creativeoptions.com

Seniors are finally gaining recognition on the net.

Talk of the economy is everywhere. It’s a major focus of the elections. It’s at the top of everyone’s head - especially those who have lost jobs - or are afraid they might lose their jobs. It’s a major concern for those who have lost homes and are very much concerned about how they’re going to get their children through college. And, it’s a sore spot for seniors who are desperately trying to survive.

The common thread that runs through too much of the talk is, "Someone’s got to do something!!!"

Well, that’s true. But, who, I ask, can do that "something" better than you and me? There’s so much work out there that we will never get it all done - not if we want to rectify all the troubles that beset us.

Why isn’t it getting done? What’s it going to take for us to get past all the negativity, pointing fingers and "can’t" thinking? Every single person has the potential to make a difference. It doesn’t matter if they’re yellow, orange or purple. It doesn’ t matter if they can only walk on their hands or peel onions. It doesn’t matter if they smile pretty and have perfect teeth. And it doesn’t matter if they know how to work on a PC  rather than a MAC. This old world needs every one of us.

it’s time to start thinking creatively. For those who don’t understand what creative solutions are, I share the following link: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~zeigleem/potatoes.htm I couldn’t have come up with a better example.

We have some serious challenges facing us right now (I think we can all agree on that). It’s true, right now, many are feeling impotent. But, for every challenge there is at least one solution. Usually there are many solutions, each when added up can make a significant difference. We can find those solutions when we start thinking creatively. The solutions may not be obvious and they may not be what we expect. That doesn’t matter.  What does matter is: Can we finally start thinking creatively and allowing everyone to contribute?

Yup, the media and the government are finally figuring out - and admitting - that things aren’t quite as rosy as they’ve been telling us for the last couple years.  Well, duh! Any one of the countless seniors trying to get by on a fixed incomes could have told us that a long time ago. We’ve been there before. And, thank goodness, we have the skills to muddle through whie the pols figure out how to fix the messes they’ve made.

I’m hearing rumblings from businesses, that, finally, the sleeping giants are beginning to awaken. They’re beginning to get pretty concerned about what they’re going to do with all those desks the boomers will be leaving behind now that they’re going on SSI. They are looking around and wondering where all the talent has gone. They are starting to think that maybe there’s value in hiring older, more experienced workers. Even the Peace Corps plans to increase the numbers of senior volunteers for their programs. 

Seniors bring a unique balance to the workforce. But the transition back to productive employment for seniors is still not going to be as smooth as we’d hope.

We need to prove that we are able, and willing, to contribute to creating a better business climate. We need to prove that we’re teachable. We’ll may even have to work for minimum wage to prove our worth. There’s a lot of false perceptions out there about what it means to be a senior. But, heck, we can do that if we have to, right?

We need to be techno-savvy. That’s easy. Many of us are leading the way on the internet. Many of us do have computer skills that will match those of many younger workers. Check out  The Ageless Project for starters. Those of us who don’t yet have the skills are taking advantage of all the opportunities to learn both online and off. 

We need to prove that we are capable of using our considerable problem solving and life skills to contribute to the "bottom line’ without damaging the tender sensibilities of our younger supervisors.

We can do it.

Right now, it’s up to those of us 60s, 70s, 80s who’ve "been there/done that" to be the pioneers. We can’t wait for the babyboomers to do their thing.

Sure, times are tough…and it looks like they’re going to get a lot tougher. That’s ok. We know what it takes. All we need to do is believe that working together, we are a power to be reconned with.  So, let’s get going….lLet’s show the world we’re proud of our generation.