Baby boomers turning 60. Yep, thats you. The kids are gone. The house is quiet.
"Aging is a process of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
Baby boomers turning 60 at a rate of 7,918 per day, or 330 per hour is the headline. You are one of them. Did this happen fast or what? The kids are off to college, married or perhaps working in another state. They may even be in another country. The house all of sudden, is very quite. Actually it even seems larger. You have found yourself in what is being referred to as the empty nester situation. Of Course it helps when you live in a place like this.
I was a father at age 22 so my wife and I are going through that process right now but with our two little grand daughters. They are eleven and thirteen and practically grew up in our house. I guess it has happened gradually but to me it feels like it happened over night. Its like they were here and now they are gone.
We do have a 4-year-old grandson but I don't really get to see him that much. I know as I write this, many of you have experienced or are having the same problem. Guess what? It hurts. I'm sure, the younger of the boomers probably either have young kids in school, college or whatever they elected to do. Turning loose of your children is one of the hardest things you will ever do, with the exception maybe, of your grandchildren. I know that not ever grandparent has the kind of relationship that my wife and I have had with our grand kids. Most of the time it is out of your control, but we were fortunate and had them close by. They loved our house, they always had their own room, and honestly they just preferred being here, not to mention they knew it was hard for their grandfather to say no. The visits have gone from every weekend to once every couple of months. I know they still love us though.
What I am about to say may not exactly be the boomer attitude but it is the truth. life passes by so fast. I am all for aging gracefully, just don't wait forever to do it. As boomers turn 60, most of them have already pretty much mapped out their plans. I wander if some of you have found yourselves in my situation regarding age. I will be 62 soon and while I am already retired, my wife is only 54 years old and is a business manager for a large corporation. The age difference never mattered before, but at this time in my life 7 or 8 years is critical to our plans. We know what we want to do, but because she can't retire yet we don't know exactly when. Our situation is not unique. I'm sure that many of you face the same situations.
The one theme I have emphasized throughout this site, is to " live life to its fullest every single day." According to statistics, people are not slowing down as they age. They want to see more and gain international experiences. Thanks to technology, television and the Internet have shrunk the world and many people are more confident to travel further away from home to unfamiliar places. Anywhere and everywhere is a popular destination right now, especially locations offering adventures. My wife wants to take a vacation to Paris, but not me. I told her that would be a trip for her and her mother. Even though I have been toHawaii before I would like to go back, so I'm hoping we can reach a compromise.
Costa Rica is big among boomers seeking beautiful terrain and unique eco-adventure travel. Trips to the South Pacific, visiting Australia and New Zealand are also in demand for their beaches, water sports, interesting habitat and easily understood culture. I only have to get in the car and drive about 10 minutes to be at a place like that. The whole strip referred to as the "Miracle Strip", from Orange Beach, AL, to Panama City, FL, which includes Gulf Shores, Perdido Key, Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin, has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Tourism is a vital part of this area's economy and I am blessed to have been able to call this area home for the last 43 years. As I mentioned in the "About me" section of this site, boating has always been a big part of our lives and will continue to be. I had to sell the one in the photo because I had to have another surgery, but I will be looking for another one this winter. This is the wrong time of the year to buy a boat anywhere. So COME ON DOWN! The weather is great and the beaches are beautiful.
The last thing in our plans is to buy an RV and" hit the road". This country that I love so much, also has so much to offer, and I want to hit the back roads, camp out beside beautiful lakes and though it would take a life time to see it all, I want to cram all that I can into my last good years. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that many baby boomers want to do or are already doing the same thing. RV sales have increased dramatically in the last couple of years. Sure like all of my hobbies its expensive, so what. its only money and you can't take it with you.
