Baby Boomer"Anger"

Baby Boomer“Anger”

Here I am, a Baby Boomer!
Defined as a member of a massive group
that influences the powers to be (ha!) ~
a group of women whose lives were shaped by
having our consciousness “raised”.
I have aged with courage, grace, and vitality
but have come to realize that our youth-oriented culture
tends to ignore women in their sixties
as lacking in power and barely visible.
Most women’s magazines stop counting
after one’s fifties ~ something like giving
“advice for the 20, 30, 40 or 50 year old.”
Why should a woman in her sixth decade feel less viable,
snapped back in time to the uncertainty of her purpose?

Once again I found myself searching, questioning,
seeking self-realization and validation.
I now understand that life’s journey has gifted me
with a treasure trove of experiences and awareness ~
my sleeping voice has been raised up
from complacency into consciousness!
I have become a woman reborn in the afternoon of her life,
discovering that my purpose is in the
“best of times”~ the present moment!

In this sixth decade of my life, I happily claim
my Baby Boomer status, and choose to leave behind the “Anger”
having learned that the only person
who shouldn’t overlook me is ME!
I am proud to say that I LOVE the woman that I AM of Today!

Laurel D. Rund

Wow, that is so beautiful, Laurel, and right on!

I've always heard, you have to love yourself, in a healthy way, before you can expect others to love you.

We should start our OWN magazine: Savvy, Sexy, SIXTIES!

Whattya think?

The three S's...not bad.

Women in Their Sixties ~ the three S's ~

Sublime! Significant! and Sensational!

Love it! Laurel

Wome in their Sixties Exist! WISE Women!

Let us not forget the fabulous women in their fifties and the sensational women in their seventies. We just keep getting better and better...Oh and of course women in their exceptional eighties and finally the women in their nineties (my mom for one) are our nostalgia queens...

Alice,
How are you doing with your book? Haven't heard from you in
a while, figured you were busy.

Chatty,
I agree women at all ages are awesome!

A friend told me yesterday that she makes sure she has friends at least 2 decades older and 2 decades younger - they keep her grounded and youthful.

Hi Anno,

Each decade, each year, each day ... every one of us has something to offer and to receive. We are all Significant, Special and Sublime!

Laurel

Anno,
I think it's a good idea to have a wide range of friendships, from young to aged. Each group has something special to offer a
relationship. Age was never a consideration of mine; if I like
a person, I like a person. They can be 15 or 95; it matters not.

I am in complete agreement jabber. Women of all ages have someting to offer.

Amen!

Laurel, Anno, Chatty, Alice, Jabber, Dee and Edelweiss, and any interested "lurkers" to this discussion,

Love your discussion! Great ideas!

Starting up a new print publication is a dicey project.

My 80-year old mother tried it when she was in her 40's, funding it with the the proceeds of her divorce.

She had worked as a managing editor for a publication for years and decided to start one on a similar topic, but in a different region of the country.

This was in the 80s, of course, when we were in the midst of a similar recessionary period.

She hired me to manage the writers and my brother, a crackerjack sales manager with sales awards galore to sell the advertising.

I told her not to do this, but she persisted. Once I realized that was her plan, I made a presentation on her behalf at a bank in order to get her a loan for more operating money, then quit my job to join her, in an attempt to help -- since my brother and I knew she had no biz startup experience.

Bottom line: She put out a fabulous SINGLE issue. We couldn't sell any ads to support the expenses however, and in the end she lost her house and had to file for bankruptcy. This was a crushing blow that put her in a depression for years.

So I say don't put much thought into starting up a new print pub, but I do love your concept.

So how's this: We can certainly highlight your blog posts, featuring your "sublime, significant, sensational, sexy and savvy selves" when the new NABBW site goes live -- very soon...

How about it ladies, are you ready to commit to at least a post a month? Maybe weekly? If so, start writing some 500-700 word articles right now and stockpile them...

Don't worry if you haven't blogged yet, we will also be offering blogging lessons to our members - featuring some really cool tools Steve and his team have developed to help make blogging easier...

Anne

Anne, your mother was a brave woman. Sorry didn't turn out well re her magazine.

I agree the world is swinging more to electronic magazines and newsletters. Blog technology can be used to achieve a simple one.

Great that you will be offering guest blogger article writing opportunities.

I will have my 2nd guest blogger article published either today or tomorrow on someone else's blog. She is an expert wordpress.com support person at the wordpress forums. I think she may be a boomer...but wishes to have a variety of contacts and Internet friends of all age groups.

Guest blogging at someone's or another organization's blog, especially if that blog gets high traffic is a great win-win for everyone. And the host blog editor just needs lay down some rules so people don't promote junk sites/over promote their stuff that annoys readers.

Good for you, Orchid, I'm glad you're doing some guest-blogging. You have so much of interest to say.

Anne

Anne Holmes, I just noticed your "Boomer in Chief" title; that
shows you how observant I am! LOL...Cute! Real cute! Your mom and her "proceeds from the divorce" threw me; I couldn't buy a pack of gum, with the proceeds from my divorce!

ah, Jabber, but you got away with your dignity!

I do not suppose that my blog fits into the model you are describing, Anne, but I do love to blog. I am anxiously waiting to hear about this new project and going live.

Hi Anne, I would love to be a contributor! My best, Laurel

The crochet/knitting club I belong to has members as young as 13 & as old as 80, with every decade in between represented. It's a wonderful conglomeration of wisdom and experience, with everybody displaying a willingness to learn and share, and I'm grateful for every single one of them.

I LOVE this title and idea!! Wonderful.

I'm not quite 60, but nudging it. 57 in Dec. And I agree. I also think that any change in cultural attitude is DEFINITELY going to have come from those who are 60+. Because most younger people can't yet grasp EVER turning 60, let alone that people who are 60 are not something to be "written off".

The same culture that can write 60+ off, can often teach young people that THEY are "where it's at", and that elders are worthless or at best insignificant.

So I think the change has to come from us. The best way to do that is to LIVE our vitality, speak up, act, and live our passion. We can take those risks that bring vibrancy into our lives. We can get support from kindred spirits. We also can shake off "old thinking", and change our own perception of ourselves and what it means to be 60+. We are capable of dscovering a vision that reflects who we really are and what we're capable. This boomer website is a perfect example of this.

I never "act my age". I act from my heart, soul and vibrant spirit. We all can "BE" the change we want to see in the world. Women especially need to do this because we are taking back our lives on two fronts. One for equality in what has been a predominately male run world. And two trying to shift the perception of beauty, vitality, capability, and so on of women 60+.

I've been writing a blog for 3 years, and something I've found is that what the media "toots" is quite another thing from what "the people" often want, feel and believe. I've found amazingly open minded and heart centered souls (both male and female) of all ages, who are open to all ages. It has been an amazing discovery. I think the world is ready for change, and we can be that change.

Amen, Robin! I am hoping to announce the new site next week, or at the latest before the month is over. (It all depends on me finding time to get content onto some of the pages.)

As soon as that site goes live, we will start the blogging. So send me an email if you want to be a part of this.

Great post Robin! I enjoy your website

As more poets and artists along with authors share their own slant on later life...as more of us have sought sources to examine the patriartical society life will shift to recognising the value of experience and wisdom learned.

The current economic climate in UK where University fees are under scrutiny and less well off teens may have to forgo that route may hinder progress..but its then up to the Boomers who can to volunteer as tutors for those who seek to be enlightened. The W.E.A.(Workers Education Associated) in the past during the depression stood up to that task and is still working..May be I can use some energy in that way...and help the women who want to discover their own power..For it is through women that children first learn to value themselves.