Want to be heard? Speak up......

   As I continue to enter a new phase of  life along with many other 'baby boomers',  I must admit  the way I had pictured retirement and planned for it may  not be the way it will turn out. Naively, my view of retirement and the senior years was modeled somewhat after the retirement of my parents and grandparents and what we hear and see on television. But times have changed and so the definition of retirement.
   At some magical age, after  years of working a "regular" job",  you would stop going to the office or where ever you worked every day, get a check from Social Security or a state pension program and, supplemented with a bit of savings, live life comfortably. You could sleep late in the morning because you stayed up late to watch Jimmy Fallon, hang out at the local Tim Horton with all your 'buds', supervise the grandchildren as they splash around in the pool...(doesn't every grandparent have a pool) or catch up on reading all those books and magazines you never had time to read while you were working.
   I didn't anticipate the millions and millions of dollars still being spent daily defending the 'freedom' of people in countries half way around the world whose only view of the United States is what they are told by their political leaders or see on television, if they have a television at all. (Bet they have cell phones though!) Could some of those dollars be better spent at home, used in search for a cure for cancer or ALS or Alzheimer's?
   Now, I understand the concept of a 'global economy' and the importance of people working together to make the world a better place for everyone to live. But one only needs to watch the news or read the paper to discover that not every country or  world leader really cares about a cure for cancer or other potentially deadly disease.They just let the people join  radical groups and die. Senior years planning? If terrorist  around the world are decapitating anyone, American or not, is it a sign of a world spinning out of control?
   I had expected  when the 'boomers' started to retire there would be a transition of power and decision-making to a younger generation, a generation filled with enthusiasm and enlightenment, having learned from the mistakes of those who had come before them and understanding  the world would be a different place. They would know that in the not too distant future, they too  would be 'old' with dreams of a comfortable life in retirement. (Definition of old? Fifteen years older than your current age.  :))
   By the time I retired I figured there would be medical advancements that might cure cancer, new technology that would decrease our dependency on foreign oil and gas, or not need gasoline at all, and have clean air and water for a healthier life. The good news is that we are slowly making strides in those directions. The bad news is .....it's still politics as usual when it comes to change and priorities. We just can't seem to get out of our own way to insure success and move forward.
   I had not anticipated the arguing and bickering taking place within our own government among the political factions that now requires a need for a new level of credibility and honesty from elected officials. Power, in the wrong hands has always corrupted. But how many politicians in the past year or so have been accused of abuse of power and corruption and have  legally been charged? If it's more than one, it's one too many. Greed!
    And as today's  federal, state and local officials debate the financial shortcomings of their inability to live within their means or the perception of an ever increasing roll of government in our everyday life, why would someone not expect the public to respond with renewed activism and involvement, especially as the aging population gets larger and lives longer.
   We hold elections to select those we believe will represent us best, not who can raise the most money for his or her 'campaign war chest'. (Did you know they get to keep some of the money  they raise if they  don't spend it all?) Is this the funding of a new American democracy? (Oh.....I forgot. Election day just around the corner.)
   Instead of sitting at home and allowing things to get done to us, perhaps we need to make sure  those who represent us remember what it's like back in the home and what it will be like in the future. They need to hear from those who elected them and they need to listen to all the different perspectives and point of view.
   Think about it....fewer  babies are being born and the population continues to live longer and the average age of a typical person is increasing, like Maine.   Maybe it's time to  “speak up and be heard”. Perhaps this is the 'new politics' for those entering the “golden years.” We had the Million Man  March on Washington a number of years ago. What about a 'Golden Years Rally' in every city and state across the nation. Isn't it time to find out who's listening!!!!