Let it go, Boomers




“The status quo will not change if it benefits them.” Dr. BLR


At some point in life, you must accept the unavoidable: you’re growing old and need to step aside to let a new generation take over. Though it can be tough, time is of the essence. This is a complex topic because I am talking about my generation.

I was born at the end of the Baby Boomer generation (1946-1964), so I had the chance to enjoy the benefits of an era when things were relatively affordable and the dollar went further. It’s not lost on me how lucky I am that, as I approach retirement, I am financially stable, and that concerns about rising costs of goods and services won’t affect my generation. Honestly, we need to step back and downsize so that future families can enjoy the larger homes we still occupy. Most of our children have moved out, leaving us with unused space in our homes. 

This isn't easy for many of us because we're motivated by wealth and status. We worked hard to achieve our goals and paid the price with long hours and effort, but we succeeded. The family was supported, and we sent the kids to college with little or no student loan debt. However, as time passed, we wanted to stay in control, so we kept hold of all the political and decision-making roles. What we failed to realize is that technology and the emerging generations didn’t appreciate our way of doing things because it was becoming outdated, but we couldn’t see it. 

Recently, our failures have been highlighted by decisions made by some elderly politicians who didn’t know when to step down. Their mental decline was evident, but they still tried to hold on. Some actually died while in office, which affected many political races. There’s no doubt that their intentions were good, but those around them should have gently guided them out. 

Society cannot remain stagnant for long before our way of life begins to suffer. The rise of artificial intelligence will flood the workplace, leaving many workers unemployed and searching for jobs that support their families. Unfortunately, we hold most of the wealth and live longer thanks to advances in medicine. Yes, our kids should be okay, but others will have to suffer if nothing is done. 

I suggest that those of us in power step down and make room for the next generation to forge their own path, just as we did. We only have a limited number of days to live, so we should enjoy as much of that time as possible while observing what the future holds for others. We’ve had a good run and should be proud of all we’ve achieved, but our time has come to an end.

I look forward to seeing what happens and know that we’ve prepared our successors for the future. History has shown that we always find a way to succeed during both good and bad times. We need to trust that when we are called to transition, everything will be okay. 

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