Vivian DeGain wrote @ 2009/06/23 at 3:12 pm

Better past 50
The more things change, the more they stay the same

Talk about coming full circle.
Nearly 17 years ago, launching my journalism career with a new Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Michigan at age 40, I became the first editor and only writer for a brand new publication, Suburban Lifestyles.
The cover story I wrote for the premiere issue in October begins, “Fall is such a beautiful time to begin a new project. Since this premiere issue arrives with the October harvest, we invite you to take a minute, look at the color and savor the season. The crisp and sweet air of autumn breathes a natural invitation to get out and enjoy all of the green space in our community.”
I relish autumn and its rich palette of harvest colors and smells of cider.
And like the anticipation I feel about the coming harvest of pumpkin orange, pomegranate red and burnt sienna, I am this loving this season of my age.
Forget the bad jokes about being over 50.
I am having the time of my life.
And so are most of my friends.
We are part of the boomer generation and we are not taking it lying down.
Women our age have never been healthier, looked better or had more education, income and positive outlook. We expect to live longer, and we will.
As my physician told me recently, as we discussed Cholesterol levels and the need for a healthier diet, more exercise and a statin medication to reduce these dangerous blood fats — recent research has shown that the combination of these methods is dramatic in cutting and even perhaps reversing heart disease and artery disease.
He said, “look, this could mean that in 20 years for a whole generation of people your age, surgery for cardio vascular disease could be practically nonexistent as we know it today.”
Goodbye to the prospects of angioplasty, bypass surgery and a mess of other things I really don’t want, thank you.
So what’s the problem? Medication habits are getting precariously close to feeling the “O” word — old. It’s a deadly state of mind or spirit.
While some women I know are seeking face lifts and cosmetic surgery, telling me that this is the time to do it — I resist. My answer to them is, if I had the disposable 10 thousand dollars for that, I can think of 10 thousand other ways I would rather spend it. Travel. Go back to college. Feed the hungry. Donate the money toward peace in the Middle East.”
Listen, I might be a person who sees the glass half full, but let me give you a list of the things I love about being 56 and having mostly grown-up children: less housekeeping, laundry and cooking; more time to myself, with my husband Doug and our friends; and more time to read, speak or do many delicious things without interruption.
We’ve raised all three of our children in suburban Detroit, but they grew up knowing the city, visiting the city, knowing the people and the culture.
When we visited New York City as a family, my husband was awed by our full car of people riding the subway after 11 p.m.
“Why? Where are you from?” another rider queried.
“Detroit,” my partner replied.
“We’re afraid of you!” said the rider. And he was half our age.
Like so many of our neighbors here and everywhere, locally and globally in the places where our lives are so fortunate, we boomers feel that we have just begun middle age.
We want balance, and plan to keep working at least part-time for a long, long time. Despite the economy. Despite the crash that has somehow robbed the hard work and dedicated savings of many, many good people like us — without seemingly real justice for those who robbed us — we had to pause, take a deep breath and start again.
But hey, we’ve courted challenge and continue to do so.
We Boomers want everything. We want to remain close and active with our families. We want to redefine “Life after 50” for our generation in the same fashion we have already redefined Human Rights, Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and Men’s Rights.
We already pioneered better ways to partner, to give birth and to live – and I believe we are going to find better ways to age, and even to die.
I am thrilled to be writing again publicly after too many months of being unemployed professionally.
For at least 17 years I’ve worked as a provocative and highly awarded writer and I had a dedicated following of intelligent, responsive readers.
What’s on your mind? What are you doing to stay well, look fit and think young? What are you passionate about? What are your issues?
My issues are simple: Dignity and freedom for all human beings — no discounts, no concessions.
Finally, a story from my friend Debra Darvick, author of “This Jewish Life,” who writes the serious as well as the sublime. “Issues? You want issues? First, I had to reckon with the hair that appears on my chinny chin chin.”
Tweezing tweezing tweezing. Wasted time I relate to and wish I didn’t have to — but given the choice of tweezing or not, I tweeze.
That “O” word again.

Stats at a glance:
The baby boomer generation refers to people born in the U.S. from 1946 to 1964.
There are 77.7 million total, about 27% of the total American population.
Of the 78 million: 49.1% are males, 50.9% are females, 69% are married, 17% are minorities.
Baby boomers have a higher level of education than any generation before them, 88.8% completed high school and 28.5% have a Bachelor’s Degree or more.
There are about 72 million family households in the U.S. and about 34 million are baby boomer households.
–Source: http://www.metlife.com