My, How Things Have Changed

Know what I was told in college, way back in the 90's?  "You basically won't have a career.  You will just have to get in line in the cesspool at the bottom and wait it out."

Wait what out, you ask?  The world's supply of hairspray? Our incredible sense of fashion? 

No.... the dying off of the Baby Boomers. 

Yes, you read that right.  My generation was told we had to wait for our parents (or grandparents) to die before having any career success.  You see, it was expected that many then middle-aged boomers had achieved an impressive level of career success- and wouldn't be giving up their spots any time soon.

Add that to the influx of women into the workforce and the increasing life expectancy - and us Gen X'ers were, well "ass out" of any chance of a traditional climb up the proverbial corporate ladder. 

Yep.  My sociology and humanities instructors warned us to either get used to low and middle-management, at best, or enter the retirement home or funeral industries in preparation of the death boom.

Harsh but true.  And the world was expecting it.  We were expecting A LOT OF PEOPLE TO DIE in a relatively short amount of time.  I guess more than hair styles have changed since then.  

Ok, stop. It's Hammer Time.

In a non-emotional, statistical, biological way, it makes sense.  There was a "boom" of babies during the years 1946-1964.  The average human life span in America is 78 (in 2020).  In 2000, it was 76.  Split the difference and call it 77 years. That might not be the scientific method to calculate the life expectancy of boomers, but it will do for today's lesson.  That puts the boom of death roughly between 2023 - 2041.  (Reminder, it's now 2020.)

Now, factor in the American mid-life disease issue due to sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits, and you have a potential for an earlier start of the death boom.  Earlier by three years?  Yeah.

Cause for mass hysteria? Only if you don't know history. Only if you forgot we were warned about this 20 and 30 years ago. Only if you don't know the average death rate in any given year.  Or math.

Conspiracy theory?!?!?!  Hmmm, maybe.  More likely, critical thinking. Pondering.  Researching.  And math.

Let's just say human life expectancy + a large portion of the population reaching natural end-of-life age + increasing rates of heart disease and other medical conditions + where did all the yearly flu cases go + media hype, equals something. 

But, what?

Think for yourselves, friends.- M