Pre Boomers & the future
According to Matt Thornhill in an article published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch -
"The blessing of being a boomer is that we are living during a transformative period in human history. The transformation is the lengthening life span. As a result, the four stages of life -- youth, young adult, midlife, and old age -- are being extended as well.
When boomers were born, a long life was about 80 years. That meant from birth to about age 20 was "youth." The period from 21 to 40 was "young adult." "Midlife" began at 41 and ended at 60, when "old age" began.
A healthy boomer today at age 60 thinks he or she will live another 30, 35, or even 40 years easily. With age 100 as the new end date for a long life, we will likely expand the four life stages to 25 years each: "youth" from birth to 25, "young adult" from 26 to 50, "midlife" from 51 to 75, and "old age" from 76 to 100. Actually, this shift in thinking is already happening, even if it hasn't been widely reported."
That said, for those of us who have "frittered away" the first 65 years, we have another 20-30- maybe even 40- more years to make good. Wow, even with earthquake victims still suffering, I feel a little better. Now it's time to figure out what's next. Perhaps it is related to service, perhaps it's a contribution to culture, perhaps it's closer to home & family. I will keep chipping away until it is clear, blogging, painting, exploring disaster relief or some other type of community service. I have registered with the International Executive Service Corps in hopes of volunteering as a consultant for a short term assignment in a developing nation & await a response from the Red Cross Disaster recovery office (they're pretty busy now). No matter how self absorbed I'm hoping that this blog will eventually stimulate conversation as it certainly helps me to think things through.
As pre Boomers we do and will certainly continue to take flak for the excesses of the past 20 years but we have things to be proud of. Sometimes it's hard to hold my head up when I look at the old person in the mirror but I won't stop trying to be a contributor no matter how much I'm rebuffed. I'm hoping that whoever is reading this will hang in there with me.
"The blessing of being a boomer is that we are living during a transformative period in human history. The transformation is the lengthening life span. As a result, the four stages of life -- youth, young adult, midlife, and old age -- are being extended as well.
When boomers were born, a long life was about 80 years. That meant from birth to about age 20 was "youth." The period from 21 to 40 was "young adult." "Midlife" began at 41 and ended at 60, when "old age" began.
A healthy boomer today at age 60 thinks he or she will live another 30, 35, or even 40 years easily. With age 100 as the new end date for a long life, we will likely expand the four life stages to 25 years each: "youth" from birth to 25, "young adult" from 26 to 50, "midlife" from 51 to 75, and "old age" from 76 to 100. Actually, this shift in thinking is already happening, even if it hasn't been widely reported."
That said, for those of us who have "frittered away" the first 65 years, we have another 20-30- maybe even 40- more years to make good. Wow, even with earthquake victims still suffering, I feel a little better. Now it's time to figure out what's next. Perhaps it is related to service, perhaps it's a contribution to culture, perhaps it's closer to home & family. I will keep chipping away until it is clear, blogging, painting, exploring disaster relief or some other type of community service. I have registered with the International Executive Service Corps in hopes of volunteering as a consultant for a short term assignment in a developing nation & await a response from the Red Cross Disaster recovery office (they're pretty busy now). No matter how self absorbed I'm hoping that this blog will eventually stimulate conversation as it certainly helps me to think things through.
As pre Boomers we do and will certainly continue to take flak for the excesses of the past 20 years but we have things to be proud of. Sometimes it's hard to hold my head up when I look at the old person in the mirror but I won't stop trying to be a contributor no matter how much I'm rebuffed. I'm hoping that whoever is reading this will hang in there with me.
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