Member-only story
Hey Boomer: It’s Time To Grow Up
The other day I headed out on my bi-weekly trip to the store. I’m continually surprised at the lack of attention people are paying to the current situation.
Or, at least, the lack of attention certain people are paying to the current situation.
There are still groups of people turning store visits into family outings.
There are others still not wearing masks, despite the federal government saying everyone should.
And there are others who are not abiding by the six-foot rule.
But the thing that struck me wasn’t the grocery list of mistakes people were making. It was the people making them.
Boomers.
Sure, there were younger people without masks, or a mom and her kid in the shopping cart. But by and large, the demographic tossing caution and care to the wind was the one most at risk.
According to the CDC, 97% of those who have died from COVID-19 are ages 45 and older. 91% of the deaths are ages 55 and older. Despite this, only 45 percent of baby boomers said they were afraid of getting the virus, while 63 percent of the younger generations (millennials and Gen Z) said they were afraid.
If the older generation wants to take their lives in their hands, that’s their prerogative, but there is…
