Boomer Zoomers

Retirement isn't what it used to be. Used to be, you got your retirement gold watch, moved to a little bungalow in Florida or Arizona, played at golf, ate the cheap, early-bird restaurant dinners and complained about how hot it was. You became horribly bored. And then you died.

Today millions of baby boomers are choosing not to retire in the same way as their parents did. Back in the day, retirement like death and taxes, was inevitable. Now it's a well-thought out process often referred to as the retirement renaissance. Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are making bold and exciting choices as to how they will live the next stages of their lives.

We're healthier and we're living longer and stronger. As a result, we have the energy and drive to recharge our lives into productive, stimulating and creative new directions. Many of us are switching gears and trying something totally different. We're bungie jumping, learning to fly airplanes, riding motorcycles, zip lining and hang gliding. Several friends of mine have entered and finished 10 K races to celebrate their 60th birthdays. Many of us are becoming entrepreneurs at age 60. We're starting our own businesses, opening EBay stores, blogging and Facebooking. Multitudes of boomers choose to continue working even if their old jobs are no longer viable or available. They are pursuing new interests, turning hobbies into profitable endeavors, going back to school to learn new skills, and have you checked out all the fascinating boomer websites? For example, here's a couple of scintillating YOU Tube sites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD_tXkJaJ8U and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqTlx6iklRk&feature=related.

The boomer generation has always been bold. And now we refuse to grow old. At least we refuse to grow old without a fight. We are redefining aging. Somebody even coined a new name for us: Zoomers. It means boomers with zip. Zipsters---the new hipsters. We are rethinking our priorities and looking for love online. We are not giving up on our dreams. We are setting new goals and challenges for ourselves. We've always had spunk and fearlessness and ingenuity. It's true by now, some of us may be getting a little wobbly. Many of us have bought that winter place in Florida. But that's not stopping us from exploring new adventures, discovering new friends and interesting pursuits and nurturing our souls as well as our communities. We've still got it, my friends. Rock on, Zoomers. Rock on. Sphere: Related Content