Bite me, Easy Rider-guy...

Why should baby-boomers feel pressured to have a “cool” retirement?

It’s the same pressure to be “cool” that’s been going on since the 50’s – to always compete, always be on the “cutting edge” of whatever – no matter what your politics or inclination – from 1950’s consumerism and 1960’s “grooviness” to ‘70’s hyper-sexuality and ‘80’s materialism. When do we get a break, finally? What if all I really want to do - should I live so long - is to putter in a garden, read a book, take a walk, or otherwise smell the roses, and not have to continue this competitive lifestyle/mindset that says if you are NOT constantly following the latest trend – or creating one yourself – your life is not worth living? Just writing this makes me tired.

I never wanted to compete – which I why I took the path of least resistance in many ways – just wanting to get along. Sure I suppose I could’ve done better –whatever “better” may be – but at some point it all becomes beside the point, and life got in the way of all those pipe-dreams we were encouraged to have by the fairy tales and daydreams and fake futuristic scenarios of cartoons and movies and books. It’s just easier now to watch a good movie.

Live so long – some people live on and on and they are so miserable. No matter what they have they do not seem to find enjoyment or fulfillment. They achieved, they accomplished, they succeeded – and they are horribly unhappy. I’d rather have a sense of inner contentment and resolution than be constantly wanting, scratching, itching for what seems to be “better”. I don’t think the grass is greener anywhere else. It’s all the same no matter where you go – basically it’s all about survival. And some people get to survive better than others.

I know it’s just a marketing strategy – to get people to spend money, to buy into this fantasy of having a “cool” retirement – that is fine if you are wealthy. And for formerly counter-culture icons to become the spokespersons of this fantasy lifestyle simply because they went to the other side and got rich – well, where does that leave those of us who’d bought into the so-called counter-culture lifestyle, attitude and politics? Only to discover that guess what – we’d been fooled – and every one is giggling at us behind our backs for being so naïve? Sure I’ve put away money – why not, it seems silly not to – but I am far from wealthy – and I have no guilt or shame about being frugal and careful. I just don’t want to be told what to do or how to think anymore. I wasn’t too happy with political correctness in the first place, and now I am supposed to be a “cool” retiree. I don’t want to be identified with the image of someone who has nothing better to do than follow frivolous fantasies to their fruition. I thought it might be nice to just exist for a while, with no plan and no intentions. That might make me a lazy person but perhaps that is what I have always been – lazy, not stupid, just not an overachiever. Laid-back used to be a good thing. When did it go out of style? When did just existing become so, outré?

So get me a nice umbrella drink and play me a good CD, okay? Thank you. I’m too old to start surfing now.