Boomers know how to adjust [might run out of food and water]

If you were born from 1946 through 1964, you are a boomer, a member of the most intriguing population this country has ever known. A new study invites you to look into your future for an in-depth view of how you, and your diverse group of cohorts, are likely to adapt as you grow old.

"Boomers: The Next 20 years, Ecologies of Risk" is the title of a report from the Institute for the Future and the MetLife Mature Market Institute. It predicts some wondrous things as well as presenting some cautionary issues. Overall, it is quite a positive picture.

"Members of the baby boom generation will, as they have in the past, be resourceful and self-reliant as they age, forming economic, health, and social collectives and families of choice to adapt to the future." The report examines how this demographic will confront a longer lifespan, the widest rich/poor gap in recent generations, a global energy shortage, new economic realities, and a Web-based infrastructure.

"Boomers," the report says, "will distribute the stress and burden of managing risk across networks of people, some based on kinship and others on affinity or interest. They will plan more, work longer, and become more entrepreneurial."

Boomers have experienced multiple economic upheavals, periodic recessions, the oil shock and stagflation of the 1970s, the dislocations caused by globalization at the end of the 20th century, and the dot-com boom of the early 2000s.

"Now," says the report, "a confluence of events -- the credit crunch, falling home prices, soaring energy costs, and a weakening dollar -- is creating an even more challenging environment as they move into later life. These risks are not isolated but are interrelated, forming part of an 'ecology of risk.' Fortunately, boomers have amassed personal, social, experiential, economic and even spiritual assets that they can call on as they age. They will use these assets to craft distinctive ecologies of resources to respond to highly individual ecologies of risk."

Some of the likely key elements in boomers' lives in the next two decades include the fact that they face challenges and opportunities their parents never knew. Lifespan management, for instance, examines the critical question of how long boomers will remain healthy and productive. Then there is the personal wealth issue with the latest financial crisis, many boomers having seen declines in their net worth.

It is predicted that boomers may face the real possibility of a collapse of living systems in their lifetimes. Food, energy, and materials may well undergo disruptions as climate changes and water crises become realities.

"Finally," the report says, "the sheer number of boomers promises to stress all systems that touch daily lives, from retirement policies and pensions to health care, Medicare, and other services."

An interesting trait shared by many boomers is that they are still on a quest for success. Many who have encountered setbacks have shown great resilience in rebuilding their lives. "If the economics of aging demands a course change, they will likely reset their compasses."

As a result of their access to and experience with the powerful Web-based infrastructure for information, this generation is capable of creating new systems for everything from health care to politics to new forms of work. The report predicts that their economic and political clout will spur continued innovation in the marketplace, in government, and in civil society as all three sectors respond to the needs of an aging society.

External factors that will shape the boomers' world include the science of aging. Biotechnology is just beginning to have an impact on new approaches to disease prevention and treatment. Already there is a greater awareness that environmental changes are intimately connected to individuals' health status and quality of life. Cognitive fitness is a major focus of today's research that hopefully will provide the answers to extend individual ability to function independently.

How well will this generation live out their next two decades while the world is coming to grips with unprecedented challenges and opportunities? "Boomers: The Next 20 years" concludes, in part, "A blend of equal measures of creativity and control in these boomers drives a focus on crafting their personal worlds -- and expressing themselves through their crafts."

The thing is, many *boomers* remember having to do without, unlike today's pampered kids.

We'll get by because of the skills we learned from our parents.

I am going to guess that you are a boomer. I already know you are a conservative from your past post in which you agreed with me on at least one issue, which makes you pretty darn smart!:)(little joke there). I am not a boomer, missed it by 4 years, I am a 1942 baby, born six weeks after Pearl, and I always thought my generation was just a little up on the average boomer. Most of us almost boomers were not hippies or anti-war. OTOH, lots of my friends who were boomers didn't come back from Viet Nam and they all volunteered, so we have conservative boomers and not so conservative boomers(Bill Ayers is a boomer for instance) just like every one else. As for me I especially like women boomers:)(and the women of the almost boomer generation also)

My hair is so very gray, so please forgive me for not knowing where “we” fit!

DH was born in ‘39, and me in ‘43. We raised 4 wonderful children. Three of them are all self-supporting, giving back citizens. One didn’t make it past 21, due to a heart defect from birth.

We, as parents, self-employed, struggled over the years to deal with ever-changing tax laws, interest rates, and economic booms and busts.

We paid and paid and paid into the Fed Gov. And, we are now struggling with the inevitable diseases of decline, Parkinsons’s, Arthritis, Fibro, etc.

What should we do? Follow the Amer-Indian tradition, so our children will not be hampered in their efforts to survive? If you do not think this is a conservative question, then you are not really a conservative, are you?

While you all bash the boomers, please consider that some of us did our best to hold down the fort, while the MSM did everything within their power to elevate the ridiculous among us, and never paid much attention to those of us who kept on doing our best.

In summary, think about who you all are blaming for the disaster that is about to befall all of us, and it is not the people, but it is the media and their sycophants, the MSM.

SPEAKING OF CAPTAIN KANGAROO...

Captain Kangaroo passed away on January 23, 2004 at age 76 , which is odd, because he always looked like he was 76. (DOB: 6/27/27 ) His death reminded me of the following story.

Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried in a grave alongside 3- and 4-star generals at Arlington National Cemetery .. His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else. Here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time, why the heck does he rate burial with these guys? Well, following is the amazing answer:

I always liked Lee Marvin, but didn't know the extent of his Corps experiences..

\\\\\\\ In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima .. There is only one high ER Naval award... The Medal Of Honor!

If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery.

Dialog from 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson': His guest was Lee Marvin Johnny said, 'Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima ..and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded.

'Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting' shot hauling you down. But,Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got the Cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying by, with mortar rounds landing everywhere and he stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because his men's safety was more important than his own life.

That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said, 'Where'd they get you Lee?' 'Well Bob.. If you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!' Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew.

The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo.'

On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who just passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat

After the war Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and therefore a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.

America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy.

Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst.

Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened. Take the time to thank anyone that has fought for our freedom.. With encouragement they could be the next Captain Kangaroo or Mr.Rogers.

............................. (I stole this info from an email. I'm impressed!!!!)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.