The Boomer Grind - "No One Ever Told Me"

At times, life can be a grind. Grind is defined by Encarta Dictionary - as to push something down firmly or crush something on a surface with a twisting or rotating motion (like grinding dirt into the carpet).

The life of a Boomer has become a grind. The early days of this grind began when I heard this statement, for the first time, forty years ago... "No one ever told me!" (and, think about the song, American Pie, "the day the music died...")

• "No one ever told me about inflation and high interest rates!" ,,,This was the first time during the late 70s of inflation and high interest rates. Who could have told us about that? Our parents grew up soon after the depression, low interest rates, low inflation and the cold war. I call this, "The day the desire for risk died or duck and cover." (remember the practice drills diving under the school desks).
• "No one ever told me I could be laid off!" This was the second time during the mid 80s when downsizings and reductions in force (RIFs) in major corporations (due to corporate raiders and greenmailers) led to the stripping of middle management out of major companies. The middle management was the backbone of the organizations. The people who raised up the emerging leaders and held the company together. Without them, no one knew the pathway to success. I call this, "The day of the 'one career' died." Yet, the seed of greatness was born. Entrepreneurship flourished and created value beyond any and all imaginations of what is possible.
• Third time was during the late 80s, and if you lived in Texas, you experienced the real estate crash due to too much leverage in the Savings and Loans and Black Monday of 1987 (stock market crash). While it looked and felt bad, at the time, the late 80s would come to pale in comparison to 2008. I call this, "The day long term planning died because bankers can stop the flow of cash in a heartbeat or the day the bankers redlined Texas."
• The fourth time was during the late 90s when instant internet billionaires became instant homeless people (thrown out of their million dollar track homes). I had young internet folks say to me, "it's a brand new business model ole' man. We don't need no stinking sales and profits." I call this "The day stupid venture capitalists died."
• The fifth time was during 2008 when Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall and the soldiers ran into hiding like cockroaches when the light comes on. There was no one even close by who would even attempt to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Yet, thank God for those who stood in the midst of the crisis and took action to keep us all from knowing what a real depression would be. I call this, "The day the free ride died." Sadly, no one got the message to the current President and Congress.

And now, a sixth time is developing. "No one ever told me I would be responsible for and supporting my parents, my children and my grandchildren, all at the same time!" 

What's amazing to me is that the Boomer generation continues to be labeled as the "all about me" generation, yet I am amazed at how often I see fellow Boomers step into situations with family, friends and community and quietly, without expectation of fanfare or recognition, simply take care of what needs to be done.

That, my friends and fellow Boomers, the statement "No one ever told me" can now be laid to rest, because our parent's and mentors may not have known what we would face, they absolutely modeled the way for us and we learned from the best.

May we extend forward into future generations the heart and soul of the "Greatest Generation" who stood on the shoulders of all prior American generations and did what they were called to do to make this country great and the world a safer, more prosperous place for all.

May future generations come to know Boomers as the ones who rebelled against the Establishment, endured the backlash and created the foundation for generational greatness by standing firm in the midst of great change and uncertainty. 

Boomers have become the essence of multiple-generations who have made America great. From rebellion to responsibility, Boomers are doing whatever it takes to fulfill the ambitions and dreams of the Boomer Nation - that of Peace and Love!

(image provide by http://www.coverbands.com.au/Bands/OtherWeb.asp?BandName=%26&WebSite=http://www.peacelove.com.au)

Peace and Love (what else can there be?),

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

ZFactor blog explores and discusses a variety of techniques, tools and discoveries by successful people that will assist others to achieve greater personal and professional success. ZFactor is a proprietary coaching methodology based upon the premise that successful people think and act differently. The ZFactor methodology is proven to accelerate a person's ability to think and act differently.