Wednesday, March 28, 2007

What is BoomVista

Welcome to BoomVista.

This site – this developing community – is for those of us on the leading edge of the baby boom.

Folks who were born between 1946 and 1964. Folks who are changing course – moving from one career to another or to early retirement. Folks entering the third third.

Folks who wake up in the morning, climb out of bed and think: "Hey, who snuck in here last night and poured rust into my knees?" Folks whose kids are married or almost married yet still call on Sunday morning, as they were trained, but immediately and thriftily say, “Can you call me back?” Folks who remember movies with plots, radio stations that didn’t assault listeners with inanities or profanities, songs with lyrics ("Yummy, yummy, yummy, I’ve got love in my…" Hmm. Never mind about the last one. It may need a little more thought).

Folks who grew up thinking that 60 was really, really old – and it was, back then. Folks who moved through adulthood determined not to let it pass quickly or unnoticed and now look back and think, "Wow, where’d it go?" Folks who are still searching and will never stop searching.

Among us: David Bowie. Nolan Ryan. Farrah Fawcett. Dan Quayle. Rob Reiner. Carole Bayer Sager. Billy Crystal. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Dave Barry. David Letterman. O.J. Simpson. The late Jessica Savitch. You’d be amazed by some of the others, by the abundance of famed and accomplished people, all born in 1947 alone.

Only because it seems relevant here, my mini-story: Also born in 1947. Raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.; moved away a long time ago. Married, with one grown child. Reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper for longer than I care to remember. (Newspapers – remember them? Rather quaint things they were are.) Served as a business writer, foreign and national correspondent, and so on and so forth.

But this is not intended to be the Internet version of a vanity, “it’s-all-about-me” ego trip. My experiences are no more important or insightful than yours. But taken together, our experiences are worthy of note, especially those experiences that remain ahead.

So, here we are. On the brink of 60 or already just over it or able to imagine it out there a bit over the horizon. Imagine that. How the hell did that happen?

Let’s share the journey. Let’s row together as we navigate these new shoals of life. Let’s try to figure it out.

What we’re looking for is an answer. More likely, a series of answers.

The question: So, what do we do now that we’re almost sort of kinda grown up?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just consider the possibilities!!

David Hobby said...

Darn. And I was hoping to leave the first comment.

Nice job, whoever this is!

Unknown said...

Hey, you! The Boomer generation started in '46, not '47. Some of us have been 60 for a few months now. Don't forget us.

Susan

Anonymous said...

When do you go public? As in an IPO? Actually, just doing a system check here.

JHop said...

Welcome to the field, Marty! There's a lot worth saying right now and I don't think you'll lack for material. Am looking forward to reading more.

Anonymous said...

I am slightly in advance of the older boomer; being a war years baby (1944). Guess that makes me a "boomer emeritus" (your words :)

I am being driven slightly crazy by this aging stuff and look forward to information to help me deal.

Marty Merzer said...

Welcome, Curt.

Something just occured to me. Would we call you a pre-Boomer, since you got there ahead of it, or a post-Boomer, since you're a bit more, er, mature than us?

Word games. This is what happens on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Anyway, you're a bit of a pioneer for us. I hope that you'll add your perspective to other posts as we all move along.