Baby Boomers Had It Easy? WRONG.

Boomers can probably relate to what I’m about to say. When I was a child, people in my small hometown knew the value of a dollar. Work days were from dusk until dawn. If school was in session, parents made sure that children did their homework. We spent the evening reading and writing. Bedtime came early. Nights were short, because the work days started early. A work week could easily consist of six days. Sunday truly was our day of rest.

Read Next: A Boomer’s Memories of His Grandparents

In those days, there wasn’t much talk of retirement. As a matter of fact, most folks worked until they were very old. They milked cows, fed chickens, and chopped firewood. Plus, they had to get the crops in before the bitter-cold winter arrived. Time never stood still.  Even simple chores were time-consuming. We couldn’t just throw our clothes into a machine, hit a button, and walk away. After we finished handwashing our clothes, we had to hang them out on the line to dry.

We fixed meals on a hot iron stove. There was no such thing as a microwave. My father mowed the lawn with the push mower as my mother prepared our meals. After the evening meal, I helped my mother wash dishes in the sink and towel-dry them. Of course, we also had to put them in the cupboard for the next morning. In our home, we didn’t even have running water. Instead, we heated bath water on the stove. As you can imagine, this took quite a while!

Boomers, Be Strong!

You might’ve thought to yourself as you were reading: “What’s the point of this story?”  Well, I’m going to tell you. Most of us Boomers have been working since we were kids. This Boomer is TIRED. My retirement dream was not to keep working at age 63, but this is what life has in store for me and some of you. 

But here’s the good news.

We made it through rough times then, and we’ll make it now. Maybe the “good ol’ days” prepared us for the challenges some of us are facing today. Enjoy every aspect of life to the fullest. If life handed you lemons, make lemonade. Stand firm. Be Boomer strong!

Looking for more?

Want more great articles? Then check out these next!

• Boomers: Let Go & Live!
• These Boomers Found Happiness Through Subtraction – Could You?
• What is a Baby Boomer Anyway?
• The Journey of Life: A Boomer’s Perspective
• 10 Self-Care Tips for Boomers
• A Boomer’s Thoughts on Age