Every decade I have stood on the edge ready to dive, always excited to move forward.
I themed them up: the 20s as big life transitions, the 30s as building the bricks and mortar, the 40s as focusing on careers and enjoying the fruits of that labor, and the 50s as putting on fat for the coming winter. The 60s*70s*80s were supposed to be the defining years of time well spent once the 8-5 was archived. You know, perpetual recess.
That theory sort of frittered away after the late 40's and those feelings of unlimited potential. Roadblocks were not big issues early on, with oodles of time for a comeback. And frankly, the 50s were supposed to be the pre-golden Me Years after kids and college, and the place to sock away solid earnings.
I themed them up: the 20s as big life transitions, the 30s as building the bricks and mortar, the 40s as focusing on careers and enjoying the fruits of that labor, and the 50s as putting on fat for the coming winter. The 60s*70s*80s were supposed to be the defining years of time well spent once the 8-5 was archived. You know, perpetual recess.
That theory sort of frittered away after the late 40's and those feelings of unlimited potential. Roadblocks were not big issues early on, with oodles of time for a comeback. And frankly, the 50s were supposed to be the pre-golden Me Years after kids and college, and the place to sock away solid earnings.
My folks built a lot of their retirement nestegg in their 50s. I watched.
Except it wasn't to be. The late great boomers have been enmeshed in a seriously unproductive decade. The old tired Plan A seems more outdated than a 3 year old laptop.
So I started checking out who weathering the storm and what they have in common. What an eyeful.
The people who stayed in their original home and made do are doing just fine. They resisted the temptation to loot the equity for any reason, and if a dire situation arose, borrowed conservatively and paid it back. ***Lesson***
The folks who saved all the way along, for a rainy day, and took to heart Social Security as just a supplement, they're good, too. ***Lesson***
And here's a shocker: the ones that came out on top here are those who worked for the government. ***No Lesson***
Seriously! We are the Love Peace Dope generation! No way would we be forced to give up our principles and stick with a conservative job. I was never ever tempted to work for big government. The antithesis of making a difference is a government job.
But 50 years later and financial portfolios as they are, those big fat pensions and medical for life bennies look mighty tasty!
The folks who saved all the way along, for a rainy day, and took to heart Social Security as just a supplement, they're good, too. ***Lesson***
And here's a shocker: the ones that came out on top here are those who worked for the government. ***No Lesson***
Seriously! We are the Love Peace Dope generation! No way would we be forced to give up our principles and stick with a conservative job. I was never ever tempted to work for big government. The antithesis of making a difference is a government job.
But 50 years later and financial portfolios as they are, those big fat pensions and medical for life bennies look mighty tasty!
Talk about irony! My favorite irony is in watching The Body that eased regulations and gave the banks latitude to execute a cataclysmic fraud of this magnitude to also deliver their employees from suffering the effects of it. Land the Hand on a Giant Smack Down and then Lift Up in Pseudo-Comfort? What a scam.
Hey, it's the same gig, buying or selling. The rest of us are standing around scratching our heads, wondering what the hell we're going to do without a Plan B.
Hey, it's the same gig, buying or selling. The rest of us are standing around scratching our heads, wondering what the hell we're going to do without a Plan B.
No comments:
Post a Comment