Boomer definitions

Posted by Leona Bergstrom

Again, from my newly mined new book Generation Ageless by J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman. Boomers define things differently today than they did in times past. Here’s an example of Boomer definitions:

	Yesterday….	Today…
Growing old	Slowing down	Keeping pace
Staying active	Walking, shopping, visiting	Running, skiing, traveling
A snooze	An afternoon nap	An Ambien
An adventure	Trying a new restaurant	Trying a new country
The authority	Cronkite	Oprah
Favorite tunes	Bootlegged	Downloaded
Being expressive	Tie dye	A Tattoo
Having fun	Supper clubs, bridge	Girls night out; Texas hold’em
Enjoying a feast	A nice steak	Free range organic chicken
Job success	Corner office	Home office
Mental Health	est, TM, Synanon	Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac
The environment	Ozone hole	Melting Poles

Generation Ageless
J Walker Smith and Ann Clurman
Collins Publishing, 2007
Page 214

More lists!

Posted by Leona Bergstrom

I have been reading a fascinating book, Generation Ageless by J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman. It is actually a report from a study on Boomers done in 2006 by Yankovich Inc. I was excited to read it because it reinforced, with actual data, some of our perceptions and observations regarding Boomers.

Terry wrote yesterday about her friend’s list of things to do before she turns 100 years old. It was a fascinating reflection of her values and hopes and they were clearly examples of both grace and gravity! In the report mentioned above, Yankovich Inc. asked Boomers the question “How likely are you to focus your energies and invest your time over the next five to ten years?” The top 15 answers:

1. Focus more time and energy on my grandchildren.
2. Spend more time with family
3. Read more books
4. Get more out of life.
5. Take more control over my future.
6. Do things I’ve always wanted to do.
7. Have enough money to get by.
8. Learn a new skill or hobby.
9. Have new adventures that are exciting and fun
10. Plan for my retirement.
11. Make new friends
12. Spend more on my grandkids
13. Forgive myself more
14. Get more involved in social causes
15. Deepen my relationship with God.