Electing to Spice Up October 39ers
In the immortal words of Nobel Prize
winner, Bob Dylan, “The Times They are a-Changin’”!
A world without change is a stodgy
society with its head in the sand. If you’re here, then you are certainly not
one of ‘em! We Boomers (and if you’re not a true Boomer, that’s OK,
you’ve earned your attitude stripes) were definitely un-stodgy in the Sixties,
Seventies, and Eighties, and we’re not about to start now.
In recent years we’ve been blamed for everything from nuclear war to the millennials’ apathy. While we certainly had a hand in, and often led the
discussion on, many changes that have been made to this great country—good and
bad—we are hardly the sole proprietors of blame. (Rarely are we praised.)
ATT-i-tudes need to
change. Boomers have been trying to pass the leadership baton for decades, but our descendants seem reluctant to grasp
the enormity of the need for them to STEP UP and do something about the ills and ignorance of politics that refuse
to change with the times. When millennials did grab the baton they voted in our current president—that sure
went well!
We started the dialogue fifty years ago—we never said we’d finish it! Remember,
we were young in the beginning, and
we made some great inroads. But additional change needs to be fundamental—we are stifled in
antiquated laws and layers of politically correct BS.
And judging by the condemnation on
all sides in this election, fueled by the media, the general public wants to
dredge up everything from birth about all candidates, and anyone who comments
about them. Obviously, we’d like our leaders to be above moral reproach—that concept
is completely unrealistic. They’re human—we’re human—you’ve never said or done
something you wish you could take back?
The problem now, is once “out there”
these days, it NEVER goes away. As
Boomers, we’re likely to forget which planet we’re on—and you want us to recall
that we dissed you in 1969?! Talk about haunted. Memories, and the importance
of them, is highly subjective. Move on.
Unfortunately, humans are stupid.
However, change also comes with age.
Thank goodness. Or at least, it should
... the whole purpose of learning is to change, utilizing our newfound
information … right? Right?
The inexperienced and morally judgmental
young’uns are content to talk trash on Twitter and Instagram from the safety of
their favorite seat at Starbucks. I, for one, would have been thrilled to see a
younger, qualified person run for US
President this year. Thoughtful, innovative approaches and a willingness to collaborate for change, would have been
a breath of fresh air in the 2016 election field.
Alas, our youthful options were
nothing more than mini-Boomers, perpetuating outdated strategies, with no solutions
for inventive change. Once again we’re forced to vote for ineffectual pomposity
with alarming baggage, or the unknown with an opulent ego—take your pick.
So go ahead—blame us Boomers—we don’t
care anymore, we’re retired (or trying to be). But remember, you’ll be our age someday too, and
everyone will blame you.
Hey, I’m no politician and you didn’t
come here for a bitch session—something else we Boomers know—venting is OK, so long
as it’s civil. I’ll leap off my
soapbox now or rather, hobble off, and get on with your October UN-birthday fun.
Yes, I’m more than a little late
with this month’s 39ers UN-birthday salute. But I’m not afraid of change. It’s in the air and belatedly wafted over
my way … this month begins a new and hopefully, welcoming format to help you
enjoy the changes your body, soul, and mind experience as we AGE with ATT-i-tude!
If you’re a 39er a few times over, you know how much the Holiday Season has
changed since our parents were thirty-nine. My holidays,
for instance, smelled heavily of pumpkin—and not on just one festive day. My
mother was a baking fiend.
We ate pumpkin everything for three straight months
… pumpkin pies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin-spice cake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin
pancakes, pumpkin cupcakes … and don’t forget the cinnamon! None of it came
from a box. Mom cleaned out the pumpkins’ meat, and dad helped us carve funny faces into the emptied Halloween symbols.
But the world has changed … nothing
is baked from “scratch,” and we’re way too busy to scoop out pumpkin meat and
pick out the seeds. We are resilient
and innovative, however, and still find ways to spice up the Holidays to suit
our lifestyles.
October 39ers know the value of
nostalgia and how to apply it in today’s world. Enjoy the moments … again!
39 Years Ago this Month ~ October
1977 …
October 10 –
Are you a Ronnie Milsap fan? Did you
watch his big year of CMA accolades? Ronnie took Album of the Year (Ronnie Milsap Live), Entertainer of the Year, and Male Vocalist of
the Year. Sweet.
October 20 – A moment
of silence for three members of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band who were
killed in a plane crash this day, along with their assistant road manager and
both pilots. Their music lives on!
October 28 - British
rock band Queen
releases the album News of the World and we became their Champions!
For 39ers who Follow the Stars …
October
UN-birthday buddies split their astro
time between Libra and Scorpio … You would think Libra’s (09/23 – 10/22) gentle sense of balance and order would
clash with Scorpio’s (10/23 – 11/21)
intense and pulsing passion. Au contraire,
mon cher. They thrive on each other’s qualities for a rollicking good time!
Libra: This month
heralds a whole year of great things happening for you! Look for the
opportunities and take your advantage.
Scorpio: Is it time to
get back to your exercise regimen? Start now—it’ll help ward off Holiday
sweets-gain! (P.S.: Finances may take an upward turn through mid-November.
Cool.)
October Aging with ATT-i-tude Platitude
Once you hit that 39 and Holding stage of life, there
will come a day when you begin to notice slight changes—a twinge in your back
for no reason, a true “mature” thought that came without effort, an intangible yearning
for inner peace.
From Better Living—“10 Ways to Stay Young”:
“A posture change is a common
symptom of age; the torso bends forward. Because we spend so much time sitting,
muscles that support the upper body weaken, so we sag forward at the hips.
Instead, concentrate on walking with your pelvis out and shoulders back; that
will make you look and feel younger.”
When you realize your mental and
physical twinges are not isolated incidents, but daily visits—congratulations!
You’re truly “one of us.” Trust me, it’s a good
thing.
In an election year, “freedom” is bandied
about like a badminton birdie. But when you’ve celebrated more than a few 39 and Holding UN-birthdays, each day is another stride toward freedom within. It’s the liberty that truly
counts.
(Wicked Witch of the West)
*Image
credits:
1) 2016 Nobel Prize/Literature
recipient, Bob Dylan, then (1964) and now, receiving US Medal of Freedom (2012)
2) Pumpkin face—Reader’s Digest image
# # #
