One of the things I learned in recovery programs years ago is that when you’re drinking or smoking or doing any number of things to disassociate yourself from your present life you’re not able or willing to step out of the bar or get up off of the couch or turn away from your techno toys and do something.

A month or so ago I had an interesting phone conversation with Dr. Ron Glasser who is the best selling author of 365 days and Wounded: Vietnam to Iraq. Since his time serving as a medic during the Vietnam war, he has written books and spoken about what he has learned concerning the consequences of war from a medical perspective. Here’s an excerpt from his website:

“The Wounded Keep the Death Count Low The real “body count” of this war is not only our dead, but our wounded. The real risk to our troops is no longer the numbers of dead but the numbers ending up on orthopedic wards and neurosurgical units.”

I’m not sure how old Ron is, but my Dad was a pilot in Vietnam and he’s 77. Ron has been going at this for decades and he sounds tired and ready for someone to step up and grab the baton from him.

Likewise, in today’s American-Statesman there was a long article on Bill Moyers definite retirement from his show. One excerpt from this article jumped off the page at me:

“Moyers has devoted much of his life to the larger idea of an informed democracy. Yet he bows his head ever so slightly at the mention of Robert F. Kennedy’s intent, articulated in 1968, to have the major TV networks air a two-hour prime time documentary on American poverty if he were elected president. If the people knew, certainly we would act.” “I no longer believe that, by the way, he says softly. We have so much information. We know what’s wrong. The predicament is: We don’t do anything about it. That may be a factor in my decision to retire…..We’re saturated. There are more people who know than there are people who do. That’s a quandary I haven’t resolved yet. But it’s a fact.”

Bill Moyers is 77

These are just two examples of fathers of the Baby Boomer generation who have been working their butts off to help and inspire us in the world. I know, I know that many of us Baby Boomers have lost our jobs or been forced to retire early but I know that there are more than just a few of us who can step up to men (and women) like these, and take the baton to carry it forward.

What are you doing to make a difference in this world? Sitting on the bar stool and knocking down a few cold ones while waxing philosophical about what is wrong with the world or getting lost in the fog of from a bud and dreaming up another conspiracy plot is just not going to change things. For the past seven years, for example, I’ve been mentoring seven people who I speak with five times a week for fifteen minutes every morning. It may not seem like much, but it’s one little way that I can help others get on their feet and be a contributing member to the world.

Focus in on one person, place or thing that you can offer your own brand of help and guidance towards. Let’s acknowledge the people who have been blazing the trails before us and let them know that we appreciate the good works they have done and that we will take the load from here for them so that they will know their message has been received and heard.

It always comes back to you and us.