Do you remember the times of your life?

Boomers want to tell their story and song lyrics can help you do this as will writing down the answers to the questions given below, which arose when I was listening to a song from Paul Anka called Do you remember the times of your life? I am sure you will generate more questions than I have given you here  that will lead to more stories for your grandchildren and your children.


For those who keep diaries, the stories are all ready written for your children to read—they will understand you more and because of that understanding honour you more when you are gone.
(Speaking from one who was given the opportunity to read my mother’s diary when she left us, I know this is true). 


For those who are diary writers here are some questions to answer, so your story can live on, when you leave us.

Paul Anka wrote a song with the following lyrics called Do you remember the times of your life

Good morning, yesterday
You wake up and time has slipped away
And suddenly it's hard to find
The memories you left behind
Remember, do you remember
The laughter and the tears
The shadows of misty yesteryears
The good times and the bad you have seen
And all the others in between


Remember, do you remember
The times of your life (do you remember)
Reach back for the joy and the sorrow
Put them away in your mind

The memories are time that you borrow

To spend when you get to tomorrow
Here comes the saddest part
The seasons are passing one by one
So gather moments while you may
Collect the dreams you dream today


Remember, will you remember
The times of your life
Gather moments while you may
Collect the dreams you dream today
Remember, will you remember
The times of your life
Of your life
Of your life
Do you remember, baby
Do you remember the times of your life?


Questions to help you tell your story:
Do you remember:

• Your first day of school
• Your first crush
• Saturday morning television---shows such as Rin Tin Tin, or Roy Rogers.
• Early TV shows such as I love Lucy, The Untouchables, Biography, with Mike Wallace, Perry Mason
• Where you were when the Beatles were on The Ed Sullivan Show
• Your first rock concert
• Where you were when Woodstock was on
• About your first elementary school, Junior High, High School
• The community where you grew up
• Your friends from these classes
• Why you selected the college you went too
• If college was amongst your happiest times
• The person in college that you thought was the one
• Your first date with the person you married or that led to the beginning of a long-term relationship

What do you talk about with your friends

When I am talking with my friends and others who are in my generation, there are a number of topics that reoccur. I am not sure if there is any research into this area (I am sure there is somewhere) and I am sure the research would prioritize these items so that I would know what others my age believed were important.


However, no matter what the research may say, what is important for me is the frequency that these items come up in conversation. So I suspect these are of importance to all Boomers (Sonic or Zoomer). The topics we discuss are, in order of frequency, for me and my friends:

• Family
• Financial Security
• Future Quality of Life-- What does retirement look like for me, where will I live, will I have enough money, what it is like to redefine myself and think of myself as a retiree
• Travel
• Staying Active
• Maintaining meaningful friendships
• Reflections on life and the need to or the lack of ability or ability to tell one’s own story
• Generational responsibility—taking care of elderly parents while dealing with one’s children

“Women and Alzheimer's disease: The Caregiver's Crisis

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• More than half of caregivers had to adjust their work schedules to accommodate caregiving and 39 percent passed up a promotion.
• 55 percent of caregivers are not saving for retirement.
• 65 percent of caregivers have not had a vacation in the past year.

As we learned from The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s, these competing priorities have severe consequences on a woman’s financial, emotional and physical health. Heather Snyder, Ph.D., senior associate director, Medical and Scientific Relations, Alzheimer’s Association, said, “We cannot think of Alzheimer’s as a disease on one person. Every area of a caregiver’s life is affected: her job, her relationships, her children and even her own health.”

The survey results reveal that 49 percent of current caregivers feel overwhelmed. The Alzheimer's Association provides information, support and resources to caregivers in need. Visitors to the new Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregiver Center can access:

Practical caregiving tips for every stage of the disease.

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Thoughts on the aging work force

A few months ago I was asked by one of my students how old I was and when I told her, she said you must be the oldest teacher at this school. 


I laughed and said I probably was but I still loved teaching and getting up and going to work. The next day as I was driving to work I heard the radio announcer asked "Do employers discriminate against older workers? As I was driving to work and I thought the answer is obvious to me. 


Of course they do. I cannot speak for all employers but I will speak about my experiences in education, teaching in the largest school district in BC.


The District refused from about 2002 to about 2006 give or take a few months to hire older teachers who had retired, back as Teachers on Call until the union grieved the policy as age discrimination. So for a short time after the ruling and the need for qualified Teachers on Call in areas such as Science, Math, Computers, Learning Support and English as Second Language, the district hired a few retired teachers. 


From what I understand, this change of policy by the district lasted about two years and then the freeze on hiring older workers went back into effect, the district does not discriminate, they do other things like ignoring applications by older workers, or they find other ways of discouraging older workers from working


This is part of a trend started in the US with the removal of Tenure for teachers.  "Tenure protections were created in the early 20th century to protect teachers from arbitrary or discriminatory firings based on factors such as gender, nationality or political beliefs by spelling out rules under which they could be dismissed after a probationary period. The changes are occurring as states replace virtually automatic "satisfactory" teacher evaluations with those linked to teacher performance and base teacher layoffs on performance instead of seniority. Politically powerful teachers' unions are fighting back, arguing the changes lower morale, deny teachers due process, and unfairly target older teachers". (Source: USA Today)


The prevailing attitude in my district of administrators to older teachers appears to be"These people  are over the hill." Most of the Administrator in my district, I think, believe that younger teachers have more energy, work harder, and contribute more to their schools than older workers.  


Given the choice between an older and a younger worker, with equal qualifications the administrator would hire the younger teacher. One of the reasons is that younger teachers are more willing to do what they are told to do without queston, older teachers will question the administrators decisions.


The employer along with the government, in its latest round of bargaining is trying to strip the union of the right for teachers to be considered for transfer based on seniority, and the removal of tenure for teachers. This position is put forward because of the attitude of the admin that older teachers are not worth having on staff.


Rather than embrace the experience of the older worker, senior management and administrators in my district, at least discount and devalue their older workers.


As I have left the profession, I am sad for my colleagues who are in their late forty's and early 50's who will be coming up against the age discrimination that exists in education--at least in my district.


I suspect that the attitude of our senior management and our administrators is one shared by most employers in BC not just in education. The fact is that many older workers face challenges in staying at work, and if they are not working, they face many challenges in overcoming challenges of attitude many employers have. 


The Boomers have never shied away from fighting discrimination and bigotry, and I suspect the battle to end age discrimination will be hard fought. There are many other battles that will have to be refought, at least in Canada. With our current government, the social progress we have made over the years are being slowly dismantled as Harper tries to turn Canada back to the 40's.