The “Love Boom” is a verb phrase. It’s a call to action for Baby Boomers to reclaim their roots of Flower Power, Peace and Love.  It’s an opportunity to bring in the energy of our youth to reconfigure our golden years so that we can bring new meaning to becoming older in a youth possessed culture.  It can also mean having a helluva good time while we’re at it!

The Baby Boomer generation began with the slew of babies being born after World War II in 1946 and continued through to the creation of the birth control pill in 1964.  Today (2008) this would make the oldest boomers at 62 years of age and the youngest boomers at 44.  When the Peace, Love and Flower Power days of the sixties were happening, the oldest boomers of today were in their teens and twenties and the younger boomers were just being born or riding their imaginary stick horses in the fields. Because I’m a late boomer (born in 58) I was too young to participate in dropping acid and protesting the Viet Nam war but I was old enough to hear the difference in the music within a few years (The Beatles, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” to Jimi Hendrix’ “Soul Experience”).  I could feel the energy (or the “vibe” as it was called back then) of the times.  The love of change and imagination were definitely the call to order for the day.

Then, as the seventies took hold many of the peace loving hippies began to rub their eyes and believe that what they really needed to do now was to join in to our mad cap culture and make a difference by becoming an enemy within the system.  Some survived (authors, journalists, actors, screen writers, scientists) and some accidentally on purpose became the very enemy that they so eschewed.

Today my biggest hope is that as the Baby Boomers come of age and begin to contemplate retirement they will begin to “wake up” to who they’ve always been and once again decide to create a movement for change and the use of our imagination.

On Friday, a group of friends (many in their fifties and one who had just turned sixty) gathered at one of Austin’s busiest intersections during rush hour traffic to celebrate my fiftieth birthday by ushering in the LOVE BOOM and passing on the love.  We handed out flowers (tulips, carnations, roses) and affirmations (“You have everything inside of you right now to help you to do what you’ve always wanted to do”) and chocolates. One friend even brought Winnie the Pooh and Tigger toys to hand out, another brought small bottle of bubbles.  Still another friend created a beautiful poster about FREE LOVE and handed out self-made love tokens.  She looked like Forest Gump’s “Jenny” as she ran along the stopped cars on the street with her Free Love sign in hand and her blonde hair flowing.

The reaction we got from the commuters and pedestrians was interesting.  Some were very grateful and immediately got into the groove of what we were all about, some were afraid of who they thought we might be (fifty year old broads for Jesus?) and would not even make eye contact, all were amazed that people were handing out free goodies wanting nothing in return but to pass on the love.  The crowning glory of our time was when a group of bikers calling themselves “Critical Mass” (http://critical-mass.info/) came rolling up the street.  The group of bikers were loud and raucous and fun and totally got into what we were doing (re-setting how people view old age) as they clamored over to our side of the street to receive free flowers, toys, love tokens and chocolates.  It further ingrained my belief that those boomers willing to break loose from the norm and be themselves will totally get and be gotten by the younger generation and vice e versa.  Most of the positive response we received during our Love Boom give-a-way was either from other boomers or Generation X, Y and Me-ers.

The good news about becoming fifty is that I’m willing to follow through with inspirations like the Love Boom that I was always too insecure about or worried what others would think. Today I still care what others think, but passing on the love inside of me is greater than the need to be accepted by others.

The Love Boom can be experienced and given by anyone of any age.  The important thing is to let it begin with you. Have fun.  Discover that magical place within you and pass on the love.  Let’s bring new meaning to “The Golden Age” and let the LOVE BOOM begin!!!