They call us the “peak boomers,” honey. The biggest wave of retirements ever. Funny, isn’t it? Back in the day, we were all about peace, love, and changing the world. We hitchhiked across the country, danced under the stars at Woodstock, and believed anything was possible. Now, here we are, staring down retirement age, and for many of us, it ain’t exactly a bed of roses.
Don’t get me wrong, there were a lucky few. The college grads, the white men, they seem to have it figured out. Fat retirement accounts, comfortable lives. But for the rest of us, the dream feels a little threadbare. The women, the folks who couldn’t afford college, some of them are facing poverty in their golden years. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, after all that talk of equality and a better future.
Those news reports, they talk about “inadequate resources.” That’s one way to put it. Me, I call it a broken promise. We were promised a safety net, a chance to relax after a lifetime of work. Now, it seems that net has a lot of holes. Don’t get me started on the politicians, those same ones who scoffed at our protests back in the day, promising a secure future they never delivered.
But here’s the thing, honey. Even with the wrinkles and the aches, that spark from back then, it hasn’t quite gone out. We might not be dancing at Woodstock anymore, but we still know how to fight. Maybe our battle lines have changed, from protesting the war to fighting for a decent retirement. Maybe our weapons are different, petitions and town halls instead of sit-ins and peace signs. But the spirit, that’s still there.
We may be the “peak boomers,” but we’re not done making waves yet. This ain’t the American dream we signed up for,and we’re not going down without a fight. We might be old hippies, but honey, we still got some fight left in us.
Baby boomers are hitting “peak 65.” Two-thirds don’t have nearly enough saved for retirement.
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