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The Lonely Demise of the Baby Boomers

You don't see three-legged dogs all that often. I met one the other day. She got along pretty well, all things considered. Her human partner said she had been hit by a car, some years ago.

She was quite a sweetheart and wanted to get into a 'play position' with my dog. But it was too difficult with only one front leg. 

Her owner was 70 or so, and alone, except for his old sweetheart, this three-legged dog. He said she was a happy dog, and I believe it. He called her "Annie."

My mind drifted onto memories of my grandparents when they were as as old as this Baby Boomer is now. My grandparents had spouses. There was visible affection and loyalty between those older people. This was quite impressive, considering the lifetime of forbearance of each other's faults that had to be slogged through.

What about the owner of this dog? He seemed to be capable of showing all the loyalty and affection that a two-legged Annie (a woman) would love to experience. Perhaps his personal life was like a lot of Baby Boomers: promiscuity when young and good-looking; followed by no-fault divorce, perhaps a couple times. And then, in the blink of an eye, he was too old for the Swinging Single lifestyle, and settled into a long senescence of loneliness, with only the boob toob or the yoob toob for companionship.

Ahh, well. We aren't supposed to talk about such things. After all, we wouldn't want to infringe on the ultimate taboo of 'trying to turn the clock back.'


Comments

I am leading age Baby Boomer at almost 73. Most of the folks that meet what you describe are not self motivating enough to get off their ass and do something about their life. As you know from my blog Old Fat Man Adventures, old does not stop a person from doing lots of things. However it does slow you down. My 3.5 mile walk each morning in 1 hour 20 minutes was a lot less time 3 years ago when I could still safely run.
https://images.app.goo.gl/U6mGFMiVGqhGGhGm9


An old man and his friend.ABQ art museum.
One of my favorite sculptures.
Barney, talking about what you can still do seems like a good attitude.

Ed,Carol, Gopher: I looked up your link. The sculpture seemed so lifelike, and a good topic for a sculpture, too!
Ed said…
Ed,Carol, Gopher,

I like the picture very much. I have a couple that are somewhat like it. They were taken at the library in Delta, UT.

http://edwardfrey.com/peregrinating/pic/0133.JPG
http://edwardfrey.com/peregrinating/pic/0134.JPG

Ed
XXXXX said…

Take a lesson from the dog. Don't worry about what you've lost, whether it's a leg or your youth. Just enjoy the day.

George
Anonymous said…
How odd that people assume a person alone is also a lonely person. That the default for everyone should be to pair off. No.

I hope he was promiscuous in his youth and enjoyed every minute of it. I also hope he fell in love, married and then had the good sense to walk away when that time was clearly finished, maybe more than once.

And now in his autumnal years, I hope he enjoys life on his terms, savors his successes and has wonderful memories of the life he lived his way.
XXXXX said…

Well, Anonymous (with no signature,) on the one hand I see your point. Totally agree that no one should ever assume a person alone is lonely.
The past, no matter what it was, is still over and just a memory. Not much different than watching a movie when one thinks about it. Whether one marries or not (better if you don't actually), falls in love or not (really, isn't this just an illusion) or was promiscuous (although I can't see how that was ever a joy,) these are all externals to your real life which is the life inside. It is there that reality exists and where you will make of the world whatever it is that you choose. The dog doesn't sweat any of it.
Here's my disagreement to your post: Living with memories doesn't cut it. Living the day you are in does.
That's why the dog is the smartest one in the room.

George
I enjoy seeing a discussion take place between readers with different points of view. If I respond by chiming in with my own opinions, it looks like I am demanding "to have the last word."

If I don't respond at all, it looks like I don't even appreciate them taking the time to make a comment.

So a note like this is the best I can do. A blogger should be happy to have "the first word" on a certain topic, and then back off to let the readers and commenters have "the last word."
Anonymous said…
Thank you George, you are absolutely right in that living today, in the moment, is the joy of living. My phrasing must have been off: didn’t mean to imply having wonderful memories to the exclusion of creating new ones and continuing to enjoy life.

And yes...the dog is the smartest one in the room.

Brad