Once entitlements Medicare and Social Security kick in there is the opportunity for us to blossom. Just as the artists like Michelangelo did during Renaissance, thanks to the patronage of the Medicis. We have the financial infrastructure to try out what we dream we can do. Of course, our new runway is even longer if we had been investing wisely all those years of nose-to-the-grindstone working. Remember how we Boomers used to refer to that previous professional existence as the "rat race" or "being the man in the gray flannel suit who boarded the Metro North commuter train into Manhattan day in and day out." The ethos was: Shun risk. If we did take a risk and it didn't pan out, society was quick to shame us. After all, our parents had endured The Great Depression. And then, wow, we were no longer tethered to whatever work situation helped defray the cost of medical care. Medicare + supplements such as provided by United Health Care or Humana covered so much. I...
If you were clever and had good instincts about what gets attention and can change perception you could go to New York City and make a solid living in public relations. As long as you kept hitting, there was no "they" focused on forcing you out as you aged. Back then, the joke was: Hey, your boss is getting on your nerves. Walk across the street and get a better job. From Bliss to Collapse Yes, it was all so easy. But during the past several years the struggle to get a job and hold onto it has become as raw in public relations as in so many other industries. Professional anonymous network Reddit Public Relations chronicles the frustration of those under-30, even with advanced academic degrees in the field, not even getting a single interview in their job search. The over-50? They have mutated into a targeted class. Also, their prized expertise may be less marketable. That genius in relations with legacy media better learn how to influence the influencers. Oh No, Not Ed...
It was a heady time - that is, the counterculture. And the "street people" - that era's term for the homeless - primarily were young folks who could fend for themselves. They knew, for example, to come to liberal sanctuaries such as university towns like Ann Arbor, Michigan which provided essential services as well as compassionate mental health outreach. Oh, and all the free concerts. Some were runaways. Some were simply experimenting with an alternative lifestyle. Many would return to the conventional way of life of paying rent or, down the road, even buying a house. Now, we Boomers who were free spirits during the counterculture, bear witness to a very different kind of homelessness. It lacks many support systems. It certainly isn't an adventure or a voluntary time-out. And since it includes so many aging, there may not be any way back to being able to have your own roof over your head again. MSN documents: " Single adults 50 or older are now estimated to ...
Comments
Post a Comment