Nothing Earthshaking

 In Los Angeles County, the Covid-19 numbers continue to be low. The same is true of most of the remainder of the United States. After 6.8 million deaths worldwide, over 1.1 million of them in the United States, everyone is jubilant at saying “About time!”. This doesn’t mean the pandemic is over but that a highly vaccinated population can feel better about returning to activities that were hampered for 3 years. We wear masks in settings where there are many people and ventilation is uncertain but have eaten out and traveled feeling freer than we had in ages.

I came across an unusual website today after I read articles about Social Security and long-term care for aging baby boomers. As a member of the largest generation in American history, this baby boomer was fascinated to stumble upon the Real-Time US Baby Boomer Generation population Death Clock. A bit morbid, but our generation has had an immense impact (bad and good) on the United States. Over 68% of us remain alive but our aging numbers are decreasing with over 5500 deaths today or one every 15.6 seconds. Even so, with long lifespans that (hopefully) will again start to go upward, our extinction date could be as late as 2086. 

The impact of the Baby Boomers will be significant and persistent in the United States. It won’t be all bad. I went to medical school to help people and to be involved in an intellectually stimulating activity. I think I succeeded as did my closest friends from Temple. I was honored to serve my country. When the time comes to join the Celestial Design Committee, I will have those satisfactions. We will allow history to write the epitaph of the boomers.