The Journey Begins…

 Introducing “Boomer Journey” and What Really Matters to Baby Boomers

The Baby Boom Generation has dominated the American population for more than 70 years and has only recently been surpassed by millennials— also known as echo boomers. Baby Boomers were born in the post-war years following World War II from 1946-1964 when some 70 million of us were born. We’ve changed the world like it has never been changed before.

 We were born of pent-up passion—four long years of war in the Pacific and in Europe to defend freedom and human life. Men and women fought hard, died, and were maimed in unimaginable conditions. Back home—men and women toiled overtime in American factories to keep the war machine going in two theatres. It is impossible to understand the extent of our industrial might and how hard it was to keep at least two enemies at bay. In the end, the U.S. and its allies won both wars.

When the war ended, our Veterans stepped off ships, trains, buses and airplanes to a different world. Four years was a long time to be far from home. Some came home to home and hearth. Others came home to find a fiancé who found another love. Others stayed the course, committed to those they loved so far away. Suffice it to say all that pent-up passion and energy went into the procreation of the most populated generation in American history.

As baby boomers trek into our retirement years, we’re finding we’ve been at both ends of the spectrum. When we were coming of age a half-century ago, Madison Avenue and Washington were listening to us because we determined the direction the country was headed. Marketing people catered to us in every way imaginable from The Beatles to Ford’s sporty Mustang to bathing suits and bikinis. Today, these marketing geniuses are peddling Viagra, Depends, Medicare, reverse mortgages, and walk-in bathtubs. Damn…

In Boomer Journey, I’m going to be talking about the things baby boomers think about—reflecting on a different time, finding humor in a period of change, and talk about all the things I know you’re thinking about. So, join me as we journey into all of the stuff baby boomers like to talk about. Check back often. There’s lots more to come.

— Jim Smart