Vaboomer -- Baby Boomer Views & News

Memorial Day. Also: What's New on Vaboomer? Book Reviews and More Coming Soon

 In memory of all the soldiers, civilians, medical personnel and others who have died in wars.

Wouldn't you think we could do better than kindergarten kids who are taught to use their words instead of fists!?!

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Publishers and producers are beginning to notice Vaboomer and have been sending some very interesting items for review. As I catch up on my reading, I'll be reviewing and recommending certain titles, CDs, movies and the like. So from time to time, I'll be posting some interesting materials.

BABY BOOMER RETIREMENT PLANNING:  

We've already added some new features and several recommended books. Take a look at

"Who Needs A Broker?"

It is a very interesting and readable guide to DRIPS, in other words companies that provide automatic dividend reinvestent programs.  Your dividends don't sit passively, but are reinvested and perk away for you adding to your bottom line. They're simple and easy to set up.  You don't have to pay high fees to stockbrokers.  1,200 major corporations and companies will sell the stock directly to you!   This guide is also very simple and informative, by Nancy Mehegan who while researching for her own use, decided to compile a list and how to. Well worth the few dollars. 

I'm No Madonna, but I Am An Older Adoptive Mom

What I find fascinating about the original Material Girl is her blunt out there larger than life self. I've been a Madonna fan since she acted in John Sayles movie, "Lianna." Well, she certainly did it again with her role as "Mama Madonna"--hey isn't that a duplicate--mama=madonna?Anyway, now she's been making waves with her efforts to adopt from Malawi. I can't comment on the pros and cons of this effort or whether or not she is a guinea pig for others to emulate, or whether you or I approve her actions or not. But Sister Mama, you are reFIRING! 

Mama Madonna

What I find fascinating is her coming to this difficult wonderful, demanding, enriching role around 50. I was 50 when I adopted. Now my daughter is 13 and  I am 63. There are thousands of us older adoptive moms (and Dads) out there. What being an older parent does for you is age you in particular ways. It is very demanding mentally and physically.

Your aging project/ trajectory is now two-fold while you are thinking ahead to your own reFIREMENT/retirement you are thinking down for the well-being of your child. (Of course all parents of conscience do this, but the contrast is a sharp one when there is such a big numbers difference.) It is a challenge to think down in age. What I mean is that over the course of those 50 years--a half century, you do develop a store house of wisdom (hopefully) and history. You have references and touch points and suddenly many of those have to be rethought in the light of the young life who is growing up in a world 50 years removed from your own!

Few of the children growing up nowadays know that seeds produce food. Or that digital and virtual are only a few years old. They live in an expanded and frightened world. Take for instance, the asbestos issue at my daughter's school. When it was found the whole school was evacuated and closed for two days during cleaning. My brother reminded me that our new state of the art high school in N.C. which opened in the late fifties was proud of the asbestos insulation on all the ducts and pipes delivering  heat to every classroom. So it is likely even probable that most of us boomers have contaminated lungs.

Because our childhood worlds are so different (similar to the distance between my mother and me--she remembering the first telephone, her first airplane [cloth and wood that landed in a cow pasture], her first paved road, her first automobile), I have to come up to speed on a daily basis. I resisted the cell phone for my daughter until I could understand that the virtual community was as important as the face face community and is was/is as REAL to her. And since she is the one who will most probably live to 100 or more, given the increasing numbers of centenarians, she needs to be fluent in her world. I am running to catch up.

So, Sister Mama (Madonna) when you get your complications worked out, get set to enter a new world. Maybe we'll be seeing you soon in a new music Youtube as "Virtual Mama Girl!" And, Madonna, I love it that you are letting your 50 year old neck and hands be natural. That is a good thing.

 

How do you feel about Retirement?

With the sinking US Dollar, Housing Crisis, Ecological worries and more, we were wondering how our readers feel about retirement  reFirement.  Please cast your vote below. 

Opinion Polls & Market Research