Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Kids of the Baby Boom

Remember the Bellamy Brothers’ song of that title from a few years ago?

What? How MANY years ago, you ask? We Baby Boomers are losing our memory, so I don’t remember.

Anyway, sometimes a reader’s comment strikes a note (or a chord, or even a whole tune) and I write about it. Yesterday’s post about my recent birthday milestone caused Miss Cellania to accuse me of starting the Baby Boom, for crying out loud!

I replied that I didn’t start anything. My parents participated in starting it, but that was beyond my control.

Regardless, now I am identified as part of a phenomenon that will ruin civilization as we know it! Oh, you’ve heard the reports: within 10 years all the BABY BOOMERS will be retired or retiring and there’ll be fewer payers into the Social Security System than there will be recipients of benefits! All of those (us) old, rich people will be driving around in their (our) motor homes and RVs, consuming natural resources and further destroying the planet.

Further destroying?” Oh yes! We’re already responsible for Global Warming (from burning all those fossil fuels in such a wasteful fashion) and for the growing hole in the Ozone Layer (from using spray cans and old air conditioners with CFCs).

Don’t believe me? Here are the Bellamy Brothers’ lyrics:



Our daddies won the war and came home to our moms
They gave them so much love that all us kids were born
We all grew up on Mickey Mouse and hula-hoops
Then we all bought BMW's and brand new pickup trucks
And we watched John Kennedy die one afternoon
Kids of the baby boom

It was a time of new prosperity in the USA
All the fortunate offsprings never had to pay
We had sympathy for the devil and the Rolling Stones
Then we got a little older, we found Haggard and Jones
A generation screaming for more room
Kids of the baby boom

Kids of the baby boom, we had freedom, we had money
Baby boom, here in the land of milk and honey
Counting our chickens way too soon
Kids of the baby boom

Now we all can run computers and we all can dance
We all have Calvin Klein written on our underpants
And at six-o'clock, like robots, we turn on the news
Watch those third world countries deal out more abuse
Remember the first man on the moon

Kids of the baby boom

Kids of the baby boom, we had freedom, we had money
Baby boom, here in the land of milk and honey
Counting our chickens way too soon
Kids of the baby boom

As our lives become a capsule they send to the stars
And our children look at us like we came from Mars
As the farms disappear and the sky turns black
We're a nation full of takers, never giving back
We never stop to think what we consume
Kids of the baby boom

Kids of the baby boom, we had freedom, we had money
Baby boom, here in the land of milk and honey
Counting our chickens way too soon
Kids of the baby boom

Our optimism mingles with the doom
Kids of the baby boom


So thanks, Miss Cellania, for the reference and the opportunity to rant a bit. Yeah, thanks a LOT!

In retrospect, I guess I’m just glad I’m on the leading edge of this Baby Boom thing. Maybe I’ll reap a FEW of the benefits before the world goes to hell.

Maybe.

9 comments:

Miss Cellania said...

Always glad to be of service!

(snark snark)

Remind me NEVER to tell me age online!

kenju said...

This post makes me glad I'm older than dirt. I don't think I can be blamed for the problems you mentioned. They came well after I got here...LOL

Hale McKay said...

Is that baby boomers or baby bummers?
...Amen, John. You have a lot of us fellow boomers in the rank and file of your readers.
...15K - congrats.

the many Bs said...

Okay, 60, are you telling us that you're 60???? come on, don't mess with my mind that way! No stinkin' way are you 60. You think I'm stupid?? No WAY. No No No Way. Never. Not. Nada. I will never believe that. But, I'm a baby boomy also! Pooooorrr us... but how would you know? You're NOT 60 and don't even try to convince me otherwise. Not.

Duke_of_Earle said...

Miss C.,
NEVER tell your age online! (You ASKED for a reminder.)

Kenju,
I had no idea. I thought only rocks were older than dirt. But what do I know? I've already forgotten so much at my advanced years.

Hale,
Boomer or Bummers? Sounds about the same to me. But maybe that's because my hearing's going.

Schnoodlepooh,
What!? You were thinking maybe 80!!?? Sheesh!

Candace said...

That song reminds me of another one about Woodstock. On one of the Who's albums (no, I can't remember which one, but thanks for asking), their "Baba O'Reilly" song was referred to as their "post-Woodstock lament" because of the line, "Teenage wasteland, oh yeah, teenage wasteland; they're all wasted!"

Anonymous said...

Someone told me once that you are only old as you feel. Most days I feel 35 so I am sticking to that age. It is a nice age. I like that age. Now if only I could convince my body of that.

Faith Bicknell said...

I'm a baby boomer. Dad came home from Viet Nam and 9 months later I popped into the world, lol.

Faith Bicknell said...

Aw, thanks so much for answering my erotica question! Much appreciated!

Yeah, Dad came back after 14 months in the Army served in Viet Nam. Mom and Dad got married when she was 17 and he 19. She was still in school. Two weeks later, Dad left for the war.

Thanks for visiting me!