You & Your Legacy

This is about YOU. Each Day 10,000 Boomers Reach Age 65.

"As the year 2011 began on Jan. 1, the oldest members of the Baby Boom generation celebrated their 65th birthday," according to the Pew Research Center Data Bank. "In fact, on that day, today, and for every day for the next 19 years, 10,000 baby boomers will reach age 65. The aging of this huge cohort of Americans (26% of the total U.S. population are Baby Boomers) will dramatically change the composition of the country." Go here for more - Pew Research - "Baby Boomers Approach 65 – Glumly"

Take charge of your legacy! Join The Movement. Here's just one reason why...

In 2012, 65.9 million Americans voted for Pres. Obama. He won by 4,982,296 votes. There are 79 million US Boomers who have more in common with each other than with Pres. Obama. Together we make Boomer Power. We, together, can change the direction of our cities, states, nation and our world.Your World is Calling... it's time for your encore!

Is Today the Change We Hoped For?

Seems like yesterday when we were kids, doesn’t it? A lot has changed since the 60s & 70s, don’t you agree? But, things have gone in the wrong direction. Sadly, in fact, social inequities have actually gotten much worse. Today, in addition to the black segment of our society, as perceived in the 60s & 70s, the victims are everyone else, too, including the entire middle class — the 99.9%.

For the first time in the history of the United States, our children and grandkids will have less of everything than we have – less freedom, less opportunity – and yes, even less of the material things of life, too.

A recent Oxfam Report (18 Jan 2016) found: “Global wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small wealthy elite. 62 billionaires have the same wealth as the bottom half of the world’s population.” Who are the 62? Please go here to find out.

In Jan 2015, the Economic Policy Institute reported: “From 2009 to 2012 top 1 percent incomes grew faster than the incomes of the bottom 99 percent in every state except West Virginia. In 39 states, the majority of income gains after the Great Recession accrued to top 1 percent. And in 17 of these states, the top 1 percent captured 100 percent of income growth." Check the article here.

Finally, as you intuitively knew, "The stock market is rigged," Michael Lewis told Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "It's rigged for the benefit for really a handful of insiders. It's rigged to ... maximize the take of Wall Street, of banks, the exchanges and the high-frequency traders at the expense of ordinary investors." Michael Lewis, A Wall Street Revolt Flash Boys.

Is this the legacy you want to leave for your grandkids?

This Time Around - Let's Refocus on Priorities

In the beginning, most Boomers started their careers following their hearts and making a difference. Many of us did things like protesting the draft; protesting the war in Vietnam; working for equal rights for women; and civil rights for Black Americans.

Then families happened. We had to find employment in the work-a-day world and create a stable home for our children.

That took us in every direction, from working for the “man” to starting our own businesses. Some of us continued on the “making a better world” path, while others gave in, ending up just like most of our parents, making a dollar doing a job so we could put bread on the table, buying a home, a car, and sending the kids to college.

Don't get me wrong. Taking good care of your family, your children, is making a difference — the most important difference. But, by doing so we took our eyes off the ball, turned over responsibility for our livelyhood, our healthcare — our nation — to "the powers that be" and went back to making a living.

Fast forward to today… you know the story. The work was not fulfilling; the companies went “global” and the jobs evaporated. Basically, the "powers that be" changed the game on us when we weren’t paying attention. We trusted those in power to be honest and look out for the best interests of the nation. They didn't and we were naïve.

For that naivety we have already paid a heavy price.

So, now what? For many of us who still have our health and still have the necessities of life, we have a reasonable opportunity to refocus our energies on rearranging our priorities toward putting those important ones back on top of the list and making a living world to pass along to the grandkids. You know, one where the potholes are fixed, the bridges are not falling down, our food is wholesome and our healthcare is targeted on our health rather than on costly meds and the CEO's wellbeing. Please go here to take a look at refocusing and making health a priority.

The Problem is Still Civil Obedience

In 2012, Matt Damon helped pay tribute to the late historian and author Howard Zinn. This rendition of a speech Zinn gave in 1970 on civil disobedience is one of his most powerful performances to date. It is still true... The Problem is Still Civil Obedience.

Howard Zinn, Boston Common, 5 May1971

“Back in the 60s and 70s Dr. Zinn was one of the few who understood... and he did his best to tell us... that what was happening to our black brothers and sisters would soon be happening to us, all of us, save the mega-super rich. Today we understand his message was a premonition about our times, too.”