A FLASH VIEW OF AN AMAZING SPAN OF TIME

Dear Friends:

Boomers, one and all! The description and download which follow were forwarded to me, and I wanted to share them with all of you. Besides...If I didn't, Elaine Ingis would chastise me (and I just cannot stand chastisement, especially from Elaine). Enjoy this:

Whether you are a Billy Joel fan or not, you probably remember his great song, "We Didn't Start the Fire."Here it is, set to pictures.... very, very cool. Had to share this one. It's a neat flashback through the past half century. Turn up volume, sit back and enjoy a review of 50 years of history in less than 3 minutes! Thanks to Billy Joel and some guy from the University of Chicago with a lot of spare time. Top left gives you full screen....top right lets you pause. Bottom left shows the year. The older you are, the more pictures you will recognize. Anyone over age 65 should remember over 90% of what they see. But it's great at any age.

http://yeli.us/Flash/Fire..html

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle,

One of Elaine's Growing Following of Loyalists

AN OPEN DOOR TO ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

Dear Friends:

I could quote a litany of reasons why 60+ Baby Boomers should network, most, if not all, based on negative forces currently taking control of our universe. I could recite financial, social, family, health and fitness, employment, retirement, etc. etc, etc. reasons to stay involved. I can regurgitate what you know to be true – “60 is the new 40”, etc. etc. but I am sure you’ve heard it all before. I will not waste my cyber waves with “been there done that” platitudes. We have all lived long enough to see through that. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I will do through SrMeetup.com and through my blog postings (right here!) is to be as up-to-date / true-to-ourselves and, therefore, honest-as-the-day-is-long (depending on the month) yadayadayada to remind us each and every day that we still have or should have wish lists, dreams --- that our lives are filled with endless possibilities. Becoming part of our SrMeetup community is just like your first day of school or the first day at a new job or the day after your wedding or the birth of your first grandchild – a future filled with endless possibilities.

So some of you may say, “Heck, how do you do that?” or perhaps question my capabilities a bit more strongly –expletives are always welcome-- ... Although I am a creative giant having said it first, it is really quite fundamental… you simply talk to people. Years ago we used the word “support” when we referred to our neighbors and friends who helped with the kids while both parents worked - driving to and from every activity made available. Heaven forbid our child would be scarred forever if not included. I was a “soccer mom” before Sara ever coined the phrase. We talked to everyone we knew to try and get a foot in the door for a new position, a new career opportunity, a good doctor, a totally different creative gardener (just how many ways are there to plant a tree?). We sought out referrals for plumbers, caregivers, restaurants, new diets that will keep us looking and feeling like 40 yrs old (which now must be closer to 20). We hunted for a good book to read on vacation or a good vacation place to read a favorite author. We’ve been networking all our lives even when we were not aware.
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Today, through SrMeetup, we will make new friends, find new business opportunities or careers, feel valued by helping others benefit by our professional and personal experiences, meet people who laugh at the same jokes, sigh deeply about the simple days of Donna Reed or Leave it to Beaver, boogie to our favorite tunes, compare the good old days of Viet Nam to the Gulf Wars, (sarcasm), inflation, financial successes. We get it – we know what we need to do and we are more than able to do it – we just need to talk to people with similar experiences, goals and challenges. We need to continue doing what we’ve done all our lives – we need to continue to network.

We have always had something to say and we’ve said it - we have always made a difference – good and some less than good differences. We can still make a huge difference – “. . . nobody puts Baby (Boomers) in a corner!” (I paraphrase from Dirty Dancing)
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I’ve always told my kids that there are just so many life experiences out there. Everyone has encountered great joys, sadness, successes and failures, tragedies and losses - hopes on the rise and not all too subtle declines. We have all lived through a lifetime of similarities. What make us unique are not the experiences, but how we handle them. SrMeetup is your community, your thoughts, your way of handling today’s experiences in your unique way. SrMeetup is a fulfillment of your 21st century needs coupled with great laughter and new friendships and gratifying interests. Together, we will reinforce the power of choices through networking, relationship-building, genuine cooperation and the spirit of friendship.

Thanks for coming by. The door will always be open.

Yours,

Elaine Ingis