbers of people in the ages of 45 to 60 are now taking the
necessary steps to improve their health. They are considered to be more active
and are expected to live more years than their predecessors.

Being part of the baby boomers era is in fact a great thing. If you were born
in this era, you are part of a group of people who contributed a lot to the
United States in terms of politics, culture, and also in the economy.

However, baby boomers today are experiencing age discrimination in the
workplace. The irony of it all is that they were the ones who fought for equal
employment opportunity regardless of race, gender, creed, and age. You should
consider the fact that they were responsible for these rights and you should
treat them with the respect that they deserve.

So, in case you cross path with someone who were born in the baby boomers era,
take some time to thank them on what they did to make what is America today.
Always remember that they played an important role in the United States of
America. Always keep in mind that they were the ones responsible for the rights
you enjoy today.

Baby Boomers, Their Health Insurance and Its Coverage

As people grow old, they become more and more prone to diseases or illness. At
the point they reach old age, they will suffer from arthritis, and heart
related conditions. Because of this, everyone should have some form of security
in order to live a worry-free life. Although it may not prevent diseases from
affecting you, this form of health security will ensure you that you will never
worry about medical-related bills, such as hospitalization, and medicine.

This form of health security is called health insurance. Depending on the type
of health insurance you purchase, it will cover just about anything. It will
cover hospitalization bills, the doctor's professional fee, medicine, and
anything related to health care.

You have to remember that health insurance will not actually ensure that you
will not acquire diseases or illness, what it does is assist you financially in
order to help you recover from illnesses. Today, there are a lot of health
insurance policies that insurance companies are now selling to people. Some
covers only limited amount of health care, and some health insurance that is
more expensive covers just about anything related to health care.

Today, baby boomers are getting more and more concerned about their financial
and health security. So, why is it that baby boomers are getting more and more
worried about their health security? And, who are the baby boomers?

First of all, you need to know who the baby boomers are. Baby boomers are
people who were born between the post World War II in 1946 and before the
Vietnam War in 1964. People who were born on this era were called baby boomers.
They were called baby boomers because of the significant increase in the birth
rate during this era.

The baby boomer generation population is one of the largest populations in the
United States. In fact, the baby boomers generation is comprised of around 20%
of the United States population. Obviously, that is considered quite a lot.

Baby boomers came of age during the time where civil rights protests were
constantly in the streets and where most of them were drafted to fight in the
Vietnam War. Baby boomers are people who had a very large influence in politics
and its influence is continually showing today and perhaps will go on in the
future.

Baby boomers grew up in the time where the country was dominated by the
American Military Might where the communists and socialists were the enemy.
Because of the atmosphere they grew up in, baby boomers are well-aware about
the different government structures and are also very aware of their civil
rights. Besides, they should be aware because they were the ones who fought for
it.

Back to health insurance, baby boomers are getting more and more concerned
about this subject because today, they are currently in their late 40s and
early 60's. Obviously, aging is closely associated with diseases and illnesses.
Because of the high population level of the baby boomer generation, they are
concerned that when the time comes that they will need the assistance of health
insurance, they think that because of the high population of baby boomers in
today's society, health insurance companies will be unable to provide enough
financial assistance.

If you worked in private companies, there may be issues concerned about company
health insurance. You may be covered by health insurance even when you are
retired. However, in the event of bankruptcy, the court will cancel the entire
employer's obligation on paying for the insurance. Although it may not include
pensions, you have to expect that in case bankruptcy is filed by your former
company, your health insurance policy will not be covered anymore by the
company. You will be the one who will pay for it.

If you worked for the government, you may still be able to get free health
insurance provided by the government as a benefit for their former employees.

Today, the government is now adjusting the national budget to provide for aging
and retiring baby boomers. However, there is another growing concern facing baby
boomers. Health insurance policies are now expensive for aging people. Low cost
health insurance may not be sufficient for your health needs.

However, pressures from the government are now providing several options for
baby boomers who are applying for health insurance. So, if you are part of the
baby boomer generation, you can expect that in the near future, all your
problems facing health insurance will be solved with low cost comprehensive
health insurance and also low cost health care provided by hospitals and
doctors for senior citizens.

Tracing Back

During the Great Depression including WW II, there had been lots of adversity,
and uncertainties spread out. Because of these, the unmarried couples were
triggered to delay their marriage, while the married couples were triggered to
delay on having an offspring.

However, right after the war has ended; there had been a boost in the economy,
from about the 1950s to early 1960s, and this goes along with the boost in
population-the period of Baby Boom.

The increase of population, the families' growth prompted several families to
move from cities into suburbs during the years of post war. Likewise there had
been a boom of building constructions such as for shopping malls, housing and
for schools.

The influence of national culture was also seen on the boomers as they arrived
on their young adulthood between the years of 1960s and 1970s, it was depicted
on their hair styles, outfits, and even in their choice of music. It was also
reflected on their political activism.

As the Boomers grew older in the 1980s and 1990s, their purchasing habits
becomes very much in favor for the numerous consumer industries because of
their great numbers. However, as these boomers reached the years of their
retirement, public resources were already anticipated to be strained.

The Expected Norms for the Current Age of Baby Boomers

The era of the Baby Boomers generation can be recalled to have started in 1946;
a year after the World War II has ended. So in today's generation, these Baby
Boomers are expected to be in their 60s and below, and some of them are soon to
retire.

Hence, with the age that they are in now, these Baby Boomers tend to demand for
a healthier lifestyle to offset the diseases that may possibly occur to an aging
person.

One of the expected norms practiced by the Baby Boomers today is a regular
fitness and exercise regimen, including a healthy diet with healthy supplements.

Maintaining a regular exercise is beneficial since this helps to control the
blood sugar. According to medical specialists, frequent exercise will help the
diabetic person lessen the intake of drugs and any other types of medications.

There are also a good number of diabetics who attested that as they habitually
practiced their exercise programs they were able to trim down their
medications, to the point of being able to quit it.

Frequent exercise is a very natural method of handling diabetes.

There is also the so-called triglyceride; this is the combination of fatty
acids and glycerol that flow in the blood. And achieving this will help the
person to combat heart disease, strokes, and the killer disease-heart attack.

It is stated that the easiest way to achieve triglycerides is to start and
stick to an exercise and physical fitness program, matched with a good diet.

The increase in physical activity and heart rate, as well as by maintaining a
high energy in the body will help a person in managing the level of his
triglyceride. This is also helpful to loosen the weight of a person.

When we say exercise and body fit it does not only refer to a gym. It can also
be achieved in athletic clubs where these Boomers can engage and take pleasure
in the sports that they are interested in.

Outdoor games such as golf and the indoor games such as bowling and badminton
are good for those people who are aging since these will only require a
moderate amount of stamina.

Here, they will be able to enjoy their time in playing their sports while
maintaining their physically fit body.

However, many people say that nothing will beat the conventional form of
exercise-walking. For those Baby Boomers who have a low level of stamina,
walking is the most preferable form of exercise.

Although, the American populace are said to be not that regular in walking
exercises as compared to the Europeans.

On the other hand, Germans practiced a norm in walking exercise which is called
the volksmarch, this is held during weekend. Here, the people spend a day of
walking throughout the countryside or a town.

Not that alone, in this form of exercise Germans were also able to include
social activity. Whenever they took a stop they are used to share their meal
with somebody in the crowd, and this is coupled with a good conversation.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to have the aging Baby Boomer generation in America
celebrate volksmark during weekends too?

There is also a statement saying that when people speak of healthy aging, these
Baby Boomers are said to be the good models. This is because Boomers are used to
regard healthy aging both as their main concern and their norm.

To attest to this, there is an increasing number of Americans who participate
in every marathon event. And the largest increase is in the people whose age
belongs to 40 and above.

Meanwhile, the aging women Baby Boomers chose their own way in maintaining
their health. And this is through healthy foods and healthy supplements. These
scheme don't just boost their energy, this also help them to maintain their
beauty by simply lessening their stress. This also helps them to gain focus and
mental clarity.

All of the cited facts only affirm that Baby Boomers have created new norms as
they increase their age, norms that would suit to the needs of their body.

All of these norms were formed for a sole purpose-to achieve a better state of
health for a healthy living.

The Fountain of Youth

If there ever was a generation who would put every resource known to man
against the challenge of defeating aging, it would be the baby boomer
generation. Of course the deeply rooted desire in mankind to stop or turn back
the aging process is as old as time itself. We have ample evidence of that in
literature. From The Fountain to Youth to Peter Pan, there have been many
efforts to just stubbornly say "I wont grow up" as though stamping ones foot
and refusing to participate can actually keep us from growing older.

Baby boomers have always had a love affair with youth. It is no doubt deeply
rooted in their explosive teen and twenties years in which this generation
became virtually the center of the universe as youth culture dominated the
country if not the world in the sixties and seventies. That kind of thing can
convince you that you are the generation that would never grow old.

But, of course, the baby boomer generation has grown old. But the interest in
staying vibrant and active has resulted in the explosive growth of the exercise
and diet industries. Because if baby boomers can't stop aging from happening,
they can at least not LOOK old or act like it either.

From a medical stand point, of course, there has never been an anti aging
medicine or pill. Medical science has seen phenomenal changes and had
breakthroughs in many areas of research and study. Boomers were fully prepared
to fund any medical work being done that might result in the elimination of
aging or at least in slowing its relentless onset. But medical science has not
found any magic potion that could cause aging to stop or to reverse its effects.

Even if aging could be stopped at some level on the physical level, you have to
wonder if that would be practical in light of aging that affects the whole of
what a person is. We know that we don't just age in body, we age in attitudes,
in maturity and in our ambition and how we view our goals in life. This has as
much to do with the cycles of life from youth to parenthood to middle age and
then to retirement as it does with physical changes in our bodies.

For many, the question might be, "If science could make it possible for you to
never age or die, would you even want that?" There is an intuitive knowledge in
our hearts that we have a season to live on this earth and then its time to pass
the torch to the next generation. Everything works on that cycle. You are
defined by your place in life. So if you are in your forties, being a parent or
a spouse is considered the appropriate place to be. So too, at 70 or 80, we are
expected to be wise old grandma and granddad. Our behavior in society, what we
value and what we look for from others is expected to be driven by our age in
life which is a subset of the aging process.

If aging was somehow defeated entirely, that entire cycle of life would have to
be completely re-evaluated. If you knew you would live 200 years rather than 80
or 90 years, how would you plan your family, your career and your finances?

Thankfully, perhaps, aging remains a constant. The good news is while baby
boomers fight aging with a passion, they are also capable of growing into their
senior years with a lot to give back to society. So just as boomers have been
had a huge impact on society through every other decade, when they accept that
they are going to be part of that aging process, they will be a great
generation of grandmas and grandpas as well.

Baby Boomers Coping with Middle-Age Crisis

Kids love having birthday parties. Their parties are usually filled with games,
great food, clowns, gifts, and many more. Celebrating ones birthday is an
important occasion that should not be forgotten. You can't remain as a child
forever though. As years pass, you will grow older. With older people,
celebrating their birthday is different. Another year will again be added to
their age, and this thought can be creepy to some individuals.

When a person turns 40, he is already in his mid-life. There is this phrase
which says 'life begins at 40'. Although to some it may be true, others have
different experiences. People who enjoy life even past their forties were able
to overcome their fears of aging. But those less fortunate are having troubles
in living a meaningful life.

When one enters midlife, he must be able to cope with drastic changes in life.
These changes are inevitable, and all people will go through this stage. He
should be able to deal with mortality issues and aging which are but natural
aspects in being human. If you can't cope up with the change, you're bound to
suffer a major shock in your life. And this will not only affect you as an
individual, but also your family.

When baby boomers were young, they didn't trust older people. But now that they
have reached the midlife age, what do they have to say? People mature, and so
did the baby boomers. They have long realized that life is not about having fun
at all times but also living a meaningful life which can contribute to the
improvement of the society he belongs in. The ages 40 to 60 are considered part
of midlife, and many people undergo a midlife crisis when they reach this stage
in their life, and baby boomers are not exempted from this change.

You may freak out as you face the mirror, and you will start to notice your
thinning hair, flabby skin, facial lines, and other aging signs. Almost every
person wants to look good, and the least things that they want to see are aging
signs. Many people are not yet ready to face this fact, and they still want to
believe that they are still desirable and young. Acceptance of the situation
can be very hard for them. But this should not be; youthfulness will not last
long so you might as well enjoy while you have it. Time will come when you will
start aging and you can't do anything about it. Even if you try to use
anti-aging products, you're still getting old.

A lot of married couples are having difficulty during this time, even the baby
boomers. The situation is even worse if both of them can't cope with their
aging. Another change is in their emotional needs, and their behavior. They
will likely end up in a crisis that may lead to divorce. This is true
especially if one partner has found acceptance and love from another person.

Not all married baby boomer couples end up with divorce. There are also those
who have a strong marriage foundation and are able to cope with the changes.
Statistics show that only about twenty to twenty five percent of couples in
their midlife suffer from any crisis. And the rest are taking the situation
lightly, as if nothing has changed.

Being in your midlife is not an excuse to exhibit wrongful behavior. If you're
in a crisis right now, your option is putting your life on the right track
again or turning to another direction. It would all depend entirely on you; but
you should also be aware that it is not you alone who suffers from this
situation, but also your love ones.

Upon entering middle age, you should be able to recognize mortality. You should
deal with sags, wrinkles, bags, graying hair, balding, weight gain, and death of
relatives or friends. This is indeed a tough time for you; but life should not
end there. If you can successfully cope up with the situation, life will and
can go on.

Baby boomers love challenges in life. They are quite aggressive and as they
finally reach their midlife, they will start to live a meaningful and
productive life.

Looking Young and Feeling Young

Baby boomers may not have a corner on the market for an urgent desire to stay
youthful but they certainly have set a high standard for creating a virtual
avalanche of products and services to attend to that need. The quest to look
young in baby boomers has resulted in an explosion of profits in the cosmetic
and plastic surgery markets. It's easy to criticize the desire of baby boomers
to want to see themselves as youthful as simple vanity. But it goes a lot
deeper than that.

It doesn't take a lot of research or analysis to see that baby boomers grounded
their identities in the youth movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Before the boomer
generation erupted like a generational volcano, there really was no youth
movement. But in the 1960s, when youth culture virtually took over American and
indeed world culture, everything changed for baby boomers and that change was
never really reversed.

The culture of that time that now seems very long ago, was one of the adoration
of youth. That desire to put age on a pedestal and worship everything about
being young has permeated the culture even as the boomer generation moved into
middle age and now is on the verge of creating the largest retirement
generation ever.

Not all of the youth worship that is easy to document in baby boomers is just
about looking sexy and dreading the physical changes of growing older. Some of
what boomer's love about the concept of youth has to do with the idealism and
the commitment to causes that is common in young people. The desire to change
the world and to be a force to make mankind better was part of what made the
new youth culture in the 1960s so unique. And because those values are
laudable, we really can't completely condemn the desire by baby boomers to stay
youthful.

So the quest to stay young often manifests itself in cosmetic attempts to look
young. You can almost understand the appeal. We all like to look good. But the
real source of youth is not a tight butt and abs and smooth, wrinkle free skin.
The phrase "you are as young as you feel" is often scoffed at by baby boomers as
a cheap cop out. And it can be used to have an excuse to behave younger than you
are and perhaps want to socialize with younger people in an inappropriate way.
But it can also reflect that an inner youthfulness which is fueled by a
youthful outlook on life and a basic policy of good health and exercise will
keep anyone spy and vital well into their senior years.

It is when baby boomers combine those elements of "inner youthfulness' with
their cosmetic efforts to stay young that they really do retain much of their
youth beyond what their years would report. We all have met an elderly man or
woman who is so full of life and fun that they leave you feeling older than
they are. The sparkle in the eye, the curiosity about everything life has to
offer and that optimism and idealism that you ordinarily associate with
teenagers is truly inspiring when it is being expressed by a senior citizen.

This is the real youth movement that the baby boomer generation is pioneering.
It is more than dying the hair or using Botox and wrinkle creams. It is about
being strong role models to the youth coming up that they don't have to give up
on their dreams and that their idealism and excitement in living can thrive no
matter what age they are. And if that is the legacy of the baby boomer
generation, it's a fine ethic for them to leave behind for future generations
to enjoy.

An Aversion to War

If there ever was a baby boomer "issue" that has become engrained into the
heart and psyche of a generation, it is an aversion to war due to the horrific
experience if Vietnam. While a relatively small percentage of surviving baby
boomers actually went to and fought in Vietnam, the scar on the national psyche
was so deep that it has influenced the way baby boomers have thought about war
and how they selected their government representatives for over 30 years.

This is in stark contrast to the way the parents of the Baby Boom generation
viewed warfare and the use of the country's military might. Because World War
II was such a necessary conflict and winning it would be the difference between
a world of freedom or domination by a cruel dictator, that fight had a nobility
and a clear cut purpose to it. So when we, as Americans, banded together to
defeat Nazi Germany and her allies, it was an act of world changing sacrifice
and nobility that shaped that generation. To the parents of baby boomers,
warfare in a noble cause was the highest calling of a nation and part of our
national pride.

Everything about Vietnam was contrary to that vision. The mission was unclear
and the military was not empowered to win decisively as they were in World War
II. Some saw Vietnam as a puppet war in several respects. In one way it was a
puppet war because the real enemy in Vietnam was not the North Vietnamese but
China and Russia were using that conflict, and the Vietcong as puppets to lure
the American military into a no win situation and deplete our resources and our
will to fight.

Others viewed Vietnam as a puppet conflict to benefit the American military and
business interests who were profiting from the conflict. While this is a cynical
and harsh way to view a conflict, the distrust of the "military/industrial
complex" was prevalent in the minds of a youthful baby boomer generation who
saw their brothers and cousins go off to a brutal war which, in their minds,
was being conducted to benefit business. Small wonder that many came out of
this era bitter and resentful of big business interests. That distrust has
surfaced many times over the years and it dominates discussions of modern
conflicts America is involved with.

But there has been good come out of the national aversion to war that was the
product of the Vietnam conflict. The anti war movement did not result in the
reduction in our commitment to a strong military and the America's military
continues to be the strongest on earth. In fact, some of the ways the military
has served the country in situations that were not warlike such as hurricane
relief etc. has reinforced that the military as an institution is a necessary
and honorable part of our society.

Moreover, the way wars since Vietnam have been conducted have shown, in many
cases, that an intelligent approach to conflict will result in the wise use of
our military. The current problematic conflict tends to overshadow that since
Vietnam, our presidents have used the military with skill and intelligence that
reflects the insistence of the baby boom generation that we don't just be the
strongest military power, we also have to be the wisest. The way small
conflicts like the Balkans and the first Gulf War were conducted reflect a new
strategy that avoids the tragic mistakes of Vietnam and uses our military to
win decisively and quickly.

Each new conflict gives the baby boomer generation and indeed all generations
before and after the chance to redefine what military superiority really means.
And whatever political viewpoint we might have, it can be said that if Vietnam
caused the baby boomer generation to become more reflective and call upon
political leadership to show accountability and responsibility in the use of
our military might, that is a good outcome of what otherwise was a very bad war.

The Government Selecting Soldiers

The baby boomer generation grew up with a number of specters hanging over their
heads. One fear that seemed to hang like an inevitable doom for the childhood
and youth of this generation was that of nuclear war and the potential end of
life on earth that these weapons could cause if used unchecked.

But there was another much more real threat that was being used with great
regularity and it meant a potential fate of death in a war associated activity.
That was the specter of the military draft. This form of selecting soldiers was
widely used for decades and over many wars and was considered the norm.

The use of conscription was not something the United States Government
invented. Civilizations as far back as the Greeks and the Romans used a form of
conscription to assure that their armies were supplied with a continuous,
healthy flow of young men to serve in the armies of the country, primarily in
preparation for warfare. In fact, up until the 1960s in America, it was part of
the cultural assumptions that all young men would serve four years of service to
their country between high school and college or starting their families.

Like many things related to he military, the horrific war in Vietnam changed
that cultural assumption. And the generation to question and finally end the
draft in this country was the baby boomer generation. Throughout the sixties,
young men lived in constant fear of the draft which, at least in the eyes of
baby boomer youth, meant almost certain deployment to Vietnam and almost
certain injury or death.

But the horror of the military draft and the resultant imposed service in
Vietnam did not strike terror only in the hearts of young men in high school.
The war dragged on for such a long time that youth as young as nine and ten
years old in the sixties were already making plans to find a way to avoid the
inevitability of the draft. Forty years later, it's easy to forget that at that
time finding a legitimate way to cause the draft to pass you by was not
considered by the prevailing population to be treason or even cowardice. In the
eyes of moms and dads, sisters and aunts and uncles, anything they could do to
keep their young men from that perceived sentence of death was fair game.

And so once the conflict in Vietnam came to an end, the draft as it was
commonly known at the time came to an end. It's to the credit of the military
and the heart of American young men that the country has been able to keep a
well staffed and well trained military that has largely continued to win on the
battlefield even without the draft.

One wonders if the military draft will ever return to common use in this
country. The memory of the horror of living under a draft may die out with the
baby boomer generation. However, it may be that the cultural change in the way
Americans view warfare may not permit the return to such a random way of
finding America's bravest and finest to conduct her wars. It's a serious
question that has serious results however, the country decides from generation
to generation. We know that America cannot exist without a standing army. There
is no question that in the minds of the American citizen that we must maintain a
military that is superior in every way to every other army in the world. So can
this be done without ever resorting to a draft to supply the armed forces with
sufficient force levels to defend the country?

This may be a question that baby boomers themselves may need to decide in the
context of the political dialog that happens around elections. For today, we
know that the military seems capable of maintaining sufficient might to keep
America's enemies relatively at bay despite sporadic attacks. And as long as
the military can keep the armies of other countries from disturbing the
American way of life, it is unlikely we will see a draft any time soon.

The Plague of Worry

Baby boomers are no strangers to worry. It seems from the first decade this
generation began to become aware of the world, there were big things to worry
about. This was the first generation to grow up with a reality that world
destruction is possible at the hands of a man made weapon that did exist and
was pointed at them. In the 1950s and 1960s, the decades when this generation
was entering youth, it was common for children to have to run drills to hide
under their desks as a defense against the arrival of a nuclear bomb. Even back
then, those baby boomer children know those desks were faint defense against
such a devastating weapon.

So from worrying about the draft, the bomb, Vietnam or about corruption in
government, boomers grew up as a generation of worriers. Of course, worry is
endemic in the human psychology. And as baby boomers grew into adults, parents
and the ones who would come to take leadership in the world, those worries of
youth paled compared to the new responsibilities they faced.

This century brings the advent of the retirement years for baby boomers. Over
the years, many have learned good coping mechanisms to defray some of the
worries of life. Boomers have learned that worry about money, their children or
whether the car needs a new set of tires should be taken in stride. That is
because to some extent, most of these issues can be solved. Money woes can be
fixed with better jobs and money management. Kids can be corrected and turn out
fine even if they have troubled youths. And new tires for the car are easy to
buy.

But the worries of the retirement years are often beyond such short term fixes.
Boomers are hands on managers who have charged through life with the attitude
of, "let me at that problem. I can fix it." But problems of aging are not
always as easily conquered as many of the problems boomers conquered in their
younger years. Some problems that demand a different approach in the later
third of life that boomers are approaching include:

*  Incurable illnesses such as Alzheimer's, ALS or other forms of dementia for
which the only relief is death.

*  Running out of money because Social Security was not adequate and life was
too challenging to really save up for retirement.

*  The prospect of passing many years in an old folk's home with no hope of
release and no physical resources to save oneself can cause panic attacks in
many an aging baby boomer.

*  Dire issues with adult children such as death or illness, marital woes or
the need for grandparents to raise their grandchildren present problems to
aging boomers that seem beyond their physical, emotional and financial
abilities to solve.

These new worries are unlike the worries of their middle age years. These very
real and dire problems loom even larger if the baby boomer seeing them on the
horizon is made suddenly alone by the passing of their spouse. Now one of their
primary resources for staying calm and solving problems has been taken away from
them.

This is a time in life when more than ever baby boomers need to get a refresher
course in stress management and learning that worry cannot solve these problems.
And like their parents before them for generations, boomers too will learn to
face their sunset years with grace and maturity and to live with problems such
as we have discussed with the same courage they faced down the problems of
their youth.

Meditation for a Richer Life

Meditation became part of the vernacular of lifestyle choices and a source of a
lot of conversation as far back as the 60s for baby boomers when there was a big
interest in eastern religions and things that were exotic and new. But while
many of the flash in the pan interests in exotic religions during that time
frame faded away in the life style of baby boomers, meditation has endured and
become a common practice and resource that has benefited this generation in
every decade of their lives.

There is a good reason meditation has endured and even grown in popularity far
beyond any religious context. Meditation has tremendous benefits for virtually
every aspect of life and those who integrate it into their daily lifestyles can
experience those benefits virtually as soon as they start. You don't have to be
a guru at meditation to realize benefits from the very first time to give it a
try. Some of those benefits include:

*  Meditation is calming. Because the act of meditation calls for you to bring
your thoughts into captivity and to still your mind and focus it, that sense of
your soul being in turmoil eases and you are able to address the cause of your
anxiety and see a solution more clearly because your emotions are not clouding
the issue.

*  Meditation helps you focus and concentrate. The great thing about meditation
is that the effects of meditation continue past those few moments when you are
meditating. Those few moments of calm create an atmosphere of focus and clarity
of thought that goes on throughout your day helping you focus your mind and more
easily concentrate when you need to.

*  Meditation reduces stress and mental anxiety. So often the stress that comes
out of problems and difficulties is dominated by emotional reactions even more
than by the problem itself. Meditation clears away the effects of the stress
making it easier for you to solve the problem itself.

*  Meditation helps reduce physical anxiety. The process of meditation involves
extended periods of quiet deep breathing. This simple action floods the brain
with oxygen and energizes blood flow throughout the body which refreshes tired
muscles and causes your entire physical system to relax and release pent up
anxiety.

*  Meditation helps you sleep and digest your food. The refreshed blood flow,
rich in oxygen that comes from the session of meditation, takes action
immediately on the digestive system often reducing or eliminating digestive
problems and even easing the symptoms of ulcers. Because the mind is relaxed
and well supplied with vital oxygen and blood flow, sleep comes more easily and
is more recuperative.

Some successful role models in all walks of life that come out of the baby
boomer generation credit meditation to why they are able to accomplish such
great things. In addition to all of these benefits, meditation is easy to
integrate into your lifestyle and you can go at your own pace learning to
become better at meditation and grow in your ability to use it.

Meditation is profoundly easy to do. The image of a meditation practitioner in
painful "lotus position" going into a virtual trance is the extreme of the
discipline. Because meditation has been adapted so that any of us can benefit
from the health benefits it brings, you can begin meditating immediately and
see the benefits from the very first session.

Small wonder many baby boomers have continued down through the decades to be
enthusiastic proponents of meditation. And there is no reason baby boomers
cannot continue to enjoy the tremendous benefits as they move into their late
middle age and retirement years as well.

Selling Out

Buying and selling a home is one of those things that baby boomers have learned
to deal with in adult life. For many who may have lived in their homes for
decades and raised a family there, the physical space can take on tremendous
sentimental attachment. As you walk around your home, you can think of a memory
for almost every corner and square foot of floor space of that house. But there
comes a time when it is time to loosen your grip on the old plantation and
prepare to let a new family move in.

For one thing, that home is a significant financial asset to you. If you have
been in it for many years, it has almost certainly appreciated in value for
you. So as you have paid down the mortgage, more and more of it actually
belongs to you and not the bank. It has gotten more and more valuable, as the
insurance company is more than happy to inform you.

Upgrading to a new home may be necessary for a baby boomer family as it grows
and new needs create the need for more space. Improvements in income and the
desire for a nicer living space for entertaining can also create this kind of
demand. But as baby boomers move toward their retirement years, one of the
biggest reasons they will have for selling their home will be to move to a
smaller space or to redeem that financial resource for retirement or for other
priorities that are more important than a big spacious house.

Whatever the reason, you want your home to show in its best possible light so
the hopeful home shoppers see the wonderful home environment that you already
know this house to be and can envision their own family in that house. There
are some things you can do to make those moments when they are looking at your
house the best experience possible which will put them in the mood to buy.

*  Obviously, fix the place up. New paint jobs, replacing worn out cabinets,
laying new tile and other improvements you may have been putting off should be
done in the weeks and months before you list. This goes for outdoor
improvements such as landscaping and gardening improvements. Don't let the
buyer see that they are going to have to put a lot of maintenance into the home
up front.

*  Keep the house constantly clean and ready to be shown to prospective buyers.
This means maintaining a lifestyle where you literally can get up and leave
virtually in a moments notice. This is tough but if buyers can come see the
house virtually on a moments notice, you will not lose as many prospects.

*  Make prospective buyers feel that they are welcome to look around. If you
greet them when they come, invite them to enjoy looking around to help them
overcome that feeling that they are imposing. Buying a house is as much about
how the house feels as the technical features of the structure.

*  Think about the senses. Often if they know someone is coming to see the
house, its not uncommon for sellers to bake a loaf of fresh bread in the oven.
That smell as the home buyer comes in creates a tremendous atmosphere of home.
Candles are also pleasant but don't overdo it. You can even leave out a plate
of cookies with a handwritten note saying "help yourself." Those cookies might
just sell the house.

Many of these tips appeal the emotional side of home shopping. But that is as
much a part of a buyer's decision as the importance of good construction and
neighborhood. By doing your part to make visitors feel like this is their
future home, you go a long way to helping them want to make it so as well.

The Actor Inside You

Baby boomers love the theater. And with good reason. The theater has always
been an art form that teaches the love of culture and values that were
important to baby boomers when they were enjoying those explosive years of
youth during the 50s and 60s. You can see the influence of the stage even in
the clothing and ways of expressing themselves that the "hippies" demonstrated
when they were at their zenith.

The love of the stage and culture that has become wide spread in the baby
boomer culture also reflects that this has always been a very well educated
generation. The fact that such a big percentage of baby boomers either had some
exposure to the arts in college themselves or from their parents has been a
healthy thing for preserving this important part of society throughout the time
this generation has been in charge.

For many a baby boomer the stage has held a fascination that is more than just
watching a good play and being a good patron of the arts. Many feel that there
is a performer inside them that wants to become part of theater history by
getting up there and acting in a play with all the joys and terrors that such a
big step would mean. But that shyness and unwillingness to take a chance has
kept many of us from getting out there and giving it a try, knowing it could
lead to disaster. While risk taking of this nature might have been easy when we
were youth, it might not be so easy as adults when we, allegedly, need to
preserve our pride and try not to look stupid on stage if we forget a line.

But as more and more baby boomers move toward retirement age and have the time
to explore the creative side of themselves, this time of life is a perfect
opportunity to get out there and take that plunge and see if you can release
the actor inside to captivate a crowd with your dramatic or comedic talents.

There are plenty of opportunities around that you can give yourself a chance to
step out on stage and experience that thrill of performing a theatrical piece
for a live audience. Virtually every community in the country has one or many
local theater groups who offer the chance for an amateur actor to try his or
her wings in a small role of that next local production. In addition, many
churches, colleges, art museums, improv groups and culture centers use drama as
part of their programs. These are good places to try out your acting skills in
short 3-5 minute skits that would take less commitment to learn and limit your
time on stage so you can get your legs and learn the craft.

If you want to get involved with groups like this, it's easy to volunteer and
perhaps enjoy being part of theater without getting out on stage at first. You
can help with sets, costumes and other tasks and still have the fun of
rehearsals and all that back stage drama before you actually have to step out
there and face an audience.

If ever there was a part of life that cried out those words that should become
our mantra as baby boomers who are sprouting new wings in our later years, the
theater is that place. And that mantra is WHY NOT? Why not take a chance with a
part of life you have always dreamed of trying out? Retirement is a time when
you say, "Hey! No more excuses. I am going to give it a try."

You have let your fears and timidity keep you from letting that actor inside
you try out an actual role in an actual play for long enough. By letting that
actor inside out, you may have the most fun you could ever imagine by getting
out on stage and becoming someone else for a little while. And when you hear
that sound of applause and you know that applause was for you, then that actor
inside you will not only thank you for letting him loose, he will begin nagging
you to get out there again and try an even bigger role next time. And you will
be hooked for life.

Hippies

A lot of baby boomers would like to forget that one of the watershed movements
that defined the personality of this generation was the time frame dominated
by, for lack of a better word, hippies. That term that seems somewhat quaint
and antiquated now had a tremendous power in the mid to late sixties when it
carried with it the impact of tremendous social change as well as a massive
shift in public morality and consciousness. So while this is often a time of a
bit of embarrassment for the baby boomer generation, it is also a formative
part of their history and it deserves respect for that reason.

To be fair, not all baby boomers were hippies. As is often the case, the hippie
movement was something that got tremendous media coverage but it represented
only a small portion of the baby boomer population at the time. By percentage,
very few of that age group actually joined the "tune in, drop out, turn on"
society of the hippies. But because hippies were a colorful, eccentric,
flamboyant and sinful crowd, they titillated the public interest any time there
was a public spectacle brought on by hippie gathering.

But despite being few in number, the hippie culture did send waves of change
into the society at the time. Part of that was because there was a general
discontent with the Vietnam War. So when the hippie movement became linked with
the antiwar movement, they blended to where there was virtually no distinction.
Add to that big changes in youth culture brought on by the explosion of new
musical styles and changes in lifestyle and worldview that the new cultural
leaders in the rock music world promoted and you have a formula for the hippie
movement becoming a watershed shift of social values in a generation.

Rather than just look back on the hippies with mild amusement and a little
disgust, it may be best to review this important part of our past and notice
the good this part of our history left for the boomer generation to carry
forward. While on the surface we associate hippies with drug use and free love
(e.g. sex), the actual movement itself was grounded in tremendous sense of
value, morality and social responsibility.

The youth movement at the time held a mirror up to society and demanded we
look. Moreover, for the first time ever, it held public figures accountable for
actions that were taken that harmed the public good. This was revolutionary to
be sure and it has made the public more demanding and scrutinizing of the
government ever since. And that is a good thing.

There was a strong thread of ethics and philosophy in the hippie social system
that, while different from what America and the world was used to, was grounded
in a fierce devotion to right and wrong in the hippie or counterculture
movements. Along with a strong commitment to the values of that society,
hippies and associated societies were fearless and uncompromising in their
willingness to put themselves on the line to see their values translate into
public policy. This was an element of the hippie subculture that made it so
explosive. Because the youth movement was so willing to demonstrate and make
grand and flamboyant public statements to emphasize their political, ethical or
moral outrage, things changed in a way that the country had never seen before.

The counter culture of the sixties literally put the power for change back into
the hands of the people. And that is in step with what the founding fathers
wanted for America and something we can be thankful to the hippie movement for
giving back to our society.

Rock and Roll Never Forgets

It's a sad thing when we, as baby boomers, begin to feel like "old fogies" when
it comes to music and the "hip" things going on in popular culture. It's also
easy to forget that the rock music and many other genres of modern music got
their launch way back during the days when baby boomers were the young people
changing society and it was our music that changed the world.

So it's good for baby boomers to remember such things about their heritage and
what they passed on to the music and entertainment culture today. In the song
"Rock and Roll Never Forgets" by Bob Seger, the singer reviews the changes baby
boomers have gone through as they go from youth to middle age and deal with
pressures of work, family, child rearing and changes in health due to aging.
But the end result remains the same that at the heart of every baby boomer is a
rock and roller who is just as capable as ever of enjoying the music that was
the foundation of their culture.

One of the things that disheartened the baby boomer generation growing up was
seeing the rock and roll life style take its toll on many of the icons of youth
culture and music including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Freddie Mercury. But
the unfortunate demise of these music heroes does not diminish the great
contribution to music and to culture down through the years. So as much as we
grieve the loss of great talent, we can always celebrate what they gave to us
and continue to give to us down to modern times as music continues to reference
those great figures of 60s music as icons and inspirations.

But for every rock and roller who did not survive that turbulent time in our
culture, we can look to great performers who did survive, overcame their
addictions and went on to continue to give great music to the world decade
after decade. Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones and David Bowie are examples of
wonderful and talented music heroes that demonstrated that age and a few
wrinkles don't mean a thing. They continue to rock and roll today as hard and
with as much heart as they did when they were in their twenties.

In a way "to rock and roll" is a metaphor for living life to its fullest and
for staying true to your values and living life in a genuine way that never
gives up on what's important in life. That is why baby boomers have always had
the greatest contempt for anyone who sells out or abandons their core
principles that they espoused in youth. To sell out is to say that none of the
great history of the youth revolution meant anything and we are willing to turn
out backs on it. But to "rock and roll" means always going back to your roots
and never giving up, even when age, and busy lives and poor health say that you
should slow down and not try to live with as much earnestness as you did when
you were young.

Baby boomers, even at this dignified and "mature" stage in life, should feel
liberated to be able to go ahead and "rock and roll" in a real sense of the
word. The Bob Seger song was a hit because it gives us permission to reconnect
with our roots and express that youthful enthusiasm again. You don't have to go
to a nostalgia show to do that either. There are dozens of great rock and roll
acts that are giving to the children of baby boomers (and their grandchildren)
that same excitement we got from The Beatles and The Stones.

"Discovering" rock and roll all over again can be great fun for a baby boomer
especially when you find a new act that has that power and ability to perform
that reminds us of the acts of our youth. They are out there so just get out
there and uncover this great natural resource of talent in the music and
culture of today's youth revolution.

Classic CDs, The Sound of the Baby Boomers Era

It is a fact that music is one of the best ways to relax. After a long day at
work, you have to have something that can completely unwind the stress you
accumulated in the day. By listening to music, you will surely relax and get
that much needed rest. Listening to music is also a great way to get your mind
off things that adds to stress.

In fact, researches have found that people who listens to music while working
or after working tends to be more efficient in work than people who don't
listen to music. It suggests that people who listens to their favorite music
tends to concentrate better when they are working.

This is why music is an important part of culture in the United States. Many
people listen to music to divert their attention and concentrate on what they
are doing. Some people listen to music while they workout in order to enjoy
working out more and perform much better, some people listen to music in their
homes after a long day at work to relieve stress, and some people listen to
music while they work in order to concentrate on what they are doing and be
more efficient.

So, why is it that listening to their favoring music tends to have a positive
impact to people? It may be because music blocks out ambient and stressful
sound in the environment, or maybe because music lets people enjoy themselves
while they work, therefore, making them more productive.

If you enjoy Rock + Roll music, or the Motown Sounds, you should consider
getting classical CDs that contains music from the baby boomers era. The baby
boomers era is filled with rich classical music that paved the way to the music
that you know and listen to today. If you enjoy the music of The Beatles, then
you are in the right era, the baby boomers era.

The baby boomers era is also filled with music that is considered as the
"hippie music". Songs by John Lennon and other famous artists that are inspired
by peace and the war in Vietnam is also in the baby boomers era. However, if you
prefer great classical Rock + Roll music in the baby boomers era, you should get
music CDs by the Ramones, Led Zeppelin and other rock music icons in the baby
boomer era.

The baby boomer era is definitely a great era filled with great music from
classical rock to easy listening music. Acoustic rock music is also popular in
the baby boomer era. For example, artists such as Simon + Garfunkel, Boz
Scaggs, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and a lot more.

If you enjoy smooth jazz, you can enjoy jazz from the baby boomer era, such as
Sade, George Benson, Spyro Gyra, Dave Koz, The Rippingtons, and more. Rhythm
and Blues was also very popular in the baby boomers era. Artists such as
Motown, Sounds of Philadelphia, and Memphis are one of the most popular R+B
music in the baby boomer era.

Indeed, the baby boomer era is an era where modern music started. Many people
enjoy this timeless music by great artists who have become legends today. In
fact, the music you hear today, either rock or R+B music was influenced by
music from the baby boomers era.

Music CDs from the baby boomer era is still available in your local store. In
fact, with the technology available today, you can get your baby boomers era LP
vinyl disc converted into digital format and burned into CDs. You can get your
LP to play again by rerecording it into CD format.

There are so many artists that came out during the baby boomers era. If you are
a music fanatic and one who enjoys classic Rock and other music from the baby
boomers era, you should get a CD that has music from the baby boomers era. You
will truly appreciate it and you will surely enjoy listening to it wherever you
are.

These timeless classics are indeed one of the best music that you can ever
listen to. It is relaxing and it will virtually take you to the time where
these artists became famous up until they became legends in the music industry.

Defining Marriage All Over Again

Marriage is a funny thing. How you view it is drastically different if you are
a teenager or youth with stars in your eyes compared to your vision of marriage
when you have been ensconced in the practice for 20-30 years and looking toward
a life in retirement as a married couple. Baby boomers have experienced every
aspect of marriage from that early idealistic stage through divorces, various
redefinitions of marriage and now taking their marriages into their retirement
years. It may be that this next transition of marriage will bring as many
changes to that special relationship as any that have gone before.

How you view marriage as you move toward your retirement years without a doubt
depends on how marriage has gone for you over the decades. If marriages are
rocked with difficulty, separations and other woes, retirement can bring a new
dimension to that tension. On the other hand, part of the commission of
retirement is to begin to seek resolution of life's struggles so working
together with each other in the context of marriage can bring tremendous
healing in this phase of life.

Each era of life seems to bring a new opportunity to define marriage and how it
will be an important part of life. When the baby boomer generation became
parents, the shift was notable as retailers responded to their emphasis on
being good moms and dads and away from youthful issues to some extent. Then as
baby boomers moved through parenting and into the empty nest phase of life,
that seemed to bring as many challenges as when that nest filled up with
children decades before.

There is no question that real life in the context of a very real and
functional marriage, even with the problems that brings is also a huge resource
for us throughout life's journey. While sometimes the romance can escape from
the marriage relationship if life brings struggles and as our bodies go through
changes, that partnership and intimacy of relationship is an incredible resource
for coping with the big changes all baby boomers have had to face over the years.

This is the good thing about hanging in there with that marriage until you get
to the stage of life most baby boomers are moving toward in this decade. The
things that can rob a marriage of romance during the working part of your
married years are the coming of children, the hard work of raising them,
keeping a career moving forward in the tough business settings we have
experienced in the last three decades and seeing your own relationship evolve
under that kind of "pressure cooker" environment.

But a significant amount of those pressures begin to lift when you are able to
perhaps scale back the work life, enjoy the fruits of your labors and let the
kids get out on their own. So that side of the pre-retirement years can
actually be a fertile setting for a new romantic life between husband and wife
to spring up. Many couples, as they leave the world of parenting behind,
experience such late in life romantic rebirths. And this kind of late
springtime in your relationship with your long time spouse can bring the birth
of new creativity in many parts of your life making it one of the happiest
phases of life for you and your husband or wife.

A marriage gets tested throughout youth and middle age and marriages that
survive do so because of mutual support and the ability to accept the other
member of the marriage and compromise. Since these traits will be well
established in your relationship as you move into your fifties and sixties
together, they will be a continuous resource to you as you face retirement
issues, dealing with being a grandparent and being wise counsel for children
who are facing life's struggles for the first time.

But baby boomers should not be surprised if they see their marriages continue
to change, grow and mature in new directions as each partner explores this
phase of life for the first time as well. A marriage is a living thing so we
can take joy from seeing it become something new each new decade as, as we have
done often in the past, we start defining marriage all over again.

On the Road

"On the Road" is a well known phrase to baby boomers because it is the title of
that famous novel by Jack Kerouac of youthful exploration and curiosity. And
even though technically Kerouac represented the generation before the time of
the boomers, that novel very much became a bible for the youth movement that
exploded during the 1960s when the boomers went through their teen and college
years. As a result, there is wanderlust and a yearning to get away from it all
and travel that is deeply ingrained in the baby boomer mentality and way of
viewing the world.

It isn't surprising then that baby boomers as adults have created a leisure and
travel industry that has reached new levels of popularity in the last three
decades. So nobody would be surprised either when we see boomers in their early
retirement years begin to look into becoming the ultimate wanderers by hitting
the road in their RVs and staying on the go virtually nonstop.

The spirit of adventure and desire not only to see and be part of the expanse
of this glorious country has a lot to do with the yearning to travel that is so
common in modern day baby boomers. But it is more than just wanting to see great
sights and enjoy the huge variety of climate and landscapes that America has to
offer that lures baby boomers out of their rocking chairs and out onto the
highways. It is also the allure of meeting new people, becoming "citizens" not
just of their local community but of the world and packing their retirement
years with fun and new adventures that has a genuine appeal to baby boomers.

Baby boomers have always been people of adventure. This can be seen in the
great literature that has been made popular by this generation. The Lord of the
Rings is a great example of how baby boomers see the world as ordinary
creatures, the hobbits, go on the road to do some great thing to save their
world. No wonder that trilogy became an anthem of this generation who have
always seen themselves as adventurers with a mission in life to do good for all
mankind.

But hitting the road in their RV, as tame as that may seem to observers, also
appeals to a sense of unrestrained life that helps boomers combat the feeling
that the world is closing in around them. The popular song of the 60s, "Born to
be Wild" was more than a catchy tune. It expressed a self-image boomers had as
youth that they were only somewhat civilized and that there is a part of their
nature that can never be tamed. The freedom of travel and the lack of
restrictions is liberating to aging boomers who may have been boxed in by
life's responsibilities, jobs and families for much of their adult lives.

In this way, boomers don't see retirement as a time to cut back on the
adventure of living. Quite the opposite, boomers see the chance to live on the
road in their RVs as a chance to release that inner bohemian wanderer, that
Jack Kerouac and Neil Cassidy that lives in every boomer and give those free
spirits the chance to redefine the world in their own terms.

So as loved ones of boomers, let's not try to rein in these free spirits, even
of those spirits live in an aging mom and dad or grandma and grandpa. Boomers
can be an inspiration to generations to come that they can live a life of
responsibility and maturity and still retain a little of that inner beatnik or
hippy that truly was born to be wild.

Now is the Time to Quit Smoking

We can only hope that the baby boomer generation will be the last one who grew
up in a culture where smoking was cool and acceptable. The health passion of
baby boomers that comes out of their dislike of anything that accelerates the
aging process is one of the reasons the anti smoking movement has gained
strength in the last decade. The reasons for quitting smoke are well known to
anyone who has paid attention to the issue at all.

*  Smoking reduces the life span. For the baby boomer generation, living a long
and healthy life is a way of staying young. Smoking not only shortens the life
span but it is a plague to your health in every era of life.

*  Smoking destroys quality of life. Simple pleasures like breathing and
enjoying a fine meal are damaged because smoking dominates the lungs and taste
buds. The pleasures that make life worthwhile are rendered neutral by smoking.

*  Smoking hurts the innocent. Secondary smoke hurts the ones you love and it
plants in children the desire to smoke in their adult lives.

*  Smoking brings on dire diseases such as cancer and lung disease. These
diseases are deadly and they can make life in your retirement years miserable.

*  Smoking makes you ugly. This may be the worst crime there is to a baby
boomer. Smoking causes wrinkles and dries the skin making you look decades
older than you really are.

The good news is that even for baby boomers who may have been smoking for
decades, it's always possible to quit. Sometimes it's easy to decide you can
never beat this addiction. You may have tried the patches and pills and even
hypnotism and the desire for the nicotine poison lingers on. But it is possible
to do it. There are some steps to getting it done which will take a while but
they are proven to work.

*  Get plenty of support. Get your family on your side and educate them on your
program. If you commit to them you are going to do it, they can love that habit
out of your system.

*  Catalog your smoking. Make a precise journal of exactly how many cigarettes
you have every day, when you have them and even who you are with when you have
them.

*  Stabilize your usage. Now select the 10 or 20 times each day you will have a
cigarette and only let yourself have one at those allotted times. Do this for
about 2 weeks. If you want a cigarette at another time, just promise yourself
you will wait for it.

*  Starting with week one of the quit smoking campaign, eliminate one cigarette
from your routine. Pick the easiest time not to have one. Pick the time that is
least social so you feel less pressure to go ahead and light up. So where you
may have smoked 20 cigarettes a day before, now you smoke 19 a day. Do that for
2 weeks. If you want a cigarette during that eliminated time, just promise
yourself you can have one at the next allowed smoke break.

*  Eliminate one cigarette from your schedule every do weeks. 18 cigarettes a
day for 2 weeks, then 17, then 16 and on and on. Keep notes. Go from easiest
time to quit to hardest.

*  With each successful phase, have a little celebration with your friends and
family.

*  Finally you will down to one a day. You will have scaled your dependency
down to this one tiny smoke break. You will come to that moment when you say,
"Oh what's the point of having the one?" Then you can crumple up your last pack
and throw it way.

The great thing about this approach is its free and you just slowly reduce your
dependence by promising yourself that cigarette at the next allowed smoke time.
Stay with the same brand so your level of nicotine remains constant. And by
staying at each level for a couple of weeks, you give your body a chance to
slowly get used to each reduced level until you have weaned yourself off of the
dreaded weed entirely. And when you throw that final pack away, its time for a
big party. Congratulate yourself because you have quit smoking and just added
years of fun and happiness and joy with your family to your life.

Mentoring

Baby boomers owe a lot to mentors of their own youth that instilled the values
that brought them into the world. You might not think back on the wild days of
the 50s and 60s as a time when mentored youth were expressing the values of
their elders. But there is really no way that such a powerful explosion of
culture change could happen without the influence of teachers and mentors on
the youth of the time.

The mentors of the youth culture developed their values in the 40s and 50s.
These were values that were outraged by the ravages of war and perceived
injustice in society. The outcome of the civil rights movement, the women's
rights advances and other society changing movements show that the teaching of
a few principled individuals can literally change the world.

As baby boomers move toward late middle age, this is an outstanding time to
consider mentoring a youth of the next generation to pass long some of the
values that have held true for baby boomers over the decades. This is the real
treasure of one generation passing their wisdom on to the next when they are
able to share with the young what values really do mean something and which
ones will pass with time.

A song from the youth days of the baby boomer generation that so perfectly
demonstrates the importance of the old mentoring the young is "Father and Son"
by the folk performer Cat Stevens. In this song, a father counsels his son who
is consumed with the passion of his values and the explosive and impatient
desire to make them a reality. Baby boomers can relate to that poetic song
because they are a generation who have worked to retain their values but to put
those values to the test to find the truths that truly are eternal and reject
what is only of importance for a time.

For baby boomers, who are now the wise elderly citizens of society, mentoring
youth is a wonderful time to not just teach values to youth in an instructional
setting but to teach them in the most important way, by being part of their
lives. Wonderful organizations such as the Big Brother program and many church
groups love to use the good hearts of baby boomers who want to reach out to the
next generation just as their own elders guided them to wise values that have
lasted a lifetime.

But it isn't just the youth that benefit from a strong mentor that is working
within the context of a well organized and administered program to help young
people. There is something fulfilling for the aging baby boomer to share from
the heart with a troubled youth who needs a friend and to give them the
greatest gift possible, the gift of time and friendship. For many baby boomers
who may have lost a child or experienced tragedy in this area of life, becoming
a friend to a youth and seeing that youth blossom into a young man or woman who
wants to get out there and change the world validates who they were as youth as
well and gives them that feeling of connection to the young.

That feeling of making life better for one who is just starting out in life can
give a baby boomer that is moving toward retirement a sense of closure and
satisfaction that the hard won knowledge and wisdom they obtained has been good
for a young person. And that kind of satisfaction can lead to a happier and more
peaceful retirement experience and prepare any who would give themselves to
mentoring what he or she will need to prepare for that final adventure of
passing on from this world to the next one.

A Second Career at Craft Shows

Baby boomers are a very creative people. But so often the demands of career and
raising a family leaves little time for creativity in your middle age years. But
as more baby boomers complete their years of service in their careers and move
toward retirement, they have plenty of energy and creativity left for a new
passion in life, one that expresses all that creativity of their youth.

This is one reason we have seen such an explosion of craft fairs in the country
which provide an outlet for all of that creative talent baby boomers are
expressing through their arts and craft. The great thing about crafts shows is
you can start wherever you are in your creative arts and continue to grow and
become more skilled each passing year. To get started, you should take on this
new hobby and small business with the same enthusiasm and passion you did when
you were employed in your former career. That is the great thing about baby
boomers having this kind of free time in the retirement years. There is so much
talent and energy available that to not make it available to the public would be
a crime.

It is going to take some preparation to get ready for your first craft fair.
The preparation will be on three fronts. One is making contacts with the
organizers of upcoming fairs and getting on the schedule to be able to display
a booth there. The easiest way to find out how to do that is attend the new
craft fair that comes up in the area. They are often associated with special
events such as Oktoberfest or a food or music festival. By attending several as
you are in your preparation period, you can accomplish several good things:

*  You can look at booths of many different vendors to get ideas for your booth
when you are ready to take the plunge.

*  You can talk to vendors who are selling there and learn about how to go
about getting on the program for this fair and to learn about upcoming events
you can participate in. Don't worry about you seeming to pose a threat as a
future competition for sales. There is a camaraderie among crafters and you
will enjoy the social aspect of mixing with other creative people.

*  You can talk to the people who organize the show and get a feel for how you
will fit in to their next event.

Another line of preparation is booth creation. It's good if you are starting
early because it will take some time and a bit of expense to get the materials
together and for you to build the skills to put the booth up, take it down,
move it and store it between shows. Again, your contacts with experienced craft
show veterans will be invaluable for this.

Finally, but this is the most important part of your preparations is your
talent and craft that you will be preparing to sell at the craft shows. You can
purchase some examples of similar crafts you see doing well at the fairs you
scout out. These can be templates for what you want to do. But you will impose
your own creative vision on the craft so what you offer when you finally get to
the craft faire will be uniquely yours and speak of your vision.

Along with these preparations, think about how you will customize your booth to
draw customers in. From craft fairs you have attended in the past and the ones
you scout, you will witness that there are certain booths that draw crowds and
others that just don't seem to get the customers. So you want to make your
booth inviting to customers so you will reap a good return on your effort in
the form of sales.

There are a variety of ways to draw customers. From candles, to contests, to
videos playing, to using music or live talent to making your craft as people
watch, there are many ways you can experiment around with to draw customers.
You will get a unique thrill from the sales you make each day. But more
importantly, you will be expressing that creative side of you and getting that
fulfillment that you had to wait to this phase of life to express. And that's a
wonderful benefit of learning to sell your crafts at craft fairs.

Pampering Your Skin

The quest to stay young looking has become a virtual passion especially as baby
boomers move through middle age. You can see it in commercials, particularly for
women, who maintain that the effects of age can be defeated so the skin can
remain smooth, soft and wrinkle free. While it's easy to discount this quest
for great looking skin as vanity, there is truth to the idea that taking good
care of our skin is a worthwhile ambition for baby boomers as they approach
their retirement years.

Often we don't think a lot about our skin. It seems so self sufficient and self
healing that we take for granted that it will just get better when it suffers
mild abrasions or cuts or other ailments. Few of us take the time to appreciate
the fact that the skin is one of vital organs (the largest one) and that we
should take care of it with as much concern as we do for our heart and lungs.

Maintaining robust health is a goal for baby boomers who have always been
driven to fight the effects of aging and stay youthful. So just as we all have
worked together to become aware of the risks for heart disease, cancer and
other endemic problems as we age, we should also become well informed on
lifestyle choices that can affect the ability of our skin to stay healthy and
able to take good care of us well into our golden years.

There is no other body organ that is so exposed to damage and so rugged in
resisting the wear and tear of the world than the skin. But the elements and
even things we do can cause wear and tear on the skin and cause it to become
dry, wrinkled and eventually more susceptible to disease. Some of the things we
can do from a lifestyle point of view to give our skin a head start on staying
healthy throughout our lives are:

*  Protect the skin from the extremes of temperature such as harsh wind and
cold. These elements will dry the sin and lead to preliminary aging if we don't
take care earlier in life.

*  Similarly being sensible about exposing our skins to the sun just makes
sense. The quest for a good tan, while attractive in the short term, is not
good skin care long term.

*  It doesn't pay to wash the skin in harsh soaps or to scrub it too harshly.
While it is good to maintain a clean lifestyle and clean the skin regularly, we
have to remember that harsh soaps and being too aggressive with the skin can
wear it down and remove natural lubrication and cleansing agents that the skin
generates to take care of itself.

*  Some habits such as smoking which we already identified for other health
risks, are also hard on the skin. All you have to do is to look at the face of
a lifelong smoker to see the deep lines and the deterioration of the skin
caused by that habit to make you want to throw your smokes out the window.

Good skin care like tooth care and care of other part so your body require
regular attention, good life style habits and common sense. Just as over
attention to brushing the teeth can be as harmful as good, excessive washing
and obsession about the skin is just as damaging as neglecting it.

There are proactive things we can do from a lifestyle point of view to give the
skin the care it needs to do it's job of keeping us healthy. Routine use of
coconut oil each night helps the skin remain smooth and healthy and is a
pleasant nightly ritual for you. Good diet with an emphasis on Vitamin A and
including generous portions of fruit, vegetables and carrot juice can keep your
skin healthy and robust well into those sunset years. And as baby boomers move
into that stage of their lives, they will benefit from a lifestyle of good skin
care that started early and continued throughout life.

On Not Being Stressed Out

The one thing that virtually all baby boomers have in common is the stress of
living in this modern age. So much has changed for baby boomers since they
first enjoyed those days of youth culture when hairstyle and rock music seemed
like the most important things in the world. But, like all generations before
them and to come, baby boomers had to grow up and take on the responsibilities
of raising a family, making a living and figuring out their place in this big
complicated world.

Stress comes from a lot of sources. Obviously, we get it from work. We think of
the work place as a source of stress because it is a place where making a living
is paramount and there are daily demands, deadlines and schedules to be met. In
addition, most of us have to deal with at least some difficult people during
our workdays, which only compounds the stress.

But stresses don't end when we walk out of our workplace. Traffic itself can be
a stress. Then the joys of raising children and marriage can also bring some
trials with them as well. It is common to return home from a difficult day only
to face serious problems at home. In this situation, it seems that the stress
and anxiety just keep mounting up.

This is not the adult life most baby boomers envisioned in their youth days
when they were idealistic and the world was their oyster. But nobody told us
that the reason the oyster is so beautiful is because it creates stress on the
clam who copes with it by covering it with the smooth oyster material. So
stress can build us up and make something beautiful. But it can also tear us
down and lead to serious medical and mental problems if we don't develop some
coping techniques to deal with it.

Some good coping mechanisms that many baby boomers have found helpful to defray
the stress in their lives include:

*  Get away from it. To put the cares of the world in perspective, we have to
get away from them for a while. If nothing else, just soaking in a hot bathtub
with a good magazine and some happy music can wash away the cares of the world
and let them swirl down the drain with the bubbles. But look for chances to
relax and put those worries aside for a little bit. It will help you calm your
mind, rest your system and be ready to deal with those issues without so much
anxiety, which doesn't do anybody any good.

*  Partner with your family. Your spouse and children don't want to see you
stressed out. But sometimes they don't know how much they add to the problems
when they throw the problems of the day at you as soon as you walk through the
door. It's good for them to see the world through your eyes. But remember that
they are stressed with school or issues of work and relationships too. So
partner together to have a little time to just be family and love away that
anxiety. Everybody will be better for it.

*  Take time for health. Its strange but our diet and rest are the things we
need the most to cope with stress and yet those are the areas of life that are
most damaged if we let stress wear us down. So go back to basics and make sure
you get good meals, good rest and take care of yourself. It will make you a
better worker and stronger for your family as well.

Seeing stress as a serious enemy to your lifestyle above and beyond the causes
of stress is a big step forward to not letting this enemy continue to damage
your ability to be a good worker and family member. But if you take action to
keep stress from dominating your life, you are doing something very good for
yourself and making yourself more able to attack problems and solve them with
the creativity and intelligence people know you for.

Smart Baby Boomer Travelers

If you ask a representative sample of baby boomers that are approaching their
retirement years what they are looking forward to the most about retirement,
the most common answer that comes back is, "travel". There is something about
the romance and fun of travel that appeals to us as we think about stepping out
of the work world and doing things we have been hoping to do for all our lives.
And travel has that sense of adventure that calls to us when we look forward to
a time when our responsibilities are few but we have the resources to realize
our dreams.

If travel is a major objective of your retirement planning, the earlier in life
you get started planning your travel adventures, the more fun your trips will
be. They say that anticipation is half the fun of a trip. So why not start now
planning for your various destinations and the adventures you want to have when
you get there?

If the baby boomer got a chance to travel during those child rearing years, you
no doubt already have some solid travel disciplines in place to use for routine
trips. Most of us have learned to travel smart from business travel or
traveling to see family over the years. But it's a good idea to review your
preparation check lists when you start thinking of longer trips, perhaps to
more exotic and unknown locations such as Europe, The Middle East or South
America.

Remember that when you are retired and planning longer trips, that is going to
present some unique challenges in terms of packing. Its one thing to pack for
three days in Orlando but its something else entirely to pack for two weeks in
Germany or Greece. It takes an experienced and prepared traveler to only take
the essentials and to keep your packing light and efficient. Some core
principles that will help you include:

*  Take things that don't need pressing or a lot of maintenance. If you can use
the same garment over several days, that cuts down on your bulk considerably.
You can even rinse out wash and wear garments in your hotel room and hang them
up in the bathroom while you sleep and they will good as new in the morning.

*  Don't pack it. Buy it. It might pay to pick up some of your disposable items
when you get to your destination. You can buy your toiletries and even a garment
or two if something gets left behind once you arrive. And by not taking a lot of
disposable items, you cut down on the chances you will have trouble with
security.

*  Check your bags. You see people who try to drag everything on board with
them to avoid baggage claim. These are your rookie travelers. Better to trust
the airline with the bag and be prepared if your bag gets lost than to have all
that struggle trying to get everything into bags you can take on board.

*  Be prepared to lose your bags. Just pack a small carry on with what you must
have that first night in the hotel. Include small items for changing clothes,
sleepwear and hard to replace toiletries so if you do find your bags didn't
make the trip, you can stay comfortable until they catch up to you.

Be smart and think ahead about where you are going and what you will need
there. Read as much as you can about your destination and book your
accommodations well in advance so you know you are expected even in a part of
the world that is new to you. These kinds of preparations will make your
retirement travel fun and exciting and keep you on the road regularly for many
years to come.

Baby Boomer Burial

Death may be at Bay for a Baby Boomer, Be Prepared for Their Burial

When babies are born, their families rejoice and are quite overjoyed. Their
parents are always there to guide them and attend to their needs. As they grow
old, they are capable to do things on their own, and some of them even choose
to leave their homes for greener pastures. When they finally find a good job,
they can take care of all their expenses.

Life is full of surprises, and it is very much unpredictable. Many people die
every day; are you prepared for it? You can't say that you'll die at this age
because who knows, after an hour or a second you may die.

As babies are born in this world, they come with a cost. Their parents have to
pay for their hospital bills and other medications. And when people finally
rest in peace, their families will still have to spend money for their funeral.

When a person dies, his or her family is sad because they lost a loved one. And
sometimes, the burden is even more felt if they don't have enough money to spend
for the funeral. This is one reason why a person should be prepared for death.

Although a lot of people are scared about death, you shouldn't be that way. You
should be prepared and start living a good life for other people to remember you
by. Baby boomers should start preparing for this event because for the next
years to come, for they will be the ones to face this reality.

The years 1946 to 1964 were also the years of increased births. During these
years, baby boomers were born. The US government is expecting the death rate to
increase between the current years and will continue until 2035. It can reach as
high as 3.5 million annually, an increase of about 50% of the death rate in the
US alone.

As baby boomers reach their timeline, they are about to face the final fact of
life. All living things must end, and man is no exception. Because of the new
technology in the medical profession, many baby boomers' lives were extended or
postponed. But now, it's inevitable.

Perhaps, families of baby boomers are not yet ready. Even the entire population
may not be ready to face massive deaths of baby boomers. Not one is interested,
but their lives are slipping through even if they don't want it that way.

Seldom can you find couples talking about their deaths. In fact, statistics
have shown that many people don't have the courage to speak about their death.
They find it hard to discuss matters about death on a more personal level. But
death is an occurrence that all people must face and deal with.

The family of the baby boomers should be prepared to make the final
arrangements. And this has nothing to do with hotel reservations. The final
arrangements pertains to the funeral, cremation or cemetery burial of their
loved ones.

Baby boomers probably know that by now, and they are preparing for their final
trip. They came into the world and their generation was highly noted in history
because of their large number. And now, they will again make a history, only
now, they would be parting this world.

Most of today's individuals want to be prepared. Typical examples are insurance
plans and educational plans. Final arrangements are now widely acceptable in the
society. In fact, there are those who plan for their burial.

You have to overcome your fear. And baby boomers are quite known to be strong
individuals. So there is no need to be scared now that you're in the last
stages of your battle in life.

If you've made your final arrangements, then you're family and loved ones will
not have much problems during the funeral. They will be able to spend the
remaining hours by your side until you're finally taken to your final
destination.

When baby boomers were still in their youth, they didn't want to grow old.
Funny right, but guess what, a lot of the baby boomers are now aging. And now
that they're old, they can't do anything about it. The last thing they can do
is to prepare for the coming of death.
baby boomers pain oakville ontario

The Happiness and Pain Women Baby Boomers Bear

Women baby boomers having a career of their own will not likely retire even
after they reach that certain age while a minority of them will continue to
struggle with a difficult life.

Professional baby boomers that have children often travel less and their
working hours are rather short. Some of them frequently change jobs while
others take a flexible staff position to cope up with their responsibilities as
a mother. Their attention is focused to their families, friends, and in helping
other people. They have very little time to care for themselves.

According to statistics, women live longer. And since they have a longer life
span, they will eventually outlive their resources and savings. Now that they
are nearing their retirement age, they are looking for ways to plan for their
insurance and other matters pertaining to their health.

While professional baby boomers are like this, the minority of women boomers
are struggling with their way of life. They selflessly cared for their parents
and their children, and they can't retire now. Most of them live below what
many people call the 'poverty line'. They experience poorer health and
financial insecurity, and in their remaining years, the usual safety nets
provided by the government will be more limited than today.

Boomer women can't have secured retirements and this is due to factors
associated with social, demographic, political, cultural, and economic aspects.
Most of the private and public sector policies are gender-biased, which means
that most policies are in favor of men, so they will likely have uncertain
employment, health care, financial, retirement benefits, and housing benefits.

As boomer women age, their needs should be recognized. Both the policies in the
private and public sectors must be restructured to reflect family structure
changes and accommodate single parent's needs. It's now time to eliminate
gender/age discrimination; after all, boomers want to enforce changes anywhere
they go.

While some women boomers are problematic with the aging process, there are also
carefree individuals. Most boomers want to look their best, and since they are
now aging, they want to look younger. Some of them even go to the extent of
dyeing or coloring their hair. Now that their in their 60s, more gray hair is
surfacing. Around 7% of baby boomers are using hair color to prevent gray hair
from appearing. They do it at home by themselves but there are also those who
prefer salons. Time will come when they will give up hair coloring just like
other old individuals, they will soon realize that they can't combat with time.

Aging or not, women baby boomers have a great influence in making purchases of
any product or service. Here are great marketing tips for boomer women:

-  boomers have discretionary incomes but they are more worried with financial
   health
-  boomer women will not inherit any wealth, the average boomer woman will only
   get 25-50K
-  many boomers are member of AARP
-  boomers don't really prefer certain brand names
-  aging women boomers spend more on computers, perfumes, watches, jewelry,
   luxury autos, and home improvement
-  middle-aged boomers have more parents than kids
-  most boomers are now grandparents
-  most women boomers think that they are smarter than salespeople

Even though most women baby boomers are now 'aging', they still have a great
impact in the society. They made a boom that was heard by the whole world when
they were born. And now, they are again creating a boom; they are still making
a significant change in the aging population. They are different indeed, from
the past and future generations.

And even if they outlive their life expectancy, they will leave a mark that will 
be recognized by the coming generations. And they will continue to live through 
the memories they have left behind.

Baby Boomer Generation Linking to Network Marketing

People who belong in the age of mid-40s or beyond it are part of the Baby
Boomer Generation. And some of these 79 million Boomers will soon be facing the
day of their retirement.

People of the new generation usually perceive these Boomers as generally
wealthy and are able to sustain their lives after they retire. This notion,
however, is a mask that hides the pang of truth, for not the entire people
included in Baby Boomers Generation are living a life in affluence.

Truth is some of these Boomers suffer in their means of living too. Hence, they
are incapable to sustain their lives the moment they retire.

For these Boomers who are seeking for more means to be able to sustain their
lives after their retirement or even for those who just wants to have financial
security, the approach of network marketing is introduced. And this is apt to
those who would want to achieve a healthy family lifestyle.

Network marketing is also termed as multi-level-marketing (MLM), and this is
known to create a new chance as well as cultivate unlimited potentials in
income. The processes that are involved here are very simple; it can be done
wherever the person is, whether he is over the telephone, in his home or using
his computer's Internet.

If you are interested to engage in network marketing all you have to do is to
find a company with the right tools, proper approach and endorsements. Try to
consider also the winning products of the company as well as the faultless
timing.

Choosing the right company will help one to get out from too much struggles in
money. Surely, it can provide a good income without creating a stress on you
due to conflicting time.

Here, you will be able to manage your own time with limitless potentials in
your earnings.

However, though it sounds good, the success in network marketing will still
depend on your effort. Like any other jobs, network marketing will definitely
still require relentless efforts as well as long hours of work for sometime.

What made the network marketing a comfortable job as compared to others is that
you will have a very flexible time. There is also the presence of satisfaction
in managing your own business.

Here, you have no boss but yourself, and you will not need any employees too.
And your earnings will lie on your hands, the harder you work, the more
successful you can be.

The moment you establish Network Marketing all you have to do is to maintain
and keep up your income level with the right company. Through this you still
have the time to spend with your family while providing them a better life at
the same time.

Now, if you are not a part of the Baby Boomer Generation, you may still engage
in network marketing. In fact you have a good asset; the Baby Boomers are
viewed as a good target for network marketing services and products.

In fact the Business Week Online's October 24 issue last 2005 presented "Love
Those Boomers," this topic directly pointed out that the Baby Boomers are a
good target for network marketing.

Why? The reason is simple. There are approximately 77 Million Boomers in
America. And there are roughly a Billion of them globally.

Putting them in figures, they are about 27.5 percent of the population in
America, found in 45.8 million households.

Their spending power in each year alone ranges to about $2.1 Trillion Dollars.
Their yearly income on household pre-tax is about 57.7 thousand dollars. And
their yearly spending for each household ranges to $45.7 thousand dollars.
Their poverty rate is only about 7.3 percent.

No wonder the Baby Boomers are regarded as a driving force in America's major
trends. To attest this, Baby Boomers increased the sales of a Gerber product,
baby food, to about two million containers in the late 40s and early 50s.

The same thing happened to shoes, clothing and toy products as these Baby
Boomers started to grow up.

Whether you are a Baby Boomer or not, you may engage in network marketing, in
fact there are some who suggests that in someway this is a better alternative
to some American job that has a monotonous routine.

Building Retirement Fortune Through Online Trading

There is a certain romance to trading on the stock market. Wall Street and all
the drama of what goes on there seems exciting and a place where millionaires
are made in a day. Fortunately, for most of us, Wall Street is a far away place
and we would be too intimidated to actually try to trade in that complex
environment. If you get a chance to visit and watch the frantic trading floor
in action, that's plenty.

Baby boomers are notoriously self confident and have a generational attitude
of, "If someone can do it, so can I." When this attitude is brought to
investing, that can set up a dangerous situation for the baby boomer from a
financial perspective. The explosion of the internet which has put virtually
every kind of transaction at our fingertips has spawned this new phenomenon of
"Online Trading." In theory, any baby boomer could sit down with their
retirement money and with a flew clicks on their favorite stock investment web
site, make a fortune over night.

Well, at least that is the allure of online trading. There are some very good
things about the movement that has been afoot in the last few years to put your
financial world at your fingertips on the internet. Some of those advantages are:

*  You can stay in touch with your bank balances and your investments on a
daily or even hourly basis by having updates delivered right to your desktop.
This is unprecedented access to your own money. It can be a blessing because it
raises your awareness of your investments or a curse because it makes you less
tolerant and willing to "ride out" market fulgurations.

*  Online trading services have reduced broker's fees by putting the power to
invest in the market right at your fingertips. But by taking the brokers out of
the loop somewhat, you also lose their valuable expertise and advice to keep you
from making disastrous mistakes.

*  Online trading has made management of your financial picture part of your
online entertainment. But it also could lead to becoming obsessed with
investing rather than putting your money in a solid long-term plan and moving
on with your life.

*  The sudden interest in online trading has made more people knowledgeable
about the stock market and what their money is doing. There is no downside to
becoming educated about this important part of your financial planning.

But like anything else, particularly when it comes to the internet, using some
common sense is crucial to not letting yourself go crazy with online investing.
Baby boomers, as they move into the retirement years, very often find themselves
with some but not enough retirement funding. So it's easy to see online
investing as a way of supplementing that income and retiring in luxury as we
all dream to do.

If there was any mantra, we must have about investing, especially if we are
using online tools, it is, "Be prudent and be informed." There is no substitute
for getting some education and doing some reading into the mechanics of the
stock market and into the strategies that are most likely to be a success for
you. The stock market is no place for "get rich quick" schemes because they are
more likely to result in "get poor quick" outcomes.

But for the smart baby boomer who does his or her homework and knows what they
are doing and gets good advice from investment analysts that know the market,
online investing can become a good addition to your financial planning arsenal
and be a lot of fun for you as well.

Creating Retirement Wealth

As baby boomers are rapidly approach what used to be defined as "retirement
age", a big concern often comes up about whether there will be enough
retirement savings in place to be able to live a comfortable life later in
life. There have been plenty of rumbles from Washington that the Social
Security system will not be able to bear up under the huge demand the boomer
generation will put on it. So few baby boomers are looking to depend on that
money being there, even though we are all paying into it every month.

On top of that worry, the method our parents used of working for the same
company for 50 years and retiring with a hefty financial package and a gold
watch has gone the way of the dinosaurs. Long ago corporate America began to
eliminate retirement packages as a straight forward benefit. So many baby
boomers find themselves approaching retirement age with insufficient retirement
monies to support them. What is needed is a solid plan to attack this problem
while boomers still have a good 10 to 15 years of working potential in them.
Some principles of that plan might be:

Simplify Your Life.

When the kids finish college and get out on their own, you may find your life
could be simplified considerably. You might not need as big a house and many of
the extras that were important when you raising a family in that house. Do a
thorough review of your assets and your expenses. You will find you can cut
costs significantly and even begin to cash in on some of the extras you have
had all these years and put all of those savings into the bank as a hedge for
the day when you are ready to retire.

Pack the Bank Account Now.

The empty nest syndrome isn't all bad. There are some real benefits to
returning to a lifestyle of just you and your spouse discovering life together.
You have conquered many challenges raising a family in this tough world and you
deserve to be proud of your life of accomplishment. But now you and your spouse
can take on a big challenge that is just for you which is to get out there and
generate income for retirement.

Mom can go back to work and both members of the union can take on as much work
as can be found. Often in the mid to late fifties, the primary bread winner may
be able to retire from that job they have held down for several decades. But
instead of beginning to live off of retirement funds, get another career going
that can generate another ten to fifteen years of income. With good budget
management, it's very likely you will be able to bank at least one entire
income if not more and put all of that money back into retirement.

Working with your investment counselors you can find ways to shelter that extra
income so it stays out of the tax system until you are ready to use it. The good
news is that this push for productivity and revenue generation late in life can
lead to a healthy retirement budget that can benefit you well as you finally
sit back to enjoy your leisure years in the rocking chair taking care of the
grandkids.

Identify a Money Generator that Can Stay With You

There are second careers that you can find that will become a good source of
supplemental revenue even after you retire. Start now looking for a potential
"retirement career" which will be a line of work you can do even after you
retire to generate additional income for you. Writing or internet work is a
good way to set up a home based business that you can continue to work at as
long as you can type, see reasonably well and your thinking capacity is sound.

Other examples of retirement careers are part time jobs as apartment managers
or care givers, sales jobs in using the expertise from your primary career or
jobs that are somewhat non-taxing such as greeting customers at a Wal-Mart or
working in a book store. And these retirement jobs have the double benefit of
adding to your revenue resources and keeping you active and enjoying life in
your retirement years. And that is what all of us want.

The Studies about Baby Boomers in the Internet

If you are enjoying how you live today in the United States, you should realize
that the freedom you enjoy is the work of the past generation. Today, there is
less discrimination and people are now fully enjoying their civil rights as a
citizen of the United States. You should realize the fact that a particular
generation is one of the major contributors in the society that you see today.

This generation is called the baby boomers generation. So, what is the baby
boomers generation? First of all, baby boomers were people who were born
between the years 1946 to 1964. This generation is called baby boomers
generation because of the significant increase in birth rate during these years.

Baby boomers play a very distinct role in society today and are very
politically active. This is because of the way they grew up. The baby boomers
generation grew up in a world where the Vietnam War started and civil rights
protests were active. It is important for you to remember that early baby
boomers came of age during the times where civil rights, the Vietnam War and
conscription were being protested.

You should also realize the fact that most baby boomers grew up in an era where
the cold war started. Because of the political condition of their country where
they grew up in, baby boomers are well aware of their civil rights and also
about the different political situations and policies that the country is
facing today. Besides, they were the ones who contributed in emphasizing more
freedom and they also contributed in equality of all citizens of the United
States. This is one of the reasons why the United States is experiencing less
or no discrimination at work. Thanks to baby boomers, every American citizen
will be able to have equal opportunity for employment regardless of race,
creed, gender and age.

Baby boomers were also born in times where the American Military virtually
dominated the world. For this reason, you will see that the baby boomers
generation presidents, namely Bill Clinton and the incumbent President George
W. Bush emphasized widely on civil rights and also in reforming and increasing
funds for the US Military research and development.

You will also see that they also increased NASA funding because they were born
in the era where space travel started.

In the internet, you will see that there are a lot of studies about baby
boomers. You will see their history and also the projected future.

In the internet, you will see news that concerns baby boomers, such as
retirement and health benefits. The reason for the concern of the United States
government is about the retirement and health benefits funding. Because of the
significantly high population of baby boomers today, the government projects
that it affects will slow down the economic growth of the United States. This
is because funding will be concentrated on the retirement of baby boomers,
especially now that baby boomers are starting to enter the retirement age.

Government and private sectors concerned are now working together to fund the
retirement and health benefits of baby boomers. The Social Security and the
Medicare are two of the sectors concerned in the retirement of the large
population of baby boomers in the United States.

In fact, there were about 78 million births during the baby boomers era. Today,
the baby boomers make up 22% of the total American population. With this kind of
population, who wouldn't be concerned when most of the baby boomers retire?

The fact that the birth rate declined after the baby boomers era, it is a
reality that workforce will decrease and retirees will increase. This means
less income for the country and more expenses for the retirees. This is why the
government and numerous private organizations are now taking the necessary steps
to provide sufficient financial and health retirement benefits to baby boomers.

Always remember that these people helped contribute a lot in politics,
academic, culture, and also in the industrial sector. They helped in making
what the country is today. This is why it is just right that the government and
private sectors concerned should repay them when they go into retirement.
retirement places for baby boomers

Retirement Places for Baby Boomers, A Place for Rest for Baby Boomers

People who were born after the World War II conflict in 1946 and before the
Vietnam War are considered to be the baby boomers generation. This generation
is called the baby boomers generation because of the significant increase of
birth rates during these times. In fact, there were about 78 million baby
boomers born in the United States between the years 1946 and 1964.

The baby boomers generation is considered to be the era where it was the
turning point of the political and cultural status of the United States. This
is because baby boomers came of age during the civil rights protest and they
were the ones who fought for more freedom and against discrimination. In
political view, baby boomers are one of the contributors of what made America
what it is today. The United States is freer and thanks to the baby boomers
generation, there is no discrimination in employment, regardless in race,
creed, gender and age.

So, if you find it easy to find work even if you are African American or a
female, you have to thank the baby boomers for it. You are now living a
comfortable life because the baby boomers generation fought for your civil
rights.

Culturally speaking, baby boomers also contributed a lot in music and art. The
music you hear today took root in the baby boomers era. The baby boomers
generation is the era where Rock music started and this is also an era where
Rhythm and Blues became popular.

Today, you can never avoid the fact that baby boomers are now aging. And
because the baby boomers population is one of the largest in the United States,
there have been questions about health care and retirement benefits for these
people. The fact that the baby boomers population makes up 22% of the American
population, and is considered quite a lot in the United States, you will see
that the government is taking all the necessary measures to provide retirement
and health benefits to baby boomers.

Because of the low amount of savings by baby boomers, the retirement and health
benefits can slow the economic growth of the United States. Some experts also
predicts that without taking the necessary steps, current financial pressures
that faces the United States government programs, such as Medicare and Social
Security will increase.

You should consider that in the past, because of the baby boomers generation
population, the United States benefited a lot and is continually benefiting
today. The workforce is at an all time high and financial income for the United
States is quite also at a high rate. However, in the near future, you will see
that the demographic rate will shift. The lower birth rate in the succeeding
generation will result in fewer workforce and higher retiring people, generally
from the baby boomers era.

The government and private organizations are now taking the necessary steps to
increase the financial stability and also the benefits for the baby boomers
generation when they are now in the age of retirement. Today, retirement homes
are now being erected by the government and private organizations to help cope
up with the expected increase in retirement population that are generally baby
boomers.

The United States is now also shifting their attention to finance the
retirement of baby boomers. They now made a new kind of retirement system for
baby boomers in order to accommodate the total expected retirement population
in the near future. Mortality rate of the baby boomers era is also expected to
decrease because of the state-of-the-art medical care available today.

Places for retirement are now also being organized by the government and some
private organizations. Some are now erecting retirement homes, and others are
now making plots of lands across the United States available for retirees.

Social Security and Medicare programs are also increasing their budget to
accommodate the expected population growth of retirees in the near future.
Because of the baby boomers era, retirement and health care became one of the
primary concerns of the United States government. However, because they are now
taking all the necessary steps in providing benefits for the retirees, the
concerns are now decreasing and people can now sleep well without worrying
about the retirement benefits that they will get from the government and other
private organizations.

The baby boomers era is one of the major contributors in the society today.
They play a significant role in the political, cultural, academics and in the
industrial sector today. It is just right that the government should be able to
provide for these people once they retire.

Political Issues Facing Baby Boomers Today, What Were the Influences?

First of all, you need to understand all about what baby boomers are or more
accurately who baby boomers are. Baby boomers are people who were born between
the years 1946 and 1964. Because of the increased birth rate in these years,
people called it the baby boomers generation. In fact, there were about 78
million babies born within the baby boomers generation.

Today, baby boomers are now reaching the middle age. In fact, baby boomers
today turn 50 years old every 7 seconds.

The fact that baby boomers came of age during the widespread of civil rights
protest and grew up during the cold war, baby boomers have very distinct
political and cultural patterns. The baby boomers era is the generation that
made what the United States is today. Baby boomers were also the ones who paved
the way to modern living and because they came of age during the era where civil
rights protests were widespread in the country, baby boomers are very aware of
their civil rights and other political issues that the country is facing today.

Baby boomers were one of the leading people who protested the Vietnam War and
the draft. This generation is also the generation that started modern Rock +
Roll, The Beatles, Beats, and Motown Sounds.

Also, since baby boomers grew up in an era where the world was dominated by the
American Military might and the enemies were communists and socialists, you will
see how much different they view the world and also how much they are very much
active on things concerning the government and politics.

Today, baby boomers continually protest the unemployment rate that the world is
facing. This is because unemployment were virtually non existent during the
times where baby boomers grew up, provided if you are Caucasian and is willing
to work.

Presently, baby boomers make up a large share of the cultural, industrial,
political and academic leadership class in the United States. In fact, Bill
Clinton and George W. Bush are now considered as two of the first people who
were born in the baby boomers era to become presidents of the United States.

Clearly, you can see that baby boomers today are the people who are leading the
nation. From what you will observe in the Clinton and Bush administration, you
will see that they share a very common political view. You will see that both
of these two administrations emphasize widely on civil rights and also
reforming the United States Military.

You will also observe that these two presidents are also working to improve the
sluggish economy of the United States, and in some instances, they succeeded in
doing that. They try to make it easier for Americans to live life easier than
in the past. This is because of the political and cultural influences they had
when they were growing up.

You have to consider that they grew up during the time were civil rights
protests were taking place, during the Vietnam War where the United States was
defeated, during the Cold War where the arms race was won by the United States,
and also during the time where the economy was at a high point and unemployment
was virtually non existent.

Because of the world where they grew up, the political views of baby boomers
are very much different from the past generation. You can even say that the
baby boomers generation is the turning point of the political status of the
United States.

It is estimated that the baby boomers generation will hold a plurality in the
White House until 2021 and until 2015 in Congress. So, you can expect that baby
boomers will stay for quite some more time in politics. Baby boomers are also
estimated to have a majority in the Supreme Court from 2010 to 2030.

So, if you think that your civil rights is being respected by the people and by
the government and you have a comfortable way of life, you should think of the
people who started it all. You should thank the baby boomers era for how you
live today. The baby boomers era paved the way for more freedom and also made
the United States of America one of the best places to live in today.

Events in the Year When Baby Boomers are Born Shaped Their Lives

The U.S experienced a birthrate that was exceptionally high from 1946 to 1964.
This is known as the baby boom generation. Because of their large population,
they created profound impact on the economy and society all throughout their
lives. What shaped their mentality and perception of the world was the
situations and issues of their time. All of these has shaped what we know the
world today.

In 1946, where it is perceived where the baby boomers generation started, the
major events includes Winston Churchill warnings over "iron curtain" of the
Soviet dominating Eastern Europe, the first general assembly of the UN
happened, John D. Rockefeller donated money for a particular New York-based UN
headquarters, the trial on war crimes of Nuremburg returns and sentenced 12
Nazis to death.

In 1947, President Truman formulated "Truman Doctrine" which provided help to
countries that were experiencing threats on its government. George Marshall,
the U.S. State Secretary called for the "Marshall Plan" for recovery efforts in
Europe. Pakistan and India were declared independent nations. Princess Elizabeth
of Great Britain was married to the Edinburgh Duke, Phillip Mountbatten.

In 1948, the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in India happened. Alger Hiss was
accused of spying. Czechoslovakian communists seized control in Czechoslovakia.
Marshall Plan was ratified approving 17 billion dollars for aiding Europeans.
The Israel's State admitted more than 200,000 European refugees.

In 1949, communists seized power over China fleeing nationalists to Taiwan;
North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established, Israel became a part of UN,
Apartheid was declared the official policy of the South African government,
Indonesia and Vietnam gained sovereignty.

In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, forces of Chinese communist occupied
Tibet, Senator McCarthy warned of the State Department communist infiltration,
assassination failure of a nationalist Puerto Rican on President Truman and
Alger Hiss was condemned of perjury.

In 1951, truce negotiation failed on the offensive pushes of North Korea beyond
38th parallel, Congress passed 22nd Amendment permitting two terms for a
President, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were convicted for passing nuclear
secrets of the U.S. to Soviet Union, and Senator Estes Kefauver started
investigating organized crime and gambling.

In 1952, President Dwight Eisenhower was elected, Princess Elizabeth was
crowned as Great Britain's queen, U.S constructed its 1st nuclear submarine,
Nautilus.

In 1953, Nikita Khrushchev won after Josef Stalin's death in Soviet Union,
Josef Tito was elected as Yugoslavian President, convicted spies Ethel and
Julius Rosenberg were executed, and U.S. Health and Human Services was created.

In 1954, Supreme Court declared racial discrimination in school
unconstitutional, Senator McCarthy conducted inquiries of the Army's communist
infiltration on national television, Soviet Union rejected proposals in
reunifying Germany, and radical nationalist Puerto Ricans attacked House of
Representatives shooting 5 congressmen.

In 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the first U.S. civil rights society,
President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack, and Allies of the World War II
signed a treaty to restore Austria's independence.

In 1956, re-election of Dwight Eisenhower as U.S President, Khrushchev Soviet's
leader denounced Stalin, Israel invaded Sinai Peninsula, U.S. interstated
highway system, Fidel Castro started Cuba revolution, and ocean liner Andrea
Doria from Italy sank.

In 1957, "Eisenhower Doctrine" was announced by President Eisenhower, Soviet
Union inaugurated "Space Age" through Sputnik launching, and Senator Strom
Thurmond approved the significant legislation of civil rights.

In 1958, U.S. launched Explorer I (U.S. first satellite), NASA was established,
the goodwill tour of Vice-President Nixon created riot and protests in South
America, United Arab Republic was formed by Sudan and Egypt and U.S Marines
intervened in Lebanon,

In 1959, Hawaii and Alaska became U.S states and Canada and U.S. completed the
seaway of St. Lawrence.

In 1960, JFK (John F. Kennedy) was elected as president.

In 1961, President Kennedy established the Peace Corps.
In 1962, U.S. established semi-permanent presence of military in Vietnam, Adolf
Eichman was sentenced to death in Israel, and Pope John XXIII at the convened
Second Vatican Council.

In 1963, JFK was assassinated, Kenya gained Independence, Martin Luther King
delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech, and Britain, U.S. and Soviet Union
signed treaty banning nuclear tests.

In 1964, President Johnson was re-elected as U.S. President declaring war
against poverty, and race riots are rampant in Harlem and other cities in the
U.S.

Boomers will never wonder what really happened during those years when they
were born, as what happened made a great impact that defined their generation.
Learning their heritage is an enjoyable way of reminiscing the past which once
shaped their lives.

Baby Boomers and Younger Generation Opposing Viewpoint on Voting and Politics

Younger generations in the United States do not show much interest in the
political games of boomers although recently, they are not the largest
population of voters.

There was even an incidence when Matthew Shephard, the mother and symbol of
hate-crime against homosexuals in Chicago expressed her dismay in front of the
Roosevelt University. She questioned the political activism of the present
generation for not expressing themselves the way they did before. She even
recalled the times when boomers confronted authority.

The problem was that boomers are approaching retirement and perhaps losing
their agility to make the same protests again. The new generation is asking a
different set of questions. Some suggested to get rid off the authority and
stop asking questions like what the boomer radicals did during the 60's.

The point of the new generation is to know where the authority goes. They see
that the voter driver's efforts are nonsense. Even if they keep on pursuing the
slogans "Rock the Vote" and "Vote or Die"; still it lacks assessment on the
federal government's credibility. New generations cannot get what the
government wants to emphasize. They observed that in order to obtain good
things from the government, one should exercise their right to vote.

But these young people display activeness in their own way. They even exceeded
performances of the baby boomers in numerous campaign activities like
displaying bumper stickers, signs, and buttons, attending rallies, and
persuading others to vote.

A great Sociologist, Robert Nisbet distinguished the terms authority and power.
Power is a force while authority can be forged on social bonds of churches,
families, communities, and business. Despite the rage of baby boomers against
authority, they have accumulated lots of power for their bureaucracy. It might
be under Bush or Clinton, R or D. It took off before the new generation of
unwieldy and impersonal youths.

The new generation knew what power meant. They didn't want the baby boomers to
tell them where it is and how to seek it. They are disposed by cultural
usurpations touching their personal lives to become contemptuous of power.
Young Americans know divorce power, Eric Harris and Klebold's power, Jerry
Springer's power, teen sex power, abortion power, and Osama bin Laden's power.
These are not the types of power that they crave because they have already seen
its consequences. What they seek is a confident, strong, gentle, and honor-bound
authority.

It cannot be denied that young voters are cynical concerning national politics
largely different from apathy. The children born during the 80's named as
Reagan's Children never invested their time on direct political procedures.
They have changed the boomer's action to entrepreneurialism, community service,
technology, and religion. They are after an authority which governs rather than
an established government which has nothing to offer. Politics might also be
the interest of the new generation, however in a very different perspective far
from what their forefathers wanted them to inherit. They perceive that
government as federal and big, centers on mobilizing the youth on their voting
rights.

The person controlling the polls will gain larger percentage of the national
power. But no one knows if the voting booths are sacredly held by baby boomers
and beats the relationship authority prized by prospective young voters. It is
possible that the obsession for power of the boomers generation will defeat the
young American generation who hungers for authority. This could happen since
boomers defeated that authority already.

However, everybody never wanted a generational clash. The boomer retirees are
just determined in living life to the fullest as an expense on their children's
paid taxes. However, this provokes wars in the Congress related on government
costs. Thus it confounds their capacity to serve, to invest, and to love.
Younger statesmen said that it is the cost that matters not their
responsibilities, paid taxes, and freedom. The boomers power-hungry declaration
requires the new generation (committed on authority institutions and focused on
internet economy) to vote, to join politics, and fight the gray-haired builders
of a powerful government.

In such struggle, they have enlisted a constitutional language which starts on
securing their liberty blessings to themselves and prosperity. The task of the
new generation is to save those blessings in threat more than ordering the
people to vote.

Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss

Baby boomers are people who are naturally very proud and very happy with their
lives. They are active people who participate in political issues, and love to
work on their career. They are also people who are concerned about health
issues concerning them and studies have found that many people who were born in
the baby boomers era are frequently visiting their doctors compared to the past
generation.

First of all, you first need to know who the baby boomers are and why they are
so different from the past generations. Baby boomers are people who were born
between the post World War II era and before the Vietnam War. These people were
born between 1945 and 1964.

Within this period, the after effects of World War II became the key for the
United States to prosper. Because the war devastated a lot of cities and
reduced them to rubbles, the United States converted their factories that
produced wartime goods and materials to produce peacetime materials. These
factories produced and maintained a lot of high paying jobs for all Americans.

The peacetime materials exported produced a lot of income for the United States
and also produced a lot of jobs. During this period, unemployment was considered
non-existent, provided that you were Caucasian, able, and willing to work.

Education also became one of the government's priorities for all Americans to
have. Because of this, it prompted families all over the United States to
produce children, which resulted in population increase and therefore, tagged
as the baby boomers generation. In 1946 alone, more than 3 million babies were
born in the United States and continued to rise throughout the baby boomers era.

Baby boomers grew up in a world where they lived comfortably. When they came of
age, it was during the time of the Vietnam War and civil rights protests were
rampant all over the United States. In fact, they became one of the most active
participants who fought for more freedom and civil rights. They fought for equal
employment opportunities for everyone regardless of race, gender, creed or age.

Today, baby boomers are now getting old. As with old age, it will always be
associated with illnesses and diseases. Some baby boomers are already suffering
from hearing loss. Since baby boomers naturally live an active lifestyle, and
want to continue enjoying their life regardless of their condition, most baby
boomers who has hearing problems are now consulting audiologists in order to
make their condition a lot better.

The book written by John M. Burkey called Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss is now
available in the market to help baby boomers and other people who are suffering
from hearing loss to live a better life. Inside this book, you will find
advices, and guides on how baby boomers can continue to live their active
lifestyle without any problems at all even if they are suffering from
diminished or severe hearing disabilities.

For baby boomers that refuse to give up living their active life because of
hearing problems, this book is definitely a must-read.

You will also find that Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss by John M. Burkey has
comprehensive information on how to prevent hearing problems from getting any
more worse. It explains how hearing works and what causes hearing problems to
occur. From genetic factors to exposure to loud noises, this book will provide
comprehensive information about the causes of hearing loss and ways to prevent
it or improve the condition.

Consider the fact that hearing loss is also associated with aging. This book
explains how you can improve your conditions through hearing aids to continue
living your lifestyle.

Readers of this book, particularly baby boomers, have written in reviews that
this book definitely helped them overcome hearing loss. They even said that the
book improved their lifestyle even if they have hearing problems.

This book contains different information on how you can care for your hearing
or prevent it from getting any more worse.

With this book, you will be able to overcome hearing loss and continue living
and enjoying your life like you did before. So, if you think that you are now
suffering from hearing loss, you should get the Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss
by John M. Burkey.

Discerning the Baby Boomers Various Faces

Most often, people view the picture of baby boomers like a monolith-everyone is
identical. But the truth is the generation of Baby Boomers are slightly distinct
from each other.

The Staff Writer of The Christian Science Monitor, Kim Campbell, featured in
her report last January 26, 2005 the baby Boomer in his mid-50s, Jerry Benston,
an African-American New Yorker.

According to him, while he was a college student in 1968, the university where
he studied proposed to have a more diverse culture.

He recalled that he was one of those who protested. His reason, as a Baby
Boomer he wants to help in raising awareness regarding the significant issues
in the society nowadays.

One of these significant issues is the Baby Boomers and how people view them in
general terms.

Looking at the outer surface, what you will commonly notice with these Baby
Boomers are their similarities. For instance, that several of them survived in
the Vietnam War, lived during the era of civil rights, and that their
generations were the first ones to grow with television.

All of these events which they shared are part of the history, and you can
discern it by simply browsing a book in history, or by just surfing through the
internet. Unlike distinguishing their difference from each other, this is
commonly not evident on their image in public.

According to researchers including the advocates, it is vital to avoid
generalizations that mirror the 79 Million groups of retirees. The purpose of
this is to understand the diversity of Boomers in economic lines, across age,
in ethnic, and so on, thus their actions as well as their needs will be
accurately assessed.

Duke University Professor and Author of current Boomer Lives Analysis,
Elizabeth Hughes stated that reports reveal the inequality of income or wealth
of the Boomers. And this directly suggests that while the other Boomers lived a
well off life during their retirement, there are some who live a life packed
with struggles.

The media are used in portraying that Boomers are homogenous. Most of their
reports suggest that all of them have common upbringings, that all are married
and have their children, wealthy, and well-educated.

There is an argument created by Hughes and the others that if people will
persist on perceiving the boomers in excessive general terms, the effect will
be reflected on their retirement policies, and this is viewed negatively.

In addition, taking the Boomers in over general term hides the truth that
concerns the group. According to Hughes, diversity among the group only mirrors
the society.

Sarah Zapolsky, a researcher of boomer diversity said that most of these people
who perceive boomers in too general terms seem to convey that the 79 Million
Boomers will all retire in just one day.

"This example clearly reveals the fallacy of perceiving the boomers as a single
unit," Zapolsky added.

The clear example of boomers' diversity is the range of their age. Certain
researches show that Boomers does not only cover one generation, they cover
even more. For this reason, their spans may possibly range to 19 years; hence,
if there are some grandparents' boomers already, some boomer might still have a
preschool kid.

Another example of Boomer diversity stated by Zapolsky is shown in their
different backgrounds in ethnic and culture. For instance, this can be
reflected on the way they take care of their parents who are already aging.
Some may choose to have a Medicare rather than taking a nurse to care for their
parents, while some may not.

There are researches already that show that the inequality of Baby Boomers
persists on their education and riches. According to Hughes, the blacks'
incomes now are higher as compared to the earlier generations, and there were
some who already shifted to the middle strata.

But she added that if it will be viewed on the utmost perspective, there is
really no improvement on these black boomers condition as compared to the
whites.

The President of Generational Targeted Marketing, Ann Fishman, explained the
reason why the diversity among Boomers is not widely talked about. This is
because the characteristics that identify Boomers are not viewed very important.

Probably, the public viewed these Boomers like a monolith, but Baby Boomers
will remain diverse as they are popularly recognized.

Baby Boomer Dental Hygiene -- As Providers and Beneficiaries

Since the 1960s and 1970s, including the early 1990s, the Baby Boomers marked a
demographic change in the field of dentistry as Boomers made up the most of
dentist population. Approximately, there were thousands of Baby Boomers who
graduated in that generation as dentists.

In an instant, there were a good number of professional dentists who provided
the needed services in the communities.

The result of sudden increase on dentists' population contributed to a
competitive market wherein advertising was introduced, where there was a good
offer on discount dentistry, where there were chains of clinics that have been
opened, and not just that, the companies of insurance also entered the
marketplace of dental service.

However, these Baby Boomer dentists are now soon to retire. The bad thing here
is that the numbers of these retiring dentists will not be reached by the
numbers of graduating dentists today.

There is an estimated 50 percent or more females to graduate as dentists today,
while there are only about 30 percent or less than 50 percent males. Yet, some
of these graduating students are expected to work as employees, and some will
be as independent contractors.

The existence of a great number of dentists is viewed by most as the greatest
thing that happened in dental profession. But the presented facts of the next
generation of dentists will diminish the managed dental care industry and the
discount dentistry created by these Boomer dentists.

It will not be too long and the so-called "sellers market" formed by the Boomer
dentists will be replaced into "buyers market" with the new set of dentists
today. The moment these Baby Boomer dentists retire, there will be a decline in
the dental practices value.

The reason, in starting up a practice, having a number of selections to choose
from is easier. And this is mostly true when it comes to specialties; the sad
thing is that most of these specialists belong in the Baby Boomer Generation
who are now soon to retire.

The people cannot do anything about this anymore. Like it or not the Baby
Boomers are about to retire in providing dental services. This time, as they
are aging, they will be the one to be the beneficiaries of the dental service.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report that
about a half of the physicians' visitors in the year 2001 were the ones who
belong to 45-year-old or older. This report denotes that the Baby Boomers are
seriously taking care of their health.

Now, as these Boomers have surpassed the years where they are prone to
cavities, they will now be facing the phase of gum problems and other dental
issues.

An adult person meets countless of dental disorders. There are four out of five
adults who are affected by these. Most commonly, the problem begins with
halitosis or bad breath which also comes from gum disease.

Most often, these adults are not aware that there is a developing disease in
their gums. And unfortunately, it will be too late before they realize that
there is already a forming filling of silver amalgam at the back of their
teeth, close enough to root canal and fracture. Another worse thing is that
there is also a forming yellow stain in between those teeth.

Another dental problem encountered by adults is the missing teeth. This is due
to the decreased flow of saliva caused by numerous drug therapies such as
anti-anxiety agents, anti-hypertensive, anti-depressants and antihistamines.
There is also the problem in decaying of the teeth's roots.

All of these dental problems are causing too much stress to a number of adults.
In fact there are approximately hundred of Americans who suffer from missing
teeth, while there are about ten million of them who are having denture
difficulties. Hence, they are interested enough to find solutions to these
dilemmas.

Indeed, the time when the Baby Boomer dentists were the ones to provide a
comfortable smile to its patients are soon to be over the moment they retire.
This time their generation will be the one to demand for dental services. And
who knows, there might also be remarkable demand in dentists' services like
what these Baby Boomers marked in the history of the consumer industry.

Career Change, Is it for a Baby Boomer?

There are fewer worries when you're a kid. Your parents provide for all your
material and emotional needs. As a person grows old, their needs and wants also
grow with them. And finally, when they graduate college, it is now time to start
a life of their own.

Looking for the right career that is of great interest to you can be quite
hard. But if you successfully choose a good career and decide to keep it,
you're life will be worth living.

There are many career paths to take. So before anything else, you should make
sure that you're on the right path. Oftentimes, people end up with a job or
career that they are not interested in; they simply manage to push through with
it because they need the money.

In today's hard times, having a good paying job is already enough. You can
finance all your expenses, most especially if you have children to support. But
if the situation is like this, a time will come when you will finally get tired
of doing a work that you're not interested in.

If you belong in the generation of the baby boomers, you already have a career
by now. You're the type of person who wants to work harder and for longer
hours. If you want a career change, it's never too late. In fact, most of the
baby boomers in the workforce are retiring late, and there are still those who
change their careers. Most boomers want to continue in contributing or working
even after they retire.

It's common to change a career in your lifetime. You can even find people who
changed their careers more than three times. The reason behind this is that
they haven't found yet the right career that they can be satisfied with, and
what they love doing. Perhaps they will stop changing careers only after they
found what suits their needs and wants.

Confronting a career change for a baby boomer can be a bit difficult. Boomers
grew up in a prosperous world, where everything was easy for them to have like
education and their material needs. And with today's competitive market, a baby
boomer should be able to compete with other capable people.

It would be better to view a career change as an opportunity to find a better
career, one that will suit you best. You should find a job that you love doing
and one that you could be satisfied with until you retire from work.

Around 3% of people going through changes in their career are only forced to do
so because they were laid-off and about 4.5% just want to explore something
else. Undergoing a shift in career will be much easier, enjoyable, and
productive if you do a couple of things like:

 1. assess your skills and see if it can be used in other jobs
 2. money doesn't matter to most people; so find a job that is meaningful for
    you, one that you love doing
 3. find where your passion lies
 4. always be realistic; if your skills doesn't suit the job, you're probably
    better of without it
 5. do you want to stay in the profession or do you want a radical change in
    your career
 6. if you're satisfied with the present company that you belong, perhaps you
    can ask for re-training
 7. don't mind your age, what's important is your skills and the things that
    you can do
 8. you can join organizations in the field that you're interested in

These are just few of the things that you can do before seeking for a new
career. Your job experience matters in getting into another career, as well as
relevant trainings.

Change is natural. The world changes every day; inventions can happen
overnight. But with a career change, you can't do it with the snap of your
finger. You should consider a lot of things like your family, your needs, and
other important matters.

It's never too late for baby boomers. You've lived your life long enough as a
happy-go-lucky individual. It's time to stick with the realities of life and
start working hard in your new-found career.

Baby Boomer Statistics: All about the Baby Boomers Generation

During the period between 1946 and 1964 or between post World War II and the
Vietnam War, a significant increase of birth rate was recorded. This generation
was called the baby boomers generation.

If you were born within the years 1946 and 1964, you can consider yourself as
part of the baby boomers generation. This particular generation is one of the
generations that contributed a lot in politics and also to the culture of the
United States.

The main cause of the baby boom was the after effect of World War II. In this
period, cities were in rubbles and world economies that were affected severely
by the war were in need for goods and services. The needs were so staggering
that it is considered as the largest in peacetime.

The United States have been providing a lot of money and also services for
their allies in order to help them recover from the war. The United States
factories which made war materials before began producing peacetime goods and
materials for export. Because the United States began exporting goods and
materials to the free world to help them rebuild their economy, it led to a
very lucrative business and didn't slow down up until 1958. Because of this
growth, education became cheaper and many people began attending colleges and
some even took second college degrees. Because of the increase in education and
high incomes of families in this period, it made it possible for them to produce
more children. Besides, they had enough money and resources for it.

Today, the baby boomers population is one of the largest in the United States.
In fact, there were almost 76 million Americans born during the baby boomers
period. This means that they represent about 28 percent of the United States
population. This is considered as one of the largest in the United States
history.

You have to consider that there are now millions of aging baby boomers today
who have reached mid-life. Because of the significantly high population of the
baby boomers generation, they contributed a lot to the United States. They were
the manpower who was also responsible for the increasing economy of the United
States. In fact, you can even consider the baby boomers as the economy of the
United States.

The baby boomers today also hold a large amount of government offices. In fact,
the highest office in the United States already had 2 baby boomers, namely Bill
Clinton and the incumbent president George W. Bush.

You have to expect that baby boomers will be on the political scenery for quite
some time.

Also, because of the advancement of technology in the medical field, baby
boomers are expected to live longer than their predecessors. Today, they now
have access to advanced medical technology and great quality health care.

You should also expect baby boomers getting a hold of the judicial system for a
long time in the United States. Statistics have suggested that baby boomers will
be in political power up until 2010 to 2015. And, the political influence of
baby boomers will be around for quite a long time.

Because people age, the government is also concerned about the health care
budget for retiring baby boomers. As everyone knows, old age is always
associated will illnesses and diseases, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart
related diseases. Because the baby boomer population is now in their late 50's
and 60's, the government is now finding ways to adjust the national budget and
dedicate more to health care benefits for retiring baby boomers. Obviously, the
baby boomer population is one of the largest in the United States. Because of
this, you have to consider the fact that without adjustment in the national
budged, there will be shortages on health care financing.

Most baby boomers today are relying on their retirement benefits to provide for
their health care needs.

As you can see, the baby boomers statistics on population is quite a large
number. You have to consider the fact that baby boomers were one of the
generations responsible for the significant boom in the United States workforce
and economy.

Expect that society will further be influenced by baby boomers in the future
and political views will be one of the fields that most baby boomers will have
influence on.

Yoga + Baby Boomers = A Healthier Lifestyle

How would you like to "come of age"?

Nowadays, people are conscious of getting fit and healthy. This is just a
normal response to every new and rare disease popping out or being discovered
almost every day. What with the advancement of technology in the processing of
the foods we eat and more often the lack of it, results to unbalanced nutrients
and improper diet.

The only trend which is patronized by both the young and the not-so young is
fitness craze. It is just ironic that when people are young, they can't wait to
mature. When they come of age, so to speak, all they wanted is to stay young.

Aging is one normal phenomenon that people are afraid to experience. Who would
want to get old? Getting wiser and older should not be in consonance with
getting old and looking old.

The traditional concept of getting old is being redefined by Baby Boomers. The
generation of Baby Boomers enjoyed each stage or phase in life much longer than
any other previous generation, thanks to their positive outlook in health
maintenance and execising. And just like any other profession or career they
held on to, they are also passionate about staying young and healthy, as well
as looking young and sexy.

The Baby Boomers started the so-called "health club" era. They indulged
themselves into almost all forms of physical activity such as aerobics and gym
workouts, to make their bodies healthier and their looks better. But as the
reality of aging catches them, they turn their attention to less strenuous and
laborious exercises to stay fit and healthy.

Yoga is one great type of exercise Baby Boomers are into. Yoga exercise focuses
on the relaxation and breathing methods. It has very low impact to the body of a
person, that any age in any size can practice yoga and make a desirable impact
to their health. This is because yoga doesn't stress out the muscles and bones
of a person, especially those who are in their advanced age where bones and
muscles are brittle and easily damaged.

Through the relaxation and breathing techniques of yoga exercise, one can be
assured of bringing down the blood pressure and relieving stress which is
contributory to heart attacks. It has been proven long ago that yoga exercise
is very effective in calming nerves thus promoting better heart health.

By regularly practicing yoga, it can help in reducing weight. Statistics show
that persons of age forty five (45) with normal weight, who practice yoga for
at least thirty (30) minutes per week for at least five (5) consecutive years
gain three (3) pounds less in a decade, given that each year, the gain weight
of a normal person is one (1) pound a year.

For the generation of Baby boomers, yoga really works. Yoga is much more
efficient than doing gym workouts for building flexibility and strength, more
effectual than aerobics exercise for building breath control and stamina, and
more calming than jogging.

Moreover, yoga can offset osteoporosis, cleanse the inside organs, balance out
and invigorate the digestive and nervous system, relieve signs of menopause,
lower rear pains and headaches commonly experienced by people coming of age
such as the Baby Boomers.

Detoxification is another craze right now in the health circles, but aside from
detoxifying the body, the mind also needs to be cleansed. Yoga is one great way
to have peace of mind and a positive outlook in life. Through this, a person
can feel lighter and more productive in their work and jobs. Baby Boomers can
benefit from this as they are subjected to many pressures in their lives.
Taking the time out to yoga will definitely detoxify their minds and make them
feel better.

Yoga, because of the revitalizing effects on the person's body and its soothing
influence on one's mind, is called the personal "source of youth" of man.
Constant yoga practice leads man to a much greater awareness of one's body.
Greater spiritual enlightenment can also be achieved though yoga exercises.

Baby boomers, all across the globe, are doing everything they can to hold on to
their youth. Through yoga, these Baby Boomers have a chance to redefine
themselves at any age they would want to.

Do you ever wonder where the baby boomers are now?

For the benefit of the youth who belongs to the New Generation of the Twentieth
Century, one is considered a Baby Boomer when born between the years 1946 to
1964.

During those years, there was a tremendous increase in birth rates because of
the economic affluence being enjoyed in a lot of countries around the globe
after the World War II. The term Baby Boomer was also extensively used to mean
the culture and population of Americans in particular.

The generation of the Baby Boomers is just different from any other generation
ahead or next to them. They have created many major impacts in the lives of
man, may it be in politics, industries, culture, arts and academics.

The Baby Boomers seemed to have worked much longer and harder to the extent of
putting off the idea of marriage and having children was at the bottom of their
priorities.

At the present, the Baby Boomers are in their early fifties and sixties. And
they show no sign of stopping. They just continue to make waves and changes in
everything they do. Facts and statistics showed that Baby Boomers will continue
to stay much longer in the workforce than any preceding generations.

They were raised during the period when after getting the degree for a chosen
career, getting employed for that profession is not far behind. They might be
retiring in a few years or so, but it will not mean that they will stop working
or contributing their knowledge and expertise.

More often than not, they might just make a transition to other careers such as
teaching and civic volunteer jobs. Shifting to a new career is not uncommon
especially if the focus is not anymore to earn money for a living but just to
stay abreast with society and at the same time having fun with what they are
doing.

The Baby Boomers will surely make use of their experience, talent and energy in
reconstructing their communities, reinventing themselves for the purpose, and
recharging their civic way of life.

During this new phase of their lives, where retirement is viewed as having
sickness and declining health, their life will be redefined anew with a purpose
while having leisure, freedom, and away from the pressures of work and family.

Aside from the possibility of redirecting their lives, Baby Boomers are now the
prospective clienteles of real state agents. Social innovators, real state
developers, architects and planners are now busy preparing community and
housing designs for Baby Boomers who will be retiring five (5) to ten (10)
years from now.

The wide competition in the real state market these days brought certain
advantages to would-be retiring Baby Boomers. The wide selection of where to go
and how to spend their hard-earned extra cash will offer numerous opportunities
and benefits.

One of the alternatives for Baby Boomers is if they would want to stay in a
traditional type of neighborhood with the local town centers, a wide selection
of transport services including walkable track and streets, and a housing
environment of all sizes and shapes to put up with any type and number of
families.

The question of where will the Baby Boomers go or where will they spend their
retirement period is a critical challenge to the present generation. As they
come of old age, they would still want to feel wanted and useful to society and
not just be the aging burden of government social services.

Aging baby boomers are definitely here to stay. They can be found in top posts
in the government and private institutions. They may be advancing their age,
but they still certainly have a tight grasp in the socio-economic and political
aspects in our country and the world. They are movers and shakers that can still
make changes as they did in their youth.

There will come a time when the baby boomers numbers will greatly decline and a
number of them may be in retirement homes or at their own homes resting. By
then, the ruling American generation will be their successors and they will
surely feel the decline brought by the retiring baby boomers.

Baby Boomers, What They Want and What They Expect In Today's Society

In terms of generations, one of the generations in the United States that
contributed a lot in terms of political, cultural, industrial, economy, and
academic is the baby boomers era. This era is one of the highlights of the
United States history and it is also an era where the economy was on an all
time high.

First of all, you have to know why it is called the baby boomers generation and
which people are included in this generation. The baby boomers generation is
composed of people who were born between the years 1946 and 1964. Because of
the significant increase in birth rate during this era, historians called it
the baby boomers generation.

People who were born during this period have distinctive political views and
cultural views. They are people who grew up and participated in the civil
rights protests and they are also people who grew up knowing about the American
Military might and also knowing that the enemies were communists and socialists.

Maybe this is the reason why baby boomers have different and distinct political
views. You have to realize the fact that baby boomers have contributed a lot in
terms of politics. Since they grew up in the years of the Cold War and the
Vietnam War, baby boomers tend to be more militarily and politically inclined.
In fact, Bill Clinton and the incumbent President George W. Bush are the two
first presidents who are in the baby boomers era. If you look closely, both
have somewhat similar political views and their policies don't really differ
that much, even if one is a democrat and the other is a republican. You have to
consider the facts that both have funded the military in order for the United
States retain its military might and they are also concerned about civil rights.

So, what do baby boomers want? If you look closely, people who are in the age
of mid-40s to 60s are very much unlike aging people in the past. Today, you
will see these people to be more active and are generally concerned more about
their health. In fact, many people who were born in the baby boomers era
frequently visit doctors compared in the past. This is because these people
want to care for their own health.

What this means is that baby boomers will likely live longer than their
predecessors. Today, baby boomers are aging. However, because of the latest
medical technology available today, you should realize that the life expectancy
for baby boomers has increased.

However, there are also growing concerns that the baby boomers today are
facing. Because the baby boomer population is at an all time high, there are
problems concerning Social Security benefits and also about Medicare. Another
problem is that when the baby boomers go into retirement, the workforce will
decrease. This is because of the decreased birth rate after the baby boomer
era. This will mean decrease in workforce and increase in retirees.

What the baby boomers want today is when they retire, they should be able to
get the necessary retirement and health benefits. Since baby boomers are
expected to healthier than their predecessors, they will be able to travel a
lot.

After retirement, the baby boomers population is expected to travel a lot. In
fact, most baby bloomers working today are working to save enough money to go
on a retirement vacation.

The baby boomers are a proud generation where they went through a lot fighting
for civil rights. They also contributed a lot in culture. This is why you
should expect them to want some ways to relax and taking a vacation is one of
them.

Today, aging baby boomers are now considering retiring and are expecting the
government to repay them for the services they contributed to the society. The
baby boomers era is responsible for making the United States economy to run
smoothly. This is because of the high population levels of workforce and also
in those times, unemployment rates were virtually non-existent.

Since baby boomers came of age when there were protests for the war in Vietnam
and civil rights, you should expect that they are well aware of their civil
rights and wants everyone to respect it. And for this reason, baby boomers
really want to retain their civil rights and expect the government to give them
the benefits they deserve when they retire.

Trivial Pursuit, Baby Boomers Edition -- A Great Game for Families

If you want a board game that the whole family can enjoy, the Trivial Pursuit
Baby Boomers Edition is the board game for you. This board game is not only
enjoyable, but it will also enhance your knowledge about the baby boomers
generation.

First of all, in order to understand this game, you have to know how to play
it. Trivial Pursuit is a board game that challenges the ability of all players
on general knowledge, and other popular culture questions. In the Trivial
Pursuit Baby Boomers Edition, you should expect questions that are related to
the baby boomer era from 1950 to the early 1960's.

Questions will be about television, nightly news, stage and screen, lives and
times, publishing and R.P.M. All the questions in each category are related to
the baby boomers generation. This means that in order to win the game, you
should have sufficient knowledge about the baby boomers era. The Trivial
Pursuit Baby Boomers Edition is a very popular board game among people who were
born in this era. Besides, who would know about this era better than people who
actually lived through this era?

To start playing the game, you will move along the circular track and the
spokes by answering the questions correctly in each of the six categories. The
"Headquarters" is located at the base of each spoke. In order to win the game,
the player or the team should be able to answer the game-winning question in
the hexagonal hub. The question in a particular category is chosen by other
players.

The first thing you do when you play Trivial Pursuit, you and the other players
will first select one token and six colored wedges with different color
categories. The players will then roll the dice in order to decide who goes
first.

In the Trivial Pursuit Baby Boomers Edition, you will see that each of the
colored categories corresponds with different questions about a particular
subject. Here are the colors and what category it is in the Trivial Pursuit
Baby Boomers Edition:

*  Blue -- Television (TV)
*  Pink -- Stage + Screen (SS)
*  Yellow -- Nightly News (NN)
*  Brown -- Publishing (PUB)
*  Green -- Lives + Times (LT)
*  Orange -- R.P.M. (RPM)

As you can see, there are six categories that you have to answer correctly in
order to win.

The Trivial Pursuit Baby Boomers Edition went out in the market in the year
1983 and it was an instant hit, the same as the previous Trivial Pursuit
Editions. Today, the baby boomer edition for Trivial Pursuit is still available
in the internet. In fact, there are still some stores that still sell this
edition even if it is more than 10 years old in the market.

You have to consider the fact that the baby boomer edition for Trivial Pursuit,
like other editions, is a very popular edition that many people will enjoy
playing for hours.

Today, Trivial Pursuit is still a very popular board game that families are
still enjoying today, even if video games are now available. In fact, video
games also made trivial pursuit popular. Today, there are DVD Trivial Pursuit
games that you can play in your DVD gaming console.

Because of today's technology, there are available Trivial Pursuit games that
can be played in some mobile phone models. There are also PC versions of this
game where you can go head to head with your friends over the internet. The
baby boomer edition is also available in the PC version where you and your
family can enjoy playing right in your home PC.

So, if you ever need a game where you, your friends and family can enjoy, you
can try playing Trivial Pursuit. There are a wide variety of Trivial Pursuit
editions and if you want a piece of the fascinating history of the 1950's and
60's, you should get the Trivial Pursuit Baby Boomers Edition. This edition
contains complete and factual information that happened in the baby boomers era.

Not only is the Trivial Pursuit Baby Boomers Edition fun to play with, but it
will also let you learn a little bit of history about the baby boomers era.
Indeed, Trivial Pursuit is definitely a great board game for everyone.

Independent Baby Boomers are Now Travelers

Traveling is a great way to spend your free time. If you're quite busy with
your work, you'll find it hard to enjoy traveling to beautiful places. Many
people with careers to attend to can't seem to fit traveling in their schedule.

Not all people have the opportunity to travel. One main reason is cost, and
another is lack of time. Baby boomers are nearly retiring, and most travel
agencies are expecting their incomes to soar higher once these boomers retire.
Almost all boomers belong to wealthy families so traveling will not be a big
deal to them. They can now enjoy the pleasure of traveling to different places
without worrying about their jobs or their families.

If you think that baby boomers are sulking in their homes because they are now
old, well, you're quite wrong. They are out there, waiting to make another
'boom'. Independent travelers like baby boomers will not have a hard time
looking for the best luxury-travel that they've wanted all their life. There
are resources for good traveling deals which they can afford.

They're strong character never grew old with time, only their physical
appearance. They want to get the best deals, even in traveling. Taking them for
granted is not a good thing to do. In fact, travel agencies and companies can
still benefit from them because they now have the money and time to book
travels.

Many travel companies are offering luxury trips for baby boomers; but just a
note of warning to these companies. Boomers are smart individuals and they
don't want other people to take advantage of them. So make sure that you will
offer trips which they can consider as a good value for their hard-earned money.

Ever since baby boomers were born, they have received lots of attention. And
now that many travel companies are offering them various travel deals, they
just love it. There is even this new traveler's website exclusively for baby
boomers; when it opened, many boomers wrote emails and said that they were very
excited to have a site that would cater to their traveling needs.

Baby boomers are known as selfish people, but on the contrary, they are helpful
individuals. One website can attest to this because you can find many baby
boomers on the net. They love message boards, they want to make new friends,
and they want to help other people.

A large percentage of baby boomers find it easier to book their travels through
the internet, and they often do this at night until the wee hours of the
morning. The internet makes it more convenient for them, and they are gladly
accepting technological advances which many people claim that older generations
oppose.

Boomers want to stay and look young. Retirement is not the end for them, they
often view it as a new opportunity to travel and live a wonderful life. Aging
is not a big issue for baby boomers.

After so many years of working hard, taking care of kids, sending them off to
school, meeting office deadlines, etc. its now time for baby boomers to focus
more on themselves. Travel companies should be able to offer luxurious tours
and trips that are of good value for boomers.

Baby boomers want to be free. Today's travel agencies and companies usually
have organized trips and tours. What baby boomers like is to do things on their
own and to explore different places together with their friends or families.

This is a great opportunity for travel companies and agencies to offer trips
which allow baby boomers to enjoy traveling on their own with minimal
supervision. Make sure that you pamper them with a range of traveling options
where they can enjoy their vacation to the fullest, without time constraints
and schedules.

Baby boomers want a memorable and relaxing vacation and most of them don't want
to spend it in roadside hotels which are rather noisy and packed with so many
people. Traveling to more luxurious hotels and resorts that are quieter
attracts baby boomers. Though it may be expensive, it's worth the money.

With baby boomers making up about 29% of the US population, the traveling
industry can enjoy a huge number of boomers to patronize their business.

Impact of Baby Boomers on American Society

Demographers' defined the baby boom as a birth surge started in 1946, after the
World War II and reached its peak in 1957 and continued until 1964 because of
the postwar prosperity. Most people uses "generation" as their term but
demographers precisely referred it as "cohort" (group of individuals
experiencing a certain event within a specified time). This reveals that social
changes interconnect with the life of every baby boomer.

There two groups of baby boomers. The babies born from 1946 to 1955 were called
early boomers. Those who were born from 1956 to 1964 were called as late
boomers. The last set of late boomers were born during the first tour of
Beatles in America and the first early boomers was approximately 18 years that
time. Baby boomers were noticeable because of their big populations. They
crowded junior high, elementary schools, high schools, labor market, and
colleges.

Studies show that the impacts brought about by the society where baby boomers
grew up contributes a lot in reshaping the society. They never think like their
parents. Because the population of these cohorts is unprecedented during the
20th century, their beliefs and behaviors are then predicted to dominate things.

But there is also a great discrepancy in terms of economic status between early
boomers and late boomers. Compared to the energetic job market and emerging
economy laid beneath the feet of early boomers, late boomers needs adjustment
on economic shifts. It is due to the rapid growth of service sectors, jobs for
middle class became less stable, changing locations of workers, and career
market adjustments.

Most boomers considered economic security as an elusive thing. They are the
people who were born after the era of civil rights. Conducted studies even
reveals income differences according to ethnicity, race, and birthplace
creating ethnic classes. It was because one third of the population of baby
boomers Hispanic, African-American, or Asian besides the black and white
Americans. Take for instance, the black boomer's generation are considered
inferior than whites, although the generation of baby boomers were rated the
best in terms of education.

It is a fact that the life of baby boomers was accompanied by postwar
transformations changing the American society. The ideas about sexuality,
gender, and family were altered profoundly. Likewise, parenthood changed, old
age and retirement was redefined, and labor forces were transformed. Even in
their old age, they seize opportunity to stay involved and active like staying
in their work force to meet the responsibilities of supporting their children.

The changes in the society were never brought solely by stereotype baby boomers
but also the conservative types like Seth Grossman. The stereotype boomers
expressed themselves through street protests while the conservative boomers use
other forms such as leaflets, student newspapers, and forums. Although their
actions did not attract the attention of media but they achieved their success
when they forced a referendum which resulted in the withdrawal of Duke students
from the National Student Association.

Conservative boomers may not be a part of the projected boomer's image but they
became a strong force in making their way silently. They are not even in the
front page of the newspapers because they still attend their class while others
were boycotting. Nevertheless, these conservative boomers have supported
conservative politicians like George Wallace in 1968.

One third of the populations of early boomers served during the Vietnam War.
Other boomers made a name in different fields throughout history. Joyce Johnson
was an African-American who belongs to the stereotype boomers her activist work
in her graduate school. When she entered Duke School, she sought for
advancement not only for herself but her entire race. She belongs in the
Afro-American Society involved in the iconic events in the Duke campus during
the 60s. Grossman and Johnson are baby boomers who contributed great change in
their society.

Deep understanding about the baby boom generation is very important as they
advanced on to their old age. It should be more of demographic curiosities
because if demographic bulge move continuously on the system, then economic
differences also persists. These baby boomers once do their best in shaping the
society providing significant impacts on the lives of many people besides
themselves.

ADEA and Baby Boomers, Knowing Your Rights

The first thing you have to know is what baby boomers are and what ADEA is all
about. First of all, baby boomers are people who were born during the period of
increased birth rate. In the United States, baby boomers were born during the
time after the World War II conflict and before the Vietnam War. This means
that there is more than one generation of baby boomers during this period of
time.

Today, baby boomers are now in the age of 40's to 50's. ADEA means Age
Discrimination in Employment Act. This means that it protects everyone from age
discrimination especially people who are in their 40's to 50's. This means that
if you are a part of the baby boomers population, you have to realize that you
still have your rights in the workplace. This means that you shouldn't be a
victim of unemployment just because of your age.

Many people in their 40's and 50's find it hard to find a job in the United
States just because of their age. If this happens to you, you should file a
complaint in the EEOC or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In fact,
more and more people are now filing complaints about age discrimination in the
workplace. The total complaints from 1999 to 2002 have jumped up to 41 percent
and are continually increasing.

This is because many employers or companies today are hiring people by not only
basing on qualification but also basing on age. This means that even if you are
qualified to do the job than other applicants, the chances for you to get hired
by the company are slim just because you were born in the baby boomers era.

Baby boomers were born on the post World War II era and before the Vietnam War.
This means that baby boomers came of age during the time where they fought for
civil rights in the United States. This will mean that you, as a part of the
baby boomers population, know well enough about your rights as a citizen of the
United States.

Age discrimination is one of the growing problems of the country today. In the
workplace, people who are in their 40s and 50s are being discriminated by their
coworkers and also by their employers. Some baby boomers lost their jobs just
because they were growing old and some are alienated by fellow workers.

The EEOC administers the ADEA. You should know that since 1967, age
discrimination against workers who are in their 40s is prohibited and is
illegal. You should know that it is your right to have equal employment
opportunity.

Baby boomers today are considered to be a group of unhappy people. Besides,
they have the right to be unhappy. This is because aside from the slow growth
of the economy, high levels of layoffs are also existent. The main targets of
layoffs are people who are considered to be part of the baby boomers era. This
kind of policy is very unsettling and can make anyone born in the baby boomers
era cringe.

You have to realize the fact that the slow moving economy and age bias has a
connection. This means that when the opportunities go down, the age
discrimination goes up. It is important to remember that no one should be
discriminated about anything when it comes to employment. People in the United
States have suffered a lot of discrimination. Some were discriminated because
of their gender, some were discriminated because of their race, some were
discriminated because of their creed and some were discriminated because of
their age. All of these forms of discrimination are deemed unethical and
illegal. Under the EEOC and the civil law in the United States, everyone should
have an equal employment opportunity regardless of gender, race, creed, and age.

This is why it is important to know your rights as a citizen. If you do
experience age discrimination, you should contact your nearest EEOC and tell
them about the discrimination you experienced when you were applying for a job
in a certain company or the age discrimination you experienced when you got
laid off from the job.

Remember your rights and you will never have to be a victim of age
discrimination. Always remember that ADEA and EEOC will be able to help you
with your problems in discrimination in the workplace.

The Good and Bad Characteristics of a Baby Boomer

Every individual is unique in his own way. This makes him different from anyone
else. Even brothers and sisters differ a lot. But with every person's distinct
characteristics, he should still be able achieve good relationship with other
people.

Many generations have been in existence for years now. And each generation is
identified with certain uniqueness from other generations. If you're a baby
boomer, you probably know this by now.

What then is a baby boomer? Baby boomers are those born after the Second World
War. It includes babies born from 1946 to 1964 during the time of prosperity
after the war.

Baby Boomers are identified for their characteristics very much different from
other generations. This maybe because they all grew up in a world that is
generally dominated by the American Military. They lived in a world that offers
new wonders like marvelous gadgets, household appliances. And during that time,
very seldom can you find unemployed individuals. This means that almost all
families enjoyed a prosperous life.

The academic leadership, cultural, political and industrial classes are almost
dominated by baby boomers. The most prominent individuals are George Bush and
Bill Clinton. They are both baby boomers and they both illustrate a diverging
range of attitudes and values.

The families of baby boomers have the largest household incomes in America.
There are early boomers, as well as late boomers. This generation is identified
mostly of the early boomers because the late boomers didn't experience the
military draft. The late boomers however, were more identified of the different
cultural factors that they were able to share.

These late boomers are also known as early generation X's. At present, they are
now in the stage where they want to leave a mark in history. The baby boomer's
birth is a part of history, and this may be the reason why they are idealists
in their own right. Boomers are expected to have a big impact and influence
over cultural and political matters. They often belong to the higher echelons
of power; and these leaders exhibit decisiveness, vision, and they can
withstand even the worst of every situation.

But the baby boomers are not only known for their positive character. They also
have destructive tendencies like selfishness, arrogance, and ruthlessness that
can result to a outright despotism or factional strife.

During a baby boomer's midlife, they often re-evaluate everything that has
something to do with their personal life. Those having families focus on the
triumph and failures of their kids because they only want what's best for them.
Some boomers even go the extent of managing their children's lives.

Boomers are over-protective parents. They want to sanitize almost everything
that their children can see, including television programs. This is in contrast
to their early childhood when they themselves want to indulge in almost
everything with fewer restrictions. Through their kids, they seek to bring
improvements to the society.

Though baby boomers are known as the counter-cultural type and as hippies, they
also have passions for social and personal improvement. But this is usually
exhibited once they age out.

Baby boomers were greatly criticized as ageist and anti -youth. This is further
evidenced by their catchphrase 'don't trust anyone over 30'. But not all baby
boomers are like this, there are also those who abide by the social norms of
the society during their time.

Boomer or not, they are all important individuals who can contribute a great
deal to the world. People should not concentrate mainly on the generation that
they are identified with; but they should make it a point to do all things that
can contribute to the peace and prosperity of humankind.

Every person has his or her positive and negative characteristics. Nobody's
perfect, and that is a true and proven fact. There are individuals who are
known to be perfectionists but this doesn't mean that are perfect as a person.
It's but natural to commit mistakes as a human being. The most important thing
is to learn from the mistakes in the past; and is you want to improve yourself;
you may do so but make sure that it is for the better.

Baby Boomers, The Generation That Made Today's America

America is a proud country and Americans are proud people. The United States of
America is a country that is made up of different cultures and different races.
It is where people go to seek the American dream. In fact, more and more people
from different countries think that the United States of America is the country
of choice to seek a better life for them and for their children.

This country experienced many wars and survived. It is also a country that has
one of the best economies in the world and is also considered to be the country
to embrace freedom and democracy. It is a country that is considered to be one
of the most powerful countries today. However, behind it all, the American
people are what really make the United States what it is today.

In fact, many generations and history have been left by the American people and
influenced the world to live the American way. Some countries even adapted the
American law to be implemented in their own country.

Of the many generations that the United States of America went through, one of
the most memorable is the generation of the baby boomers. Baby boomers are
considered to be one of the United States generations that made a significant
impact in the world. This generation is the generation that fought for civil
rights and it is also the generation that emphasized widely on equal
opportunities for all its citizens regardless of belief, gender, race and age.

Baby boomers were people who were born between the post World War II era and
the Vietnam War. This generation is called the baby boomer generation because
of the significant increase in birth rate between the years of 1946 to 1964.
This generation is considered to be one of the best generations in the United
States history where its economy grew and civil rights were largely emphasized.

The baby boomers generation is also where education was one of the main
priorities of the United States of America. People who were born in this era
experienced fighting for their civil rights during the time of Vietnam War.
Baby boomers also created a new kind of American culture. It included The
Beatles, Rock and Roll, The Motown Sound, and even Hippies.

You should expect that baby boomers are people who are politically inclined.
Besides, baby boomers grew up knowing that the American Military can never be
defeated and the bad guys were people who are socialist and communist. These
people grew up in the Cold War era and grew up hating people who have communist
ideals.

Today, it is considered that baby boomers will have more tenure in the
political office than other generations. This is because of the huge population
of baby boomers existing in the country today. However, more and more baby
boomers are now complaining about age discrimination in the workplace. You
should never forget the fact that these people grew up in the era where they
came of age fighting for civil rights as an American and where unemployment
were virtually nonexistent.

It is also important that the baby boomers are people who have a wide view of
politics and are increasingly interested in the way the nation is run. In fact,
there have been two baby boomer presidents in the United States. Bill Clinton
and the incumbent president George W. Bush was the very first baby boomer
president of the United States. Furthermore, these presidents have emphasized
widely on civil rights for Americans and have led the United States to economic
growth.

If you are in the age of late 40s to 50s, you are considered to be part of the
baby boomer population. It is expected that because of the advancement of
medical technology, baby boomers will be able to enjoy a healthier lifestyle
and also be able to live much longer than their predecessors.

So, if you ever think that people who are in the ages of 40s or 50s are
incompetent, you should think again. You should consider that these people were
the ones responsible for your current lifestyle and fought for your right as a
citizen of a great nation. It is just right that you should treat them with
respect and dignity. The baby boomer generation is one of the greatest
generations that the United States ever had.

How US Economy will Sustain upon Retirement of Baby Boomer Generation

The Baby Boomer generation is a demographic term for the Americans born
somewhere in between 1946-1964. Based from a 2000 United States census, the
Baby Boomer generation holds the population of roughly 83 million. To date,
baby boomers range from 42 to 60 years of age. This means that the baby boom
generation is on its way to exit the labor force of the country.

Baby boomers are offsprings of a healthy, erudite and bounty living. Because of
this, they have reshaped the perspective of growing old by reinventing
themselves to pursue a new passion.

Because of the distinctive characteristics of baby boomers, they have caught
much attention and are the subject of studies and surveys. As for one thing,
baby boomers belong to an influential generation that significantly affects the
economy of the United States.

In an investigation conducted to find out how baby boomers foresee retirement,
here are some of the key findings:

For baby boomers, retirement is an opportunity to devote themselves to the
family and to enjoy their leisure time by pursuing their interests and hobbies.
However, they view retirement as a chance to empower their skills and find
another career apt for their age.

Baby boomers seek for both personal and career fulfillment that this becomes a
driving force for them to prepare and plan for retirement. They cling to social
security by accessing health and life plans.

Baby boomers yield an optimistic generation with conservative financial
expectations.

So compared with their parents, baby boomers are far likely to be continuously
working while enjoying their leisure. Comparatively, baby boomers made more
money than their parents.

Tracing back to the annals of American history, the US economy has
predominantly prospered since the baby boomers matured to enter the labor
force. Historically, they are considered to be the prime source of the work
force. But now that there is the expected demographic declination of baby
boomers, the Unites States Bureau of Labor Statistics prospects labor shortages
that must be remedied all at once. Otherwise, this will inflict dire
consequences to the economy.

However, there are some solutions to address the foreseen labor shortage by
targeting the other variables that affect the demographic landscape.
Organizations and companies can consider retaining the older workers,
correcting the gender imbalance in work designations, outsourcing and hiring
immigrants.

Since the baby boomers entered the labor force, the US economy has grown faster
than its overall population. And the impending decline in the participation of
baby boomers to service will reflect to a slower rate of labor force growth as
well as to the economy.

To make up for the threatening flux of baby boomers' contribution to work
force, they must be encouraged to remain in service for a longer span. To
encourage the aging baby boomers to stay in the labor force, companies and
organizations should consider the following:

In the years to come, age retirement of the recipients of Social Security
pension shall eventually be raised to 67 for the baby boomer generation. With
this attraction, baby boomers will likely to continue working over the age of
66 to avail full benefits of their pension.

The next course is defining the pension privileges that will offer more pay for
those who stay longer in the work force. Instead of the specific age
requirement, the span of work as the basis for the Social Security pension will
encourage the aging baby boomers to work longer.

Since baby boomers enthusiastically prepare for their retirement, these offers
will boost their will to stay in the labor force. The aforementioned courses
will render mutual benefits for both the companies and the baby boomers.

As the company understands the effect of the baby boomers' retirement, they can
thoughtfully prepare the upcoming adversities to the labor rate. These companies
and organizations involving the baby boomers must start their investigation on
how to customize their system to accommodate the aging employees. And they can
find better alternatives to ride the crest of the demographic wave caused by
retiring baby boomers.

And learning the distinctive characteristics and views of the baby boomers
towards retirement is a good strategy to learn how to deal with the
circumstances.

Baby Boomer Statistics on Birth, Retirement and Empty Nestling

The baby boomer generation plays a significant part in almost every aspect of
today's America. They made an impact to every age cluster they get to belong.
Baby boomers have the diverse potentials that uplifted their group in history.

Fast statistics show that the fifty plus age group of baby boomers are earning
roughly two trillion dollars, in control of more than seven trillion dollars of
wealth and own 77% of financial assets in United States. That is not all, baby
boomers also grip 50% of the discretionary powers in both government and
private organizations.

Baby boomers are interesting subjects to tackle-their power to do, their
immense abilities and their emotions. And since the baby boomer generation is
now ranging at the age of 42 to 60 years old, they are facing the issues of
retirement. It is fascinating to discover how baby boomers envision their old
age, their retirement plans and the thought of being empty nesters.

Empty nesting is the period in parents' lives when their children start moving
out to live their own lives. Sadly, aging parents are left by themselves,
reviving the scenarios when they were just starting out a family as well. The
difference is that they have consumed the energy and youth they used to be
abundant of. While the baby boomers have a range of emotions toward empty
nesting, they are most likely to play the brand name for them-the independent
generation.

Furthermore in the poll conducted for baby boomers, the following are some key
points which were uncovered:

Considering the statistics of birth of baby boomers, the name of their
generation was derived from the explosion of birth right after the World War
II. At the span of the baby boomer years, roughly seventy-six million Americans
were delivered to the earth. Currently, the population of baby boomers occupies
twenty-eight percent of the whole populace in United States.

Specifically by the year 1957, an estimated 4.3 million of babies were born in
America. The number has outstood any other year before it.

On the issue of retirement, baby boomers view this stage on its brighter side.
Accordingly, most of the baby boomers plan to pursue a career after their
previous career. Being involved in sole proprietorship or any self employed
business is the popular choice. Seventy-five percent envision their retirement
as the chance to devote leisure time with their children and grandchildren.
This will result to more domesticated adults. However, of this poll,
seventy-four percent feel freer upon retirement while fifty-seven percent
claimed that they will only be freer when they become empty nesters.

More than half of the baby boomers are confident that they will have enough
money for leisure when they already retire. This means that less than half of
them are not certain if they will live a comfortable life after retirement.
These statistics greatly affects the issue on the empty nesting emotions.

When questioned about parenting, 71% of the baby boomers responded positively.
For these baby boomers, parenting was a challenging task that marked many
wonderful experiences for them. That is why when the empty nesting stage comes,
baby boomers are more emotionally prepared. This is illustrated in the positive
feedback of the 58% baby boomers who are readying for the time when their kids
had to leave their territory for good. In parallel, a surprising twenty-six
percent feel like they would be closer to their better halves when their kids
are gone.

The older the baby boomers are, the more emotionally stable they become. Most
of the oldies in this generation have been ready to clear the nest. While the
large percentage states a neutral emotion, baby boomers are more likely
appreciative of freedom that they will soon be enjoying.

For seventy-four percent of baby boomers, they have proven to be good role
models for their children. And forty percent of the aging baby boomers foresee
that there will come a time when their children would still cling to them.
Since baby boomers are characterized by being independent, only twenty-eight
percent view their old age like their children would be charged for the rent.

Indeed, baby boomers play significant roles in the society. It is their age
that introduces the value of optimism and self sufficiency.

The Secrets behind the Baby Boomers Controversial History

Throughout mankind's history, nothing beats the most egoistic generation-the
baby boomers generations. Their history was presented through sayings,
vignettes, quotations, and slogans which characterized and shaped them. The
pleasure, the pain, and the trauma of times fall right into perspectives.

They protested everything including their civil rights, animal rights, and
viewpoint on foreign wars. All through the years, they become witnesses of
histories, made a few of it, and later on produced pop cultures treasured with
aphorisms. These sayings, quotations, and slogans are the striking view of
change and growth.

For them, their rich history lies on their music albums, books, movies, and TV
shows greatly remarkable for people who deeply influenced them. These key
events are represented in a way that it became a portion of the collective
subconscious of many people.

Baby boomers grew up on the most prosperous generation wherein they were
protected in small towns and suburbs, enjoying better health as well as
expecting fuller, longer lives compared to their predecessors. They live
through the greatest and longest period of economic prosperity. However, this
way of living only made them see the world through unfulfilled promise,
self-doubt, and longing.

Baby boomers become more idealistic than realistic. They became alienated and
disillusioned with their country if the things they wanted to happen were not
realized. From their infancy, the opportunity of fertile fields lay beneath
their feet offering them with growing wonders and asking them to use it in the
best way they can. But they suffered when their parents protected and pampered
them only to build a generation that is free from deprivation and fear. As a
result, they gave birth inadvertently to two split waves of egocentric
activists, the leftist and the rightist produced along the continued series of
counterrevolutions and cultural revolutions.

The distinctiveness of baby boomers born after the World War II cannot be
denied. They were set out in saving the world reaching up to a population of 76
million. It was because experts predicted that the birthrate declines in America
would continue. When men of WWII return home, it was settled that the safe and
old routine of bearing children should be again adopted. The agreement was a
freak incidence caused by material affluence, war victory, fear of loss, and
youthful optimism.

Baby boom was also caused by the Cold War in the 1950's giving emphasis on
family's strengths and moms staying at home, getting pregnant, and attending to
the kitchen. Even after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombing, almost 16 million
GIs returned to America. Moreover, the amount of babies born per month reached
338,000. It was been said that the 1945 population of babies was increased to
one million, then from 1954 to 1957, four million baby boomers was born peaking
at 4.3 million. The census reveals that there are 38,038,000 men and 38,503,000
women in their ranks, 61 million are white, 9 million are black, and the
remaining 6 million are comprise of the Asian, Indian, and Hispanic race. Most
of them are proud to belong to the elite cohort.

Baby boomers attended their elementary as well as secondary education during
the 50's and 60's. Some boomers were even called to serve in the Vietnam War,
others just entered their adulthood, and some are already working. Somehow,
women baby boomers held off marriage to give way to their careers.

The second wave of baby boomers (1958 onwards) doesn't have a strong
generational identity compared to the first wave. Generation Gap occurred since
their elders don't trust these baby boomers. The first wave became hippies while
the second wave became punks. Both waves express their dissatisfaction of the
world but they entirely assumed the American Dream in different dimensions.
First wave baby boomers surpassed or equaled the standard living of their
parents. The second wave was the exact opposite, they rely more for financial
support from their parents.

They established their beliefs that someday they will run the country's
institutions, redefine old age and retirement, generate more money, and
experience extraordinary leisure. However, baby boomers never close the
possibilities of receiving all kinds of mockery and generational gauntlet
challenging them to rise in their golden promise. Baby boomers really take
their part in the transformation of the society.

Maker of Toys Targets Baby Boomer Grandparents

Today, the baby boomers which once enjoyed their childhood on classic toys are
now grandparents who pass the tradition to their grandchildren. They comprise a
large number of the population that are spending their money on purchasing toys
for their grandchildren. This trend gives toy manufacturers big profits.

According to the survey, people ages 50 years old above controls 70% of the
United States wealth. Some consultants predicted that the population of
grandparents will increase to 10 million in the succeeding four years. It was
also revealed that grandparents spend 500 dollars each year per grandchild.
Collectively, the total amount spent by grandparents on their grandchildren
will be 30 billion dollars annually. Mostly, 25% of toy purchase comes from
grandparents.

Every year, their group continuously increases. Those born during the 1957
period comprise the largest population of grandparents. It was recorded by
demographers as the highest birthrate period. They shared common things like
passing their childhood legacy to their grandchildren. It is also their way of
bringing back old memories to stay young.

Kevin Curran, the Fisher-Price (Mattel subsidiary) general manager and senior
vice-president stated that greater numbers of boomers becoming grandparents
will contribute to their higher toy sales. It was because their toys are three
generations older compared to other manufacturers. They even have toys that
break sales records like the "Little People" play set which is 45 years older.
Fisher-Price also created their "Loving Your Grandbaby" magazine to attract
more buyers.

Boomers grandparents have their own categories for toys. They shows interests
on learning toys which promote creativity in music and art, nostalgic toys like
Snoopy Sniffer and Price's Telephone, and modern electronic like the Kid-Tough
Digital Camera which enables their grandchildren to keep in touch with them
through email photos when they are on a vacation.

It's not so surprising that Grandparents' Rewards Club was launched by KB Toys.
KB Toys in their recent reward clubs for grandparents, gives them 10% discounts
on their items every Tuesdays. They have three area locations in Houston namely
Almeda, Baybrook, and Willowbrook malls. They established such strategy because
of knowing that boomer grandparents have already a strong segment on buying
toys.

The strategy of Sababa Toys is bringing classic toys back once again. They
develop nostalgic ways in attracting boomer grandparents. Their products
include wood puzzles, Grandparents' Treasure Chest scrapbook, and matching
gifts like 'Big Brain Academy' stretching the brain power of kids and 'Brain
Age' keeping the aging boomer's memory sharp.

Baby boomers are coming on their grandparenthood stage with a unique history.
Some even said that boomer's parents are experiencing depressions caused by the
World War II. As a result, they wanted to give everything to their children. But
now, children and grandchildren of baby boomers have the best of everything. So,
their reason for giving toys as gifts to their grandchildren is simply to create
an unforgettable memory.

Boomers always appear contradictory. Some wanted their grandchildren to be more
achievement-oriented while others give more emphasis on education. Baby boomers
have gone to college with expansive horizons given a privilege idea that
everything is possible. They instill this principle to their grandchildren.
Baby boomers grandparents are once more technology savvy compared to previous
generations. They are comfortable in purchasing modern electronic gadgets
during this era.

Some boomer grandparents personally choose the toys they give. They realized
that children today want Internet games, CDs and iPods. However, they don't
encourage the purchase of these technological advancements because they just
get it anyway. As much as possible, boomers wanted their grandchildren to
experience the same childhood they did. They explored the outside environment,
played social games, and rode bikes with their family.

The parents of these kids are giving them toys that would help them in their
education. But boomer grandparents want to infuse learning in a different way.
They want their grandchildren to cultivate their awareness of the world's
beauty and global issues. Quality time is given to their grandchildren ensuring
that they would enjoy the moment together. During birthdays and Christmas, they
would buy educational toys like science project kits.

Baby boomers grandparents are the targeted buyers of toy industries. It is due
to their money and care for their grandchildren. They are perhaps the group who
spends their money powerfully throughout the history.

Baby Boomer Values Shapes Their Own Lives

The baby boomers generation lived within a set of values. These values must be
identified to challenge, correct and criticize them. Their attitudes towards
the specific areas of their lives including relationships, beliefs, world
events and politics form their value system. This system helps them to react
and act on various circumstances either in positive or negative ways.

Baby boomers obtain these values from their parents, teachers, peers, and
media. The world shapes their values in a very dynamic and fluid way to what
they have become today. Most baby boomers form their basic system values during
the early years of their lives. Before they have reached 25 years old, their
formulated values still lingers on them since the 1960 turbulence.

However, the baby boomers generation has defied categorization where they
refuse to conform to their elder's tradition and values. This is also true in
terms of politics. As they ages, boomers are predicted to drift rights about
their political values. Moreover, the latest studies shows that boomers stay as
independent thinkers not committed to a single set of beliefs or values about
politics. They are divided into ruthless ideological lines where their parents
fail.

Baby boomers values remain extremely variable and virtually impossible to
determine. They are too far more different compared to their predecessors and
very sensitive to issues about politics. The generation prior to them is
party-loyal thus following the lead of their parents. Boomers wanted to see
every angle of the issues clearly upon their terms where political views are
combined simultaneously, being conservative on several issues while liberal on
others.

The surveys revealed that 74% favored environmental regulations, 55% favored
the research on stem cell, 26% supported gay marriage, and 57% supported legal
abortions. In addition, 4 out of 10 boomers admitted that they tend to be more
conservative on politics as they age, 70% supported death penalty, 75% favored
school prayers, and 65% agreed on curbing civil liberties due to terrorism.

Baby boomers also consistently split important matters on political candidates,
key issues on the positions as well as personality. Some commonalities are
apparent on most boomers. They are disappointed with the dual political systems
and their government because of relying on their judgment upon making important
economic and social decisions. 56% believe that their country will be benefited
from a well-built third party and 32% trust their government for doing what is
supposedly right. They also confront what the GI generation believes to be very
important like military service, tax payments, and political issues assessment.

There are two important factors in shaping the values of boomers. First is how
they were raised. Their generation was placed and doted in the limelight
because they are the first generation after the World War II. They were given
lots of opportunities compared to their parents. This directed them to become
extremely concerned on their own interests. They rated issues according to what
it will give to them. An issue must not be marked as liberal or conservative as
long as it will favor their personal desires or needs effectively. Baby boomers
in this kind of thinking cannot be generalized as the former hippies who have
taken recreational drugs at Woodstock.

The second was the nature of generation. Baby boomers generation span for 18
years. It could emphasize that both parents and their children might be
technically baby boomers. Diversity of views towards different issues is highly
different.

Presently in the US, baby boomers have the highest share in the cultural,
political, academic, and industrial leadership class. They are referred to as
the generation for cultural factors. Boomers always seek improvement on their
society through their children which they considered as their parent's greatest
failure.

They are the best known hippies and counter-cultural generation but their
conservatism associated with music became more normal to them. Boomers are like
other past idealist generations who have ardent passion for social and personal
improvement. Although their expressions of such passions changes, the intensity
stays until they are out of their prominence age. The major sources which formed
their values come into action, however weak signals that sometimes are added on
their established values also makes a difference.

Baby Boomer, Babies No More

All you can hear are voices, and everything seems to be going too fast. You
slowly see a bright light, you feel a light tap on your butt, and then you cry
out loud. Your mother is there waiting for you. And as she carefully held you
in her arms, you feel all the love and comfort that the world has to offer.

Babies are a wonderful gift that every woman can receive. And if you are one of
those babies born during 1946 to 1964, you are called a baby boomer. Presently,
these baby boomers are at their midlife and others are at their retiring age
already. Baby boomers seek meaningful lives and with purpose; and that is the
very reason why they are quite a fascinating group.

You might be familiar with the different generations; and this makes it even
worse. A lot of people want to be identified with a particular generation; or
simply they just want to belong. But this doesn't have to be this way. No
matter what generation you're in, you have to make the most out of your life;
whether you're a baby boomer or not because that's what life is all about.

Baby boomers are aging; so by now they already know the lessons in life.

If you're one of the baby boomers in midlife, then you're probably thinking of
ways to make an impact to the society that you belong. And you will be able to
this is you follow these steps:

1  know your passion
2  identify all your developed skills and meaningful experiences that can be
   used to help other people
3  know the good things that you enjoy doing
4  choose a particular organization with a cause like a charity organization
   or a religious group
5  contact them and offer your service, you can even volunteer to help them out
6  have fun while trying to do your best in helping other people

Trying to make an impact in this world does not mean that you should have your
name paraded all throughout the world. Helping in your own little way to
improve the quality of life of needy people will make you feel good. And though
your effort is small, you should be proud because you've made a significant
difference.

Not all baby boomers are like this. There are also those who mess up their
lives by indulging in dangerous vices; or those that spend their money in
meaningless things or investments. But it's never too late; there is always
room for change if you really want to do it.

At this certain age, you have to enjoy your life to the fullest. Establish a
successful career and give importance to your family as well as yourself.

What's in store for the older generation of baby boomers? Most of the older
generation of baby boomers who are about to retire still want to go on with
their lives by seeking second careers; but they are more focused on the things
that they want to enjoy doing. Some of them want to make an income while others
are contented with what they have. They want to spend the remaining years of
their lives meaningful as possible. Volunteer works for non-profit
organizations are usually places they often go and pass their time.

Although they want to keep themselves busy, there are certain factors which
hinder them from doing so. It is a true and sad fact that these older
generations are also prone to certain health problems, one of which is hearing
loss. By the year 2030, it is estimated that more than 50 million Americans are
about to suffer from this problem.

As people age, it is but natural that they become more prone to health
problems. The best possible thing that baby boomers can do is prevention. Don't
let yourselves be exposed to constant loud noises because this can lead to
hearing disabilities.

By now, you probably know of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Baby
boomers want to live longer in order to make their lives more meaningful in
this world. But since you can't tell how long you will live, as a baby boomer,
you should try your best to live a normal life and
always-the-good-guy-next-door.

Baby Boomers boomed when?

At first glance, many people would think that a baby boomer is just a simple
thing played by a baby. However, they have eventually realized that this term
refers to a group of people, particularly to a generation.

If we recall the tragic aftermath of the World War II, the basic statistics
meet the criteria of having WWII as the greatest war in history when we speak
of human and assets expended. During the post-war period, there were 1.7
billion people populating the Earth. After the war, three quarters of the
world's population was added. The scientific development and technological
advancement have made the war an unparalleled rage. Parts of the fighting
fronts were the civilians, who suffered from malnutrition, disease, and often
actual starvation, devastation of cities and towns, and awful injuries and
death.

Consequent to WWII, economic prosperity emerged. During that time, the birth
rates augmented, making the growth of families over a certain interval of time
such a significant figure recorded. The Babies born on that period, when birth
rates were considerably raised, were termed as the Baby boomers.

After the Second World War, the bombed out cities and broken economies boosted
the demands for goods and services in unmatched amounts. As a consequence, the
Democracy Arsenal took control and started exporting merchandise and resources.
America abounded the "free world" with commodities so that the economies will be
reconstructed. This has amazingly led to a vital record of economic growth that
continued until 1958. The economic success was associated with the better
capability of each family to add more family members. Thus, the baby boomers
were born.

The G.I. Bill allowed record persons to attend college and get hold of degrees,
which has led to the improvement in education that granted higher family
incomes, allowing them to have the assets to support more children.

According to Steve Gillo, Baby Boomers were of two categories in terms of
years. The first is from 1945 to 1957 and the second from 1958 to 1963. Neil
Howe and William Strauss on the other hand, took account of those conceived by
on leave soldiers during the war. They set the generation of baby boomers from
1943 to 1960. They explained that those who were born between 1961 and 1964 had
cultural and political patterns that are so different from those born between
1955 and 1960. This fit into what writers termed as the 13th Generation or
Generation X.

The 13th Generation was known as the Cold War generation, which was estimated
to include 79 million children including those born between 1961 and 1981.
Since the authority of Strauss and Howe dominated, several people still
believed that the 1961 babies were also Baby Boomers. This is because of many
significant Gen-X figures of birth in 1964. However, since the number of births
did not turn down in 1965, then 1964 is not the ending year of generation X.

Controversy over dating and naming the boomers will be explained by considering
that the 1946-64 boomer years is too long for one cultural generation. It may
however mark a period of increased births.

It is in a world quasi-dominated by American Military might where the Baby
Boomers grew up. It was where the enemies were referred to as the communists
and socialists. This was all the way through the cold war from when researchers
are lead to the current computer age. Also, the generation has already matured
for the rural and urban crowding.

Would you imagine that famous groups like The Motown Sound, The Beats and
Hippies, and The Beatles belong to the generation of the baby boomers? Baby
boomers these days make up the lion's share for political, industrial, cultural
and academic leadership class in the United States.

Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were the first and second Baby Boomer
presidents. They were born in 1946 having an age gap of just sixty days. Their
professions exemplify the wide range of principles and attitudes advocated by
the largest American generational group to date.

Baby boomers or not, people would remain people. Nothing really matters about
being included in a certain generation which has made history. Furthermore,
there may be just one exciting record which baby boomers may be proud of, which
is being in the Guinness book of world records!

Many Baby Boomers are Close to Retirement, What Will They Do?

When people get old, they need not work. They should enjoy the rest of their
lives having fun and worrying about nothing. But ever since baby boomers were
born, a lot of changes have taken place in each milestone of their life. And
now that they are close to retirement, can you imagine them staying at home and
doing nothing at all?

With their unique characteristics, baby boomers were able to redefine and
reshape the society as a whole. They certainly made an impact before, and
probably they will again for the years to come. Of all baby boomer population,
about 76% of them intend to stay in the workforce even after the age of
retirement.

Baby boomers tend to make decisions that make them different from other
generations, and they never outgrew this trait. Now that they are retiring,
they are sure to make a big personal decision. They have to choose between
retiring or to keep working. But if you're talking about a boomer, he will
probably choose the second alternative.

To many old people, retirement is an end-point. But with baby boomers, it's the
turning point of their lives. But this doesn't mean though that it's all work.
Some of them want to work part-time while others want to put up their own
businesses. Some boomers want to have a leisurely time away from busy schedules
after many years of working; one way is to travel to other places. This will not
be a problem because they have all the money to spend for luxurious trips.

These various decisions of baby boomers may be because of certain external
factors. You are probably aware that baby boomers make up a huge number of the
population. If they all retire, the workforce will be greatly affected and the
state will not be able to handle all claims for benefits. Other factors include:

1  Longer life; because of the new technology that many people enjoy, boomers
can live longer and this means another twenty years or so of incurring
expenses; if they will live longer, their resources will not be enough to
sustain their needs

2  Less pensions; companies offering pension plans want to have their plans
changed and to reduce benefits; this does not give baby boomers enough time to
make savings because they are near retirement already

3  Medical costs; medical costs will continue to rise, it even outpaced
inflation; from now, many companies are expecting a 10% increase yearly of
boomers looking for services or products where they can pay/save on medical
services/cost.

Considering these factors, the baby boomers are sure to make a different
decision once they retire. They can't rely on their family for support,
especially if their children have a family of their own.

The retiring of baby boomers is not just an issue for the baby boomer, but also
for the entire state. Boomers make up today's economy. They represent a large
percentage of the workforce and they were responsible for the economy's growth
during the 1990s when boomers were at the peak of their spending years and
careers. If they all leave the workforce, what will happen to the economy?

The US and other countries with baby boomers are finding it necessary to
address this situation. And at present, they now have plans on how the economy
can cope up with such situation.

The aging and retiring boomers are a lot different from the previous generation
of old people. Boomers love vacation homes, cosmetic surgery, skin creams, and
other stuff which helps them to stay youthful. These industries can expect a
huge increase on their sales because of patronizing baby boomers.

As baby boomers reach their retirement age, they have to make a sound decision
whether to continue working or to simply stay at home and wait for their
pension every month. But knowing a boomer, he already has a well thought-out
plan of his future after retirement.

Boomers are often seen as individuals who are more on the 'I' side of things.
They focus more on their 'self' and not on other people. So if they think that
retiring or pursuing another career is best, he will stick to his decision. And
no amount of convincing can change his decision once he has his mind made up.
information on baby boomers

Baby Boomers and Breaking Age Related Norms

In the past, after World War II, a new kind of generation was born in the
United States. Because of the after effects of the World War II, the United
States experienced an economical boom, which resulted in high income jobs, and
unemployment rates were non-existent.

Education was also enhanced by the government and universities and colleges
were prompting people to get a college degree. Education was cheap, and was
readily available. In fact, many took college courses to open up higher paying
job opportunities

Because of this lifestyle, many people became financially secure and prompted
them to produce more children. After the World War II and before the start of
the Vietnam War, there was a significant increase in birth rates. This
generation was called the baby boomers era. People who were born within this
period are called baby boomers.

First of all, the baby boomers grew up in a world where unemployment was
virtually non-existent and their parents had high income jobs. Provided if you
were Caucasian, everyone had a job.

Baby boomers also came of age during the time of civil rights protests were on
the streets. In fact, most people who protested for civil rights and equality
were baby boomers. They fought against race, creed, gender, and age
discrimination. Because of the world they grew up in, baby boomers are
considered to be politically active and are watching every move that the
government makes.

Another reason why baby boomers are so politically active is that they also
grew up during the Cold War where the socialists and communist governments were
the enemy. The American military is also the most powerful armed forces in the
world during those times. They experienced the arms race against communist
Russia and have been brought up by their parents knowing that the United States
is the most powerful nation in the world.

Culturally speaking, baby boomers also introduced a new kind of music called
rock + roll. They introduced and accepted the different kinds of music that has
been popping out during this era, including jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock +
roll. In fact, most of the music you hear today is influenced by the music baby
boomers introduced.

In every generation there is a distinct norm that you will see. In the baby
boomers generation, you will see that they are not really retiring and are
continuing to work. They are more focused on their careers and are very
politically active. In fact, the United States government today is being run by
a baby boomer. Ex-president Bill Clinton and incumbent president George W. Bush
are the first two baby boomers who held the highest office of the United States.

Baby boomers want to follow their passion, give something back to the society,
and are always trying extra hard to achieve their maximum potential. You will
also observe that baby boomers that are already in the retiring age are still
continuing to work today. This is because they want to be active in activities
that make them happy and retirement is not one of them.

Baby boomers are also more concerned about their health than their parents.
Because of this, they constantly visit their doctors and know the value of
their health. In fact, studies suggest that baby boomers will live longer than
their predecessors.

There are the four things that you can expect from baby boomers once they reach
the retirement age:

 *  Total retirement
 *  Entrepreneur
 *  Worker
 *  Volunteer

Most baby boomers prefer to have their own business. Or, if they are incapable
of starting their own business, they often do volunteer work they are
interested in. Sometimes, you will see some baby boomers traveling all over the
world to help the less fortunate on charity events.

They also expect respect in the workplace but they seldom find it because of
age discrimination. It is ironic that these people are being discriminated in
the work place where they were one of the people who fought for equal
employment and civil rights.

As you can see, past norms, where when people reach a certain age, they can now
retire, are very different from the baby boomers era. They are freer and are
taking advantage of that freedom to do whatever they want and they do this by
contributing to society or do something that they truly enjoy. They are a
generation who is in to their careers and a generation that expects to be
respected.

Baby Boomers and Drug Abuse, Hear From the Experts

Historically, substance abuse is primarily concentrated among teens as well as
young adults. However, the major concern lies on older adults. As the baby
boomers ages, the older adult's population increases contributing in the large
proportions of marijuana users and other prohibited drugs.

It is a fact that baby boomer followers have greater population compared to
other followers. So it is expected that percentage of people using illicit
drugs would also increase in just a few decades. Joseph Gfroerer uses the
recent data of the surveys conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration in presenting current prevalence and patterns and
latest trends in using illicit drugs.

The 4.4 % of the baby boomers population ages 50-59 years old admitted that
they used prohibited drugs as been reported by the United States Government.
The age group's percentage increased as supported by the nationwide surveys on
Health and Drug Use. However, the use of illicit drugs among teenagers
decreased to 9.9 % from 11.6% in 2005.

The director's assistant of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, David
Murray said that contrasting phenomenon like this rarely occurs. The survey
that was conducted involved interviews of approximately 67,500 people. It
provides snapshots that are very importantly associated on how Americans smoke,
drink, and use drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.

The use of drugs stayed relatively unchanged for Americans ages 12 year old and
above in 2005. There were about 19.7 million Americans who use illicit drugs
which increase its percentage to 8.1% from a 7.9%. The increase was not solely
contributed by boomers, but also those people ages 18 to 25 years old ranking
the highest percentage in terms of using illicit drugs ranging to 20.1% from a
19.4%.

Federal officials posted their comments about these reports because they only
emphasized the decrease of drug use among young teens without reporting the
increase in among the 18-25 age groups.

Eric B. Broderick, an Assistant General Surgeon even asked if fundamental
shifts like this really occur among youngsters in America. The 18-25 age
brackets also called by Murray as gauntlets where everybody runs. In addition,
the use of drugs among youths in the US reaches its peak during the late 70s
bringing the baggage with them as they age 50-60 years old.

The percentage of baby boomers that uses illicit drugs increased since 2002 and
reveals that Marijuana was their choice. The report was true revealing 14.6
million Marijuana users, 6.4 million people uses prescription drugs such as
sedatives or tranquilizers and pain relievers, and 2.4 million people using
cocaine. The 60% of these users exposed that they obtain the drugs from a
friend or relative for free. An average of 4.3% users bought drugs from
strangers or drug dealers.

The Bureau of Census said that there are 78.2 million boomers born between 1946
and 1964. As been studied, abuse of substances like drugs became a part of their
lives as they get older. The National Drug Control Policy director John Walters
even said that some baby boomers carried this habit throughout their lives.

However, the editor of High Times (advocacy magazine on marijuana), Steve Hager
said that ailing people ages 55 years old chooses marijuana over
anti-depressants and sleeping pills while 60 year old and above uses it as pain
relievers for glaucoma and related maladies.

However, the United States government never recognizes the medical benefits of
marijuana although eleven states permit using it for medical reasons. Marijuana
is considered the most well-known illicit drug used by about 6% users.
Prescription drugs and stimulants is the second with a 2.6% user.

Other evidences of using drugs among baby boomers were revealed when a large
number of them showed up for treatments. Moreover, overdose deaths are another
reason. Those baby boomers that were caught smoking weed at Woodstock continue
on with their habits until now.

Mr. Murray's good news was that young people in today's generation have learned
the mistakes done by their parents. More teenagers are staying away from using
illicit drugs and other harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol. The
self-destruction pattern created by baby boomers is prevented in the coming
generations thus this activity is well sustained. This promises a good future
on the health of Americans.

Next Stop Retirement

It seems almost absurd for baby boomers to think about retirement as the next
stop in their long and eventful lives. But the absurd has become a reality. As
the baby boomer generation moves into their mid fifties and sixties, that
specter of retirement looms ever closer. So it's natural and appropriate to sit
back and review exactly what that means to each of us.

For many, the traditional attitude toward retirement has been one of joy. The
concept of laying down your worries and bringing your work life to a
comfortable end is something to look forward to. The image of a life of
sleeping late, golfing as much as you wish, taking up two or three hobbies and
living a life of leisure is an idyllic vision in our minds for sure.

But the reality of retirement can also be a source of anxiety and fear. If the
baby boomer who approaches that threshold is not financially prepared or the
affairs and concerns of their work lives are not ready to be set aside, the
idea of having go retire simply due to age seems to be a harsh and an
unpleasant prospect. In both of these visions of a future retirement, we are
probably working under as much myth as we are reality about what it will be
like to retire. But one thing baby boomers are good at is debunking myths and
defying conventional wisdom and defining each era of their lives in their own
terms.

We can expect the same as baby boomers move into retirement. This is a
generation that did not have the benefit of employers who were loyal to
employees and kept the same staff from college through their retirement party
and from whom they could expect a hefty retirement package. But boomers are not
the kind of generation that lets things sneak up on them. Working with such
excellent organizations as AARP, there are resources and options baby boomers
can tap into to create a secure financial future despite the lack of
participation by past employers.

But as with all other phases of life however, financial security is not what
makes life worthwhile all by itself. And as baby boomers see retirement coming
at their next stop, another myth that has to go is that retirement is the end
of the productive part of life. This image of living a life of leisure, never
working and letting others take care of us is not necessarily a healthy
approach to retirement any more than it would be at any other phase of life.

Human beings are at their best when they are useful, creative, productive and
pursuing a dream. It has been shown time and time again that when a senior
citizen can no longer be part of something larger than themselves and see
themselves as productive in life, their will to live declines with the
inevitable result of an end of life that is earlier than it has to be. So the
financial demand that some baby boomers face that they may have to work on into
what is considered to be the "retirement years" may have a hidden blessing of
extending their lives in a healthy way because these will the baby boomers who
know they must stay fit and active because, just like always, they have to get
up and go to work.

For those who do lay down their labors at retirement age, second careers are
often a great way for aging baby boomers to not only create a second revenue
stream but to pursue a career path that had always been a dream in life.
Another alternative as well for staying active and useful in retirement is to
become passionate about a cause in life that has always been important to you.

Baby boomers have always been a people driven by causes. So what better way for
baby boomers to use their retirement than to become activists to make a
difference in the world, just as they did in youth when they did so much to
make a difference? The world will be a better place for their involvement and
the retired baby boomer will live a happier senior life as well.

What the State Can Do About the Great Number of Baby Boomers Retiring

Your college days mark a turning point in your life. By this time, you've
finally realized the value of getting a degree in order to land a good job. And
after establishing your career, you will have to work around eight hours a day
for many years. As an individual, you're not only earning money for your
family, but you're also helping the economy of the country that you belong.

After World War II, the population continued to increase for nearly twenty
years. The babies born during this time were called baby boomers. Millions of
babies were born, and at present, some of them are already in their senior
years while the rest are in their middle ages.

With so many boomers retiring, can the economy withstand the effects of this
situation? In the US alone, they are already preparing for this scenario. Their
priorities were attuned to the economy's needs as many boomers retire. This
included certain areas such as transportation, health care, and housing.

Now that baby boomers are retiring, the need for health-care workers is in
great demand. But it is also expected that the US will lack in geriatricians
and nurses. The entire country should have the capacity to meet this need.
Therefore, the authorities are trying to figure out effective ways to attract
people in the field of health care and ensure that they will stay longer.
Workforce preparation is one of the many priorities of the federal government
today.

Not all people retire at the age of 65. Others even retire before they reach
that age, while others still have the desire to work longer. But the expected
number of baby boomers retiring should not be ignored. Retirement funding is a
very important consideration that should not be overlooked.

Life expectancy is not the same many years ago. Now, if a person retires at 65,
he can expect another 20 years or so of his life. If he doesn't have a job, then
he will greatly depend on his pension and family for survival. Social Security
may experience a big problem when the boomer retirees start collecting.

The Social Security does not encourage baby boomers to retire at 65 or even
have an early retirement. Boomers born from 1944 to 1950 should wait until they
reach their 66th birthday before they can receive the benefits. The boomers
after 1950 can expect incentives if they retire at 70.

Corporate pension is another problem. By now, you are aware that many companies
are reneging on plans or are getting bankrupt. If the whole system is like this,
what can the retirees expect?

The workforce can't handle the situation in case all baby boomers retire. This
will have a huge impact in many fields. Oftentimes, individuals in their senior
years still have a lot to contribute to the society. Those who would still like
to work as a part-time employee will be encouraged to do so; another offer for
boomers is to work at flex-time after they retire. Seniors have a wealth of
knowledge and experiences, so if they decide to continue working, they should
not be stuck in a work that does not utilize their skills. But they should also
be open to new ways or technology. The seniors should be able to learn new ways.

But not all seniors are still capable to work. As people age, they often get
sick. They suffer from certain illnesses which makes it hard for them to work.
These things are barriers that can prevent baby boomers from working.

The federal state can't do these things alone. The families of baby boomers,
their communities, and all the states should all exert efforts to have all
these plans materialize.

But most of all, the aging baby boomer should be prepared for this situation.
He should not expect other people to care for him, not even his family. Family
members can help and provide assistance, but they do burn out that can lead to
elder abuse. Baby boomers should set their minds, and be ready for aging. Aging
is one thing that all people will be looking forward to; so be prepared.

As an aging boomer, you should not feel down. Who knows, this might be another
good start for you to live a meaningful life upon retirement.

Baby Boomers Retirement Communities, Continuing Active Lifestyle

"Old age" was never in the vocabulary of the boomer retirees. They live under a
creed of despising the aging process throughout their history. Born as activists
questioning everything, they combat inevitable aging and dispose antiquated
retirement concepts embraced by their parents. Instead, boomers give more
attention on how they are going to lace up rollerblades, download in their
iPod's, or skate into sophisticated, hip energetic adult communities. They
called this as lifestyle communities created all over the country to cater to
their whim.

The previous architecture director of Del Webb Corporation, Bill Parks foresees
that the approaching great numbers of boomers retirees would delight and
bewilder many developers. For a less period of time, adult communities will be
springing up meeting the needs of active adults.

There are over 1,200 adult communities all over the country and some are on the
stages of planning. The underlying purpose of building such communities remains
constant. To give a place for empty nesters to rationalize after their kids
leave them. The location, ambiance, size, and amenities are great, too far from
what had already existed.

Home builders consider this as a very big trend. The senior housing councils
for the National Association of Home Builders, Jeff Jenkins, announced that
after the first set of age-qualified boomers availed more than 55 communities,
it staggered the impacts since 2001. Boomers aged 55 years old and above
accounted for about 1/5 (207,000) of the 1.1 million purchases of new homes in
2003. The adult active market accounted for approximately 51 billion dollars of
sales in new homes. This is the main reason why adult communities are springing
up in all places.

The generation of World War II in fact invented the retirement standard of
living in various ways. They outlived their work and accumulated significant
wealth to enjoy their golden years. Their prospective places are Florida,
California and Arizona due to its sunny weather with a handy golf course and
pool and a country club or community center where they could establish their
new social functions.

However, the boomers have a different viewpoint according to the CEO and
founder of ICAA (International Council on Active Aging) Colin Milner. ICAA is
an adult active advocacy organization in British Columbia, particularly
Vancouver.

Baby boomers have acquired so many life experiences that will soon be reflected
in their adult communities. The only difference is that they have adopted what
they have learned. Take for example fitness issues. Boomers parents didn't
incorporate fitness in their lifestyle considering it as a boring routine. So,
the entire exercise trend was started by the baby boomers. It is not a turnoff
for them because they have accessed it throughout their lives. Therefore,
adopting it in their adult communities as a part of their lifestyle is not a
big deal. Developers are creating adult communities reflecting their rich baby
boomers history.

The major difference between the retirement villages of the first generation
and adult active communities is location. Numerous surveys reveal surprising
results. 2 out of 3 boomers wanted to live 100 miles away from where they lived
and worked. The reason that motivated boomers to moving further does not mainly
lie on the type of weather. But they chase their friends and family who have
transferred in that location.

The phenomenon called as stay-at-home caught some developers off guard. They
never realized that one day the resort-style adult communities near main urban
centers will become lesser in demand. The Midwest and Northwest location was
once the best seller. During the mid-90s one half of such communities are
situated in Sunbelt. Washington D.C is not a very popular retirement location
however there are dozens of adult active communities available wherein some
people never believe it is possible. Today, three fourths of these communities
are not within Sunbelt anymore. The price ranges 150,000 dollars and above for
a town home having two bedrooms and two baths.

The boomers generation has been separated from its Me Generation. For ill or
good, the history's largest generation changes the faces of everything on the
path they once lived. They exchange health care from entertainment, investing
from childbirth, and education from fitness. It will hold no surprise that
boomer retirees will reinvent the entire retirement village. Boomers regardless
of their age still continue to make changes.

Retirement of Baby Boomers, How Does It Threaten America's Budget

The coming retirement stage of baby boomers has become a public major concern.
It is partly due to the financial pressures that will arise when they collect
Medicare and Social Security benefits. Moreover, there are claims saying that
adequate private savings are never accumulated by boomers to support their
retirement. However, standards was not created and accepted by boomers
constituting 'enough savings' because preparations for retirement are a
personal choice. Recent studies have applied different standards and provided a
more precise picture on the finances of the boomers.

The income of baby boomers is typically higher compared to their parents. For
this matter, higher percentage of private wealth is kept by boomers in
preparation for their retirement. Boomers will never live in poverty since they
will obtain a higher income as they approaches retirement age.

With the said survey, only one-fourth of the boomer's populations have failed
in accumulating significant savings. These boomers will entirely depend on the
benefits provided by the government in retirement. One half of the household
population is predicted to maintain working-age living standards upon
retirement. But the government laws on federal benefit plans must remain
unchanged. The remaining one fourth of household boomers shows mixed results.
They will suffer moderate decline on their standard of living. Slowly
increasing their savings as well as working for a couple of years more could
compensate it. Many boomers fear the future alteration of government retirement
benefits.

It is a fact that the baby boomer generation (people born form 1946 to 1964) is
marked as the most prosperous and largest generation in the history of the
United States. During the working years of baby boomers, they are greatly
enjoying the benefits of their higher incomes. Substantial savings were
accumulated wherein some portions are allocated for retirement. Over the
succeeding 25 years, they will be entitled of the government benefit programs.
Boomers will also then start collecting private pensions and savings.

The retirement impending wave becomes a major concern because the retirees'
populations will rapidly increase than the taxpaying workforce. The average
benefits for each retiree will also increase. This will create mounting and
severe pressure on the budget of the federal government. Another is that the
government is not sure if all boomers have accumulated enough wealth to utilize
for retirement. It could compound the budgetary problems of the government
limiting investment growth, wages, and productivity.

The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) lately reviewed the research conducted
decades ago regarding retirement predictions of aging boomers. It reveals the
boomers' mixed scenario of their future. The absence of the standard promotes
inadequacy of preparation upon the boomer's retirement thus the development of
different measures on the application produces various conclusions.

The current law states that government and Social Security benefits will be
given to the retirees. Due to budgetary pressures, the levels of benefits might
be reduced to meet the needs of baby boomers that belong to the lowest income
distribution. Their expectation of receiving all the benefits induces them on
less saving and underestimates the alarming difficulties of uncertainties in
the future. The boomers leading edge are 58, wherein in just 4 years they will
collect their Social Security. Nobody knows what would be its impact for
employees and employers. The boomers retirement could either go disastrously or
smoothly or whatever in between.

Most studies show that retirement preparations utilize a standard derived from
an economic theory. It suggests that people should try maintaining a good level
of living standards through out the years of their lives. This is a relative
standard since it highly depends on the amount of income accumulated during
their lifetime. If the standard matches exactly on the behavior of the boomers,
then it will enable them to measure if their preparations are sufficient enough
to satisfy their retirement needs.

Those households experiencing retirement savings shortfalls will relatively
bring a few changes in their behaviors, however the effects are surprisingly
large. Because people retiring at 62 is expected to live for another twenty
years, so their retirement is postponed each year reducing the needs of
retirement savings at about 5%. The extra years that they spend on work also
increases their benefits from Social Security. The effects of these actions
reduce the boomers population who needs savings. In addition, they continuously
increase their assets. The boomers retirement will surely bring great changes in
the economy of America.

Tips in Men's Baby Boomer Fashion

Fashion is everything to some people. While there are individuals who don't
care about their looks, there are also those who care about nothing but fashion
trends. Baby boomers are those born in the years 1946 to 1964. Boomers are known
as the most influential and affluent individuals in the economy. As with fashion
trends, they are never left behind; some of them are even trendsetters.

Most of the boomers today are at their midlife and 60s. Before, they were
hippies; but now, most of them have to deal with aging problems. And so they
often have problems about dressing and styling. What they want are clothes with
attitude, but what used to be their style years ago doesn't look appropriate in
today's fashion.

The aging process can be such a frustration to many baby boomers. They are
looking for ways to slow down the process; at their age, they are alive,
kicking, and screaming to the world that they can still keep up with today's
fashion.

That is why companies in the fashion business can expect a huge increase in
their annual sales because of the baby boomers.

Have you seen men baby boomers lately? Perhaps you will laugh at the thought of
seeing an old man in his hippies-style walking along the streets. Well, some of
them still do wear these clothes but usually receives not-so-good comments. So
if you want to stay in fashion, try these tips:

1  Wear shirts that fits across your back and chest trimly; make sure that the
   shirt can be worn with a jacket that narrows at your waist; use trousers that
   have flat-fronts with straight legs; this way, you will look youthful, taller,
   and flattering
2  leather jackets that looks like blazers adds flavor to a man's wardrobe;
   these jackets are compatible with trousers or jeans
3  wear smaller eyeglasses; try lightweight frames or rimless styles
4  buy shoes that are tie style or slip-ons; you can also go for leather boots
   (low-heeled) or western boots; black shoes never go out of style but choose one
   with leather soles; brown shoes are also great
5  colors like charcoal gray and navy are flattering on older men; you can
   also experiment on color combinations and textured fabrics
6  as your hair gets thinner, you should cut it short to accentuate your best
   features

If you follow these tips, you will look younger and more youthful. You will
feel confident and more in style.

Here are the biggest don'ts that a baby boomer should take note:

-  don't wear large clothes because you will appear or look heavier
-  don't wear leather pants because it doesn't suit your age
-  don't wear large lenses because this will give you a droopy appearance and
   will cover your face
-  oxfords and penny loafers are out-of-date already, so don't wear them
-  don't wear black suits because you'll look like you're attending a funeral;
   this is also true with black sweaters
-  don't cover a bald spot with your remaining hair because it will look
   ridiculous

There are many fashion designers these days which can cater to the needs of
middle-aged baby boomers. Boomers can still look sophisticated and hip despite
their age. You can find designers like Paul Stuart, Brooks Brothers, and Under
Armour, and they are quite excellent in their fields. You can always visit them
and you can ask for their professional help.

Being old is not an excuse to not looking good. Typical looks of older people
will vanish as the baby boomers begin to set their own fashion trends at their
middle age. You can expect a more exciting and fulfilling life for boomers.

Not only are the men quite attuned to fashion; even women boomers have a keen
sense of style and fashion. The opportunities now for baby boomers to keep up
with fashion trends are more because of the many companies that capitalize on
the fashion business.

If you're an aging boomer, don't sulk in your room and stare at your old
clothes. Go out, and find the right style for you. The secret to staying always
in fashion is simply to wear clothes that you're comfortable wearing.

Baby Boomers, Facing New Generations

The generation of Baby Boomers have created numerous handles like the educated,
immoral, spoiled, hippies, lazy and many more. But the generation of today has a
challenge set out for them to face the idea of retirement.

The Baby Boomers are now in their 50s and beyond. They are old enough to be
considered as senior citizens. However, ABC News featured on its original
report on the 10th of January this year, that the Baby Boomers remade the
meaning of aging.

If Baby Boomers will be compared to their parents, the boomers are considered
better educated and healthier. The report also stated that boomers tend to live
well in their 80s or beyond it.

Because of these, they are regarded to enjoy new passions, and they also got
the opportunity in reinventing themselves.

Indeed, the period of Baby Boom, where there had been a bubble in the birth
rate along with the soaring economy, is a remarkable period that follows WW II.

The estimated 79 Million Baby Boomers stand for the sole biggest demographic
group that is in existence these days.

The Baby Boomer Generation Continues to 'Boom'

When you're out in your neighborhood, you would usually see many teens hanging
out together. Teenage life is probably the happiest and most exciting times. As
a group, they would spend a lot of time doing things together. There are even
times when they try to set a trend of some sort. This must be a reason why
several generations are known for their different characteristics and
uniqueness.

Baby boomers left a mark in history when they were born. And as they grew up,
they were able to create 'booms' which affected the whole world.

After World War II, about seventy six million baby boomers were born. They all
belonged to a nurturing and progressive family. Their parents want to ensure
their success in the future by devoting themselves to care for their children
in the social, spiritual and economic aspect.

Doctor Benjamin Spock was a well-known pediatrician that time. He was able to
publish a book about baby care, which most mothers rely upon for advice and
guidelines. Many parents in the US treated it like their second bible. Most
baby boomers grew up in a home with a democratic environment which taught them
about discipline and reason.

The generation of baby boomers is distinctively identified because of their
personalities. They posses self-indulgence and self-esteem; they always think
critically and are used to questioning anything that they see, these things
make boomers stand out in every crowd.

Their generation does not want to obey existing rules, but they want to purify,
justify, and enforce changes in certain aspects where they think it is
necessary. Boomers light political and social fuses that brought dramatic
changes which the whole world recognized.

The baby boomer generation represents about 29% of the US population. The
generation is a 'breakthrough', as many people would like to put it. Boomers
were a generation of the 'stress' and the 'me', as many astute marketers claim.

This notorious generation was not afraid to challenge the social norms, and
transform them into norms which are acceptable for them. Baby boomers loved
rock music, free love, and drugs and were all spearheaded by this generation.
They are quite demanding in terms of product quality, convenience, and their
money's value. They want to make the most out of their time, and they don't
want to waste any moment.

At present, the boomers generation is now aging, but this doesn't mean that the
world is closing in on them. They are still alive and kicking. They want to stay
youthful, and even retirement is out of their context. They have great interest
in fitness, health, longevity, attractiveness, and always looking young. They
are like teenagers once again.

Because of today's medical advances, boomers can expect a few years added to
their lives as compared to the preceding generation. This particular generation
has great expectations on all things maybe because they are interested in
traveling, are information-thirsty, well-educated, and always involved in
political processes. The 21st century is a time where boomers dominated the
scene because of their values, interests, and needs for fiscal and social
policy which shaped today's political agenda.

Boomers are further known as the generation of most divorced couples and a
household with both parents working. This was in contrast on how they were
raised by their parents. During their childhood years, their mothers stayed at
home to attend to all their needs. But now, it's very much different. These
things redefined the family life and now it's but ordinary to find families
with only one parent, joining families, and re-marriage. Many children at
present grew up from broken families or their parents re-marrying.

Then there was the gender revolution and egalitarianism ideal, which supports
equality among all individuals. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman;
this generation promotes equality and classlessness. They redefined the
boundaries which set man and woman apart.

The baby boomer's generation has contributed many important developments in the
society, and the nation as a whole. And though they are now aging, they still
want to stay on top and contribute whatever they can to the society where
he/she belongs.

Their generation will long be remembered even if all baby boomers pass away.
With their many contributions to the world, their 'boom' will still be heard
for the coming years.

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