Opinion | Retirement, the Economy, Trump: 14 Baby Boomers Discuss

Phil, 67, Ariz., white, Republican, retired

It means being self-reliant, independent, proud of my generation, can-do. And I’m still here.

Rita, 65, Tenn., white, Democrat, retired

It was a booming generation. That era was just simple times. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to those days. People were kinder. I’m grateful to be a boomer.

Fil, 61, Fla., Black, independent, protection specialist

Soldiers had come back from war, they started their families, and the country was doing well. You could have one person working, owning a house and supporting a family.

Mindy, 73, Pa., white, Democrat, retired

It was just a simpler time. You went to the store, they wrote things down, and you paid them at the end of the week. You were able to walk home from school without your parents worrying that someone was going to snatch you off the street. There was no social media, nobody following you around with a camera all the time. We used to joke around that my neighborhood was like Camelot. We found out later a lot of things went on that we didn’t know about. But for the most part, I just think it was a simpler time.

Jeff, 63, Md., white, Democrat, courier

I think you valued your friendships more. You had different relationships back then. Everybody knew everybody. That was great because it helped foster a lot of better communication and actionable things that we would do as groups of friends and people. So, yes, it was simpler, but we also grew up in a time of change. Think about the ’60s. We had a lot of change in our country. I think we’ve lost a lot of that in a way because we need the physical connection. We need to be able to see people face to face.

Shirley, 62, N.Y., Black, independent, looking for work

It was the time of the civil rights movement for us. Yes, there was camaraderie and an emphasis on the family, but there was also division. We had to fight quite a bit to have certain rights. Yes, it did bring us together as a community, but some people saw that negatively.

Margaret, 73, N.J., white, Democrat, software engineer

Everybody’s going to hate me for saying this, but I don’t feel like I am a baby boomer. Yes, I was a child during the ’50s and ’60s, but I might be different in the way that I embrace change. I embrace technology. I find that a lot of my friends who were born at the same exact time, they don’t see things like that. They think that all of this technology and the changes that have happened with it are not a good thing. They don’t want to be part of it. I do. I think I belong in the next generation because I really don’t subscribe to the things that I did as a kid. Yeah, it was a great life, but it doesn’t mean that I have to carry it with me for the rest of my life. You’ve got to move with the times. So I try to be more current, as best as I can. Sometimes the achy bones and the aches and pains stop me from doing a lot, but that’s how I feel.

Shirley, 62, N.Y., Black, independent, looking for work

Young people say, “Oh, you don’t know what you’re talking about. That old stuff doesn’t apply now.” And it may be a different era, but it’s the same things. We’re experienced. We can help you so you don’t make the same mistakes that we made. Yes, you’re into technology, social media. Everything is fast-paced now, whereas slower-paced back then. But we can definitely assist you. But they just think we’re weird.

Margaret, 73, N.J., white, Democrat, software engineer

They aren’t necessarily getting us wrong. I just think they don’t appreciate us. They don’t feel that there’s any value. Basically, they think we’re old. Every time I have to ask for help doing something, I say, oh, God, they’re going to say, “Why don’t you know how to do this?” They want to do things at their own speed, in their own way. And let’s face it, the technology now has consumed their lives, so they don’t really have much recourse except to do things fast and in their own way, because those are the tools that they have now to live with.

Rhonda, 68, Ga., Black, Republican, administrative assistant

The younger people think we’re going to deplete everything. We’re in the generation that everything is still there, like, if you worked hard, because we did work hard. We have some stuff in place. I think that they think they will have to work longer because of the baby boomers, because everything is going to be depleted. When we were young, we had fun. We had friends. We had relationships. Family was important. Family ate at home. I’m glad I’m part of that generation because younger people now don’t know that part, because everybody’s everywhere and nobody’s talking to anybody.

Joe, 78, Ill., Hispanic, independent, retired

I feel proud to be a baby boomer. When I was younger and people my age were around, I looked at them with respect as an elder. I looked at them with people that have knowledge that I didn’t have at the time. Now I’m that person. Now, because I’m a baby boomer, the younger people are looking up to me as if I know everything that they want to know. But younger kids, they’re blaming the baby boomers for the problems that are around the world today.

Joe, 78, Ill., Hispanic, independent, retired

Young people have their hardships. And then they look at politics and say it’s the baby boomers’ fault that politics are the way they are today. It’s the baby boomers’ fault that the economy is not as good as it used to be when we were in that generation. We’re getting a bad rap.

Phil, 67, Ariz., white, Republican, retired

I think it’s a matter of accountability and too much entitlement going on in some of the younger generations. Yes, we did live through a time of excessive consumption. But we’ve learned from all of that, as well. That’s just how it was during those times, and we have learned.

Shirley, 62, N.Y., Black, independent, looking for work

Each generation inherits problems. As you live, you try to survive, and you try to build something better. The generation now, I don’t think it’s the baby boomers’ fault. I don’t think it’s Gen X’s fault. It’s just that each generation has its own issues. But things appear harder because I think this new generation, they want things microwavable. It’s cyclical. It’s just something going on for each generation. And something seems to be lost through each generation.

Phil, 67, Ariz., white, Republican, retired

It’s a supply-and-demand issue, and the demand is outpacing the supply. We’re competing against big corporations coming in and paying cash for homes and flipping them. Every time my son tried to buy a home in the last few years, he got outbid by a corporation. So he has been totally unable to do it. The demand has outpaced the supply of decent homes. And we’re competing against large companies for that supply. It’s hurting young potential homeowners.

Rhonda, 68, Ga., Black, Republican, administrative assistant

Young people come out of college with crushing student loan debt. So with that out the gate, it’s just harder to even save to get into a home. And now, with the job market like it is, first, they would have to have a job that was secure. It seems like they’re wobbling to even sustain that. Back in the day, college and stuff — it didn’t cost like this. This is crushing.

Steve, 72, Calif., Asian, independent, retired

More relaxed than anything else.

Rita, 65, Tenn., white, Democrat, retired

There’s more freedom.

Kay, 69, Tex., white, independent, hospitality

I think that I’m young, but my knees and ankles don’t.

Shirley, 62, N.Y., Black, independent, looking for work

Easier. I can focus now.

Sheila, 61, La., white, independent, retired

Boring, but knowledgeable.

Joe, 78, Ill., Hispanic, independent, retired

Less tension in the old days than there is now.

Allen, 67, Wash., white, member of another party, retired

More freedom, more economic challenges.

Mindy, 73, Pa., white, Democrat, retired

So this is not the life that I expected at all, really, being a single mother because my husband died suddenly when my children were young. And my mother died when I was 19. So I really did not expect my life to be like this now, and so hard economically. You’re retired, but you can’t do anything because of how much everything is.

Rhonda, 68, Ga., Black, Republican, administrative assistant

I don’t think about my age because I still work full-time. I just finished my bachelor’s. I still take classes. I don’t think about my age until somebody brings it up. Mentally, I haven’t transitioned like that. I just feel the same, almost.

Margaret, 73, N.J., white, Democrat, software engineer

I don’t think it’s what my parents went through. I never thought I was going to be a widow in my 60s. So I’m navigating that whole piece of life, which has been very difficult for me. We worked all of our lives. We saved all of our lives. And here I am. I’m lonely. My parents had a whole different lifestyle. My grandmother lived with us, so she was always in the house. There were always people around. Even though I have the ways and the means to do whatever I want, it’s not always easy to get somebody to do it with you, or do things; otherwise, you have to do it by yourself. My parents didn’t do that. They didn’t take vacations. They didn’t go anywhere. They lived for us. My life is better in that I can do those things.

Rita, 65, Tenn., white, Democrat, retired

My mom and her siblings all took care of each other. Now that I am and have been a caregiver for my mother and others, I don’t have the freedom I imagined I would have. But I guess because it’s just my nature — I want to help people, but maybe I put myself in that place.

Phil, 67, Ariz., white, Republican, retired

My parents didn’t really save money for their future. My dad, when he retired, had a very small pension and Social Security, and that was it. I was able to learn about things like compounding interest and investing and things like that. And I did all that, and I sacrificed to do that all my life. So I live a much different life than my parents did.

Barry, 67, Nev., white, Republican, retired

Everybody worked. It’s just what you did. Nobody got laughed at for wearing a McDonald’s uniform. It was like an honor. People in the neighborhood looked at — that kid’s going somewhere. Look at him hustling, working. So I think that whole attitude has changed, where people now are more waiting for things to be given to them. They don’t know the satisfaction of going out and saving up at 12 years old for something you really wanted and buying it.

Allen, 67, Wash., white, member of another party, retired

The last few years dealing with what I consider a full-court press of awful greed and bigotry, politically, in a way I never thought I would see again. We had the civil rights movement. We had the antiwar movement. Things were achieved that were better for equality. And now it’s a battle all the time. I didn’t anticipate it being like this.

Shirley, 62, N.Y., Black, independent, looking for work

From my perspective, it’s always been a struggle. But the biggest change is that things are more fast-paced; individualism has been at the forefront of what’s going on, as well as the influence of social media. And we can get information quicker now than we could before. We can communicate across different countries where you couldn’t do it before. You can connect with people now where you were just in your little unit and knit in your community. But now you can broaden out through social media. I think there’s more educational and career opportunities. I know that someone said the young people don’t like to work, but a lot of them have become entrepreneurs now. They don’t want to work a 9 to 5. They don’t want to go in and sit at a desk.

Phil, 67, Ariz., white, Republican, retired

The biggest change to me is the splintering of news media. It’s gotten to the point where it’s one network versus another. We don’t know who to trust anymore. The days of Uncle Walter, Walter Cronkite, are gone. So when you’re watching the news, and now, with A.I., you don’t even know if it’s real. I mean, we don’t know if it’s real or not. Young people are developing apps, they’re media, they’re influencers, all these great things. But there’s another side to the whole thing. When you’re watching what’s coming through your social media feed, you don’t know if it’s real or not. And it’s kind of scary.

Joe, 78, Ill., Hispanic, independent, retired

I worry about running out of money while being retired. The money that I have accumulated, I’m trying to use it. I don’t know when I’m not going to need it anymore. I wish I did know that. But I want to have enough to keep my wife and myself happy and be able to travel around the world, as we’ve been doing, and be comfortable with the finances that we have.

Mindy, 73, Pa., white, Democrat, retired

You don’t know how much time you have left, and you know what you have to spend. I’m scared to do anything. Because if, God forbid, I have to go into the hospital or get dental work — I’m scared to death. It really affects me mentally, all this worrying about money.

Fil, 61, Fla., Black, independent, protection specialist

Cost of living is a major issue now. Things are getting more expensive day by day, but the income is stagnant.

Fil, 61, Fla., Black, independent, protection specialist

To me, it’s kind of scary, because I had plans to retire early. But when I do the numbers, I realize that I can’t do it. So I need to continue working. Because I would be living a miserable life, and I don’t like that. And I still want to work. But it’s not easy, due to the age factor. Because when you’re aging, employers don’t really like to employ you. I do have a lot of friends who are in this situation. They would like to work, but when they apply, because of their age, they don’t hire them. They kind of, I could say, discriminate against them because of their age.

Shirley, 62, N.Y., Black, independent, looking for work

I will be 63 this year. So I was looking to try and take early Social Security. And I was thinking of taking early pension withdrawal. When I looked at the numbers, it’s not going to work. If you have at least 20 years’ experience in a particular field, they can say, “Mm, this person is probably in their 50s or 60s, and we may not want to hire them.”

Barry, 67, Nev., white, Republican, retired

I worry about the health of Social Security and Medicare. At one point, there was no question about that, or nobody really questioned it. Now, with inflation and prices, we’re a little worried about the strength of it. Is that going to hold up? If so, then I can hold up.

Margaret, 73, N.J., white, Democrat, software engineer

Once you’re retired, you start to worry that you’re going to outlive your money, your assets, whatever it is. And you work all your life. We made some good investments. We were always comfortable. But you wonder: What if I have to go in a nursing home? What if I get so sick that my medical won’t cover? I’m still going to have a lot out of pocket. And I want to be able to leave something to my son and my grandchildren. You can’t be sure that will happen. Then, to see the prices of things — I took my granddaughter out on Sunday to Shake Shack. Two burgers, two shakes and an order of fries was $44. How many times can you do that? And I can’t even imagine what some people are going through to have to not be able to do that, say no to their kids.

Sheila, 61, La., white, independent, retired

They need to focus on what’s in demand in the field. Some are excellent in studying and working in fields where they do best. But many just basically want to do what they want. Everybody wants to be a doctor. Everybody wants to be a nurse. Everybody wants to be a politician. OK, so who’s doing the labor work? OK, who’s doing the mechanics? Who’s doing the oil fields? Not everybody wants to do it. The money is there. The jobs are there. But some of these kids, they all want to work in an office. They want three weeks a year of vacation with a million dollars a year. They need to focus on what’s in demand. What does the country need them to do? And I don’t mean enlisting in the service, because that’s not good for everybody. But there’s a lot of jobs out there where people are being overworked.

Joe, 78, Ill., Hispanic, independent, retired

When we were coming up, the jobs were more secure for us to get into whatever job you want. For me, I got into an environment where I felt like I had a place for the next 10 or 20 years. Kids today, when they’re going into a job, they don’t know if their company is going to last two more weeks, let alone 20 years. So there’s no more security for young people when they go into college. It makes it difficult to find something to feel secure in.

Phil, 67, Ariz., white, Republican, retired

The exponential growth in technology has really changed things. People need to go into their careers as a young person and say, “My career isn’t this company. My career is my vocation of what I’m going to do, and I’m going to be extremely flexible and adapting and changing. I’m going to be responsible for myself, so when I get older, I can be comfortable.” And that, to me, has to be the big mental adaptation that has to happen, going into a career today. Because you’re not going to be able to count on that lifelong company, that lifelong employment, because companies got to do what they got to do, too, to survive, and to keep their doors open and to pay the employees they still have and are going to have.

Kay, 69, Tex., white, independent, hospitality

In a perfect world, it’s probably best to have a little bit of everything.

Jeff, 63, Md., white, Democrat, courier

You have to keep up with things today. Sometimes I think age might keep someone from keeping up with it. You have to be able to find the right balance.

Allen, 67, Wash., white, member of another party, retired

I think this is an issue where us constituents are responsible. Take a look and say, “OK, this person is a representative, and he or she has done great on these things. We want to keep them. They’re doing good.” Or you look and say, “OK, they’ve goofed up on this one, and we thought that was just a one-off, but now they’ve goofed up on this and this and this. Throw the bums out.”

Mindy, 73, Pa., white, Democrat, retired

I think when some of them are just so old — they’re just so old. It’s beyond. Some of the politicians have dementia. It’s bad. There should be a term limit. And yes, some people are sharp enough, but some aren’t. We need new blood.

Rhonda, 68, Ga., Black, Republican, administrative assistant

That’s almost the topic you can’t really talk about, because it’s so heated. Because people are 10 toes down on whatever they think it is and really not open to anything else. It just turns bad.

Rita, 65, Tenn., white, Democrat, retired

It’s literally torn families apart. There’s a family I know, probably all boomers, they used to get together. And politics has divided them. They don’t get together. They had this annual gathering they would do every year, and half of them go and half of them don’t. Those kind of things are breaking my heart — to see how our world is divided. And I see it with friends. There’s certain friends, we used to get together, and now, certain ones, they don’t want to be there because of these people — other people are gonna be there. To me, that’s just sad, but it’s what it is.

Shirley, 62, N.Y., Black, independent, looking for work

Immigration and border security. Some people say yes. Some people say the tactics are too harsh. We’ve seen some people ejected from a country, but it was inhumane. And yes, they shouldn’t be here illegally if you’re causing problems. Right? But what about the ones who are not and have been here? And you know, we could be in that situation. And I would hope to be received. And if I were being productive in that country, then perhaps there would be some leniency. There’s a lot of division on gender; there’s so many topics that cause such a divide that people actually fight over.

Rhonda, 68, Ga., Black, Republican, administrative assistant

War. The economy. People are being priced out of their homes; I’m not sure what it’s going to look like for them.

Kay, 69, Tex., white, independent, hospitality

I think that our country right now is so divisive and corrupt, on a city level, a state level, a national level. Our national debt is absolutely out of control, and they’re going to inherit that.

Joe, 78, Ill., Hispanic, independent, retired

Compared to how it was when we were that age, the politics today are horrendous. Politicians today — there’s no one you can trust. No one I can trust, I’ll put it that way. Any words that come out of their mouth are forked. They’re all lying, and they’re not telling us the truth.

Joe, 78, Ill., Hispanic, independent, retired

I worry that the kids today that are walking around, going to grammar schools — I’m hoping that they’re going to live in a republic that’s independent, that we grew up in. Not one-sided politics. That the kids who are going to be adults 20 years from now have a country that they can say, “OK, we have a democratic country that we can vote in.” That their votes will not be taken away from them.

Mindy, 73, Pa., white, Democrat, retired

I’m so worried for the kids. Growing up, we never even asked who our parents voted for. You had an election. There was a president you liked, you didn’t like, but nothing like what is going on now. You have a child that’s gay, you worry to death now, because they want to kill you. Also, the antisemitism was never like it is now. You didn’t send your kids to school and worried if they were going to come home or they were going to get shot. And it’s getting worse and worse and worse. I’m afraid to turn on the TV in the morning to see what happened overnight.

Margaret, 73, N.J., white, Democrat, software engineer

I have a lot of concerns about the respect for the Constitution. I feel that as we go forward, the Constitution is going to be taken apart bit by bit, ignored, trampled on and no longer even used as the standards of government for this country. I’m afraid that the Republican and Democratic parties are just going to fall apart. I have big concerns that this country is just not going to survive the way we know it. And there’s nobody speaking up. Everybody’s quiet and letting things happen that are just absolutely outrageous. If they ever change to allow a president to run more than two terms, we’re in big trouble. Big trouble. So that’s my immediate concern.

Allen, 67, Wash., white, member of another party, retired

Something that’s come to my attention pretty recently is the effects of A.I. in society and how A.I. could become very, very powerful. It’s already eliminating jobs, but it could become something where humans will take a back seat to things that are done. And there are environmental consequences, too.

Sheila, 61, La., white, independent, retired

That Trump can be voted out.

Phil, 67, Ariz., white, Republican, retired

Everything’s got its pluses and minuses, but I can see that our advances in technology, improving on things like health, our well-being — there’s a lot of upside and potential job creation. Yes, it’s going to disrupt the job market, and it already is. But there are opportunities there as well for us in the long term. We just have to be good custodians of it and put the proper guardrails around this thing, because it could get out of hand.

Shirley, 62, N.Y., Black, independent, looking for work

I think we dismiss our younger generation, and I have hope for them, that despite all of the criticisms, I find that the young people that I speak with, they are passionate about justice. They’re passionate about opportunities and mental health and innovation and improving society. So I’m hopeful that the society, with their input and impact, would make it better than what it is now, and greater for them and their next generation.