We're at it again. It's
Thursday, May 22, 2014 and the baby boomers are making loud noise again. My status may not be as solidified since I am in the first year class of those who make up this important designated population group. Maybe I am more of a 'early boomer' than the main group. A recent study indicated that here in our nation, folks 50 and older contribute 50% of the purchasing that is done. According to a recent report the boomers are somewhat different than those who preceded them. They are up in arms about any connotation that reflects their aging status. They detest the term, 'senior citizen' and they abhor anything that has the word elderly in it. Advertisers and others are taking notice since this target audience will dictate huge sales for years to come. They don't want to be given information about aging gracefully or hear things about their golden years. Essentially, they demand to be treated as any other person with their age not being a part of the consideration. I'm not sure I can really feel their pain because many of the programs we watch run commercials that are obviously targeted at the high end of the age category. You know the ones. They may be for this, that, or the other product but they mostly have the same type of scenario of the one where the elderly lady cries out, "I've fallen and I can't get up." We may not be those who are so easily offended but the good news is how that we can still chuckle when those types of ads are run. Better to laugh. At least for now. While we still can.
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| Abraham |
I'm not sure why I'm not personally offended by the elder care talk but perhaps once you've played Santa without a need for makeup, (except for the belly padding), well, I suppose all bets are off. A younger fellow I stood beside in choir for several years recently returned and attended our services after being away for many years. He told me that while so many others within the fellowship had changed so much, it appeared to him that I always look the same. I thought about that. I wear a bright white beard. Does this mean I have looked old for a long time? Should I care? Not really. I decided to interpret it as a compliment and move on down the road. Maybe he was like the lady I saw that had not seen me in a couple of years whose first thought was that I must be playing Father Abraham in a play or something. At least they care enough to comment. And, I see that as a good thing because God has allowed those folks and so many others to be a part of this journey. I suppose that's better than the fellow who said he never wanted to believe his dad stole from his job as a road builder worker, but, when he got home all the signs were there.
I thought I would add a little humor. I know. I know. All the signs were there. It was very little humor but I needed something to kick it up just a tad. Sometimes the jokes about old people get a little
old, if you know what I mean. Someone asked if protocol allowed them to throw vitamins instead of rice for a couple in their 80's who were getting married. Not very funny. I heard about the two elderly ladies who had been best friends for years. One day as they sat on a park bench, one of them said to the other, "This is so embarrassing, but I can't for the life of me remember your name." The other lady glared at her for several minutes and finally came back with, "How soon do you need to know?" Not very funny. This is what we have to look forward to. Old people jokes. Maybe I should try to get in with that bunch of boomers who are so easily offended. Maybe not. Y'all take care and I'll try to come up with a better joke next time I choose to share one. May God bless us all is my prayer.
Amen. ...More later.
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