BOOMER DREAM: I WISH I KNEW WHAT I KNOW NOW WHEN I WAS YOUNGER

A boomer dream sung by Rod?

Poor old grand-dad
I laughed at all his words
I thought he was a bitter man
He spoke of women’s ways
They’ll trap you, then they use you
And before you even know
For love is blind and you’re far too kind
Don’t ever let it show

I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was younger
I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was stronger

 

What I know is I like Rod Stewart’s take: he wished he knew what he knows now when he was younger and stronger.

I don’t know what he’s talking about, but my boomer dream is simple:

My kids never understood why I told them they’d grow up my only two children, their mother the only wife.

Not three wives and eight kids like Rod, but then again I’m a boring dud of a man, not an international rock star.

Every guy from every generation needs to know when to calm the hell down and pay attention to what’s in front of them when it comes to relationships and family planning.

Young guys, strong guys, can dive into the pool and swim out.

But relationships are not a swimming pool full of ladies just waiting for a chance to bring you a towel.

Every woman you ever dated, talked to for more than an hour, or didn’t hold the door for, will remember you.

I’ve been remembered badly, but what did I do? (Hey Debbie)

If your mother, or grandmother, aunt, or sister, didn’t help you learn how to behave yourself, you may have left bad memories too.

My kids heard me say they won’t have someone knock at the door and tell them their new brother, new sister, new momma, and came back with, “What are you even saying?”

I’m not certain, but I think I wanted them to give me credit for common sense.

I have a small footprint of two kids, not seven, not Shawn Kemp.

 

Heads Up For GenZ Getting Smarter

The boomer dream of education started at $200 a term at a state school in 1973.

In boomer math that adds up to $600 a year for tuition for fall term, winter term, and spring term.

Unless it’s a semester schedule.

Then it’s still not $45K a year.

Now you’re thinking about student loans? Me too.

Student loans remind me of the home loans people took out in 2006-2007.

Back then president George Bush encouraged normal people to take out loans, take a vacation, but a motor home, buy a second home, a rental.

Then, after taking advice from a rich boy with nothing at risk, came the crash of 2008.

Right or wrong, when the note comes due, put the money on the table.

What’s been news is the smart guys in banks pushed sub-prime home loans on confused borrowers.

“You’d be a fool not to take this loan. It’s free money.”

“Ah ain’t no fool. Where do I sign?”

Bigger news? A decade later banks delivered school loans to confused parents and students.

“You’d be a fool and doing your children’s future a disservice if you don’t take the loan.”

“Let’s do it for the kids.”

That’s the boomer dream, doing it for the kids.

 

The Learning Curve

If you’ve never accidentally eaten raw chicken and spent the night hugging the toilet and hoping for a less painful death than heaving your entire stomach up, then take note: it’s awful.

You’ll have a stomach ache for a week once you come around, and you will survive. Probably.

Now you know. Millennials know this because their over-nanny parents helicoptered it into them.

 

But let’s get back to education: if you bought a degree, if you went through the process, jumped through the hoops, find a way to use it.

Maybe it’s only my boomer dream, but what’s wrong with finding new ways to family security.

For example, if boomerpdx pulled $30K a month I’d hire my kid as a research assistant.

 

The term “blogger” makes people think of hobby bloggers and people that write on the internet for fun. You know, something that they do in their spare time. They don’t think of it as a job or that you can make real money blogging.

To strangers, blogging sounds like a hobby. To friends and family, it sounds like unemployment.

Some of the most profitable blogging categories include:

• Making money

• Spending money

• Saving money

• Investing money

 

I’m reading between the lines here and thinking ‘monetized blog = money blog.’

And here I am writing a General Studies blog instead of specializing in money.

I’m willing this into a $25K post with thoughts and prayers.

Join in by pledging money in comments.

 

My Short Sighted Boomer Dream

My wife recently asked me why I’m encouraging writing, writing, and more writing.

My answer: If you can’t write, don’t write, then who are you?

How will anyone know about you?

So write, write, and write some more.

That’s when people know who you are, and you learn the hard truth:

You don’t matter enough for the time of day. Yet.

But if you don’t try, if you don’t find the will, the confidence, to stare unblinking into the darkness like you’re looking for a new star, a comet, or an airplane on their landing path, you’ll never matter in a way that matters to you.

You’ll never make the Top Earning Blogger list, the most popular list, the must read list, but you’ll be a writer.

Yes, I’m saying you’ve still got a chance.

Take a look at your neighborhood and find a topic.

It could be anything you can roll 850 words with.

The only topic you can’t take is David Gillaspie.

I’ve got that one covered.

What’s your boomer dream, your GenX dream, your millennial dream, your GenZ dream, your Alpha Gen dream.

Take what you know and use it.

Start with leaving a comment, a question, and I’ll fire back.

Thanks for reading.

Keep your money. For now.

Donation button on the way as per request, with a limit of $10,000 for first timers.

Let’s Goooooooooo!