Don't Give Up On Us Baby...Boomers

As I grow older, watch my friends age, some not so gracefully, see my mother struggle with life's simpliest activities, it's easy to judge and be judged. It's easy for others to see us as "old people" and think we are not worthy of respect, admiration, or even basic courtesy. Younger groups, especially the Millennials, seem to have little or no regard for experience, seniority, knowledge accrued over years of learning the hard way. They look at our graying hair and not-so-toned bodies and think we are "has beens", irrelevant, out of touch. But what they don't see, can't know, is where we've been, what we've done and what we still have to offer, especially in the world of advertising where most of the money spent on services and products come from, guess which age group? The Baby Boomers. Gen Exers save their money, Millennials don't have any because they are strapped with student loans, so if you want to speak to the audience that actually buys things, you better have some folks on your team who know how to communicate with them. Or at all.

If I sound outraged, I kind of am. Recently I've seen several of my friends turned down for jobs that they are more than qualified for with no good reason or explanation. Their applications are impressive, resume's even better, they do awesome on their phone interviews because they actually know how to speak with people, not just text or email. Then the in-person interview comes and things go down hill. The hiring managers want young people on their roster with their fresh faces on their website profile. They can get them for cheap, but guess what folks, you get what you pay for. Look around your offices and see who's there after 5pm. And it's not because they are slower. It's because for the most part your Baby Boomers give a shit. They care about the work they are doing, the companies they represent, the products and services they are promoting. They care what others think of them, and that's a shame.

Recently I was doing a pro bono job with my firm (one that is brave and smart enough to hire a 50 plusser to head up their content division I might add). It was for a local government run food delivery program for seniors and shut ins. We were interviewing recipients of the program for a promotional video when I met Mr. Gibbs. Mr. Gibbs is a 75 year old shut-in who has experienced 5 strokes in the past 2 and a half years. He can no longer cook for himself due to dizziness. Walking is a challenge for him now. He lives on a very tight budget, under $1,000 a month. When we walked in he was in a recliner wearing shorts and a cotton shirt, excited for his interview and chance to introduce himself to the community. He wasn't embarrassed to admit he needed help and appreciated the food he was given. But mostly he wanted to tell us a story and share a secret.  His eyes were bright, his smile infectious. He had a story to tell and boy is it a doozy!

Behind the pale, tired eyes there was a vibrant brain, a creative genius. Mr. Gibbs told his story and chills popped up all over my body, and the 20 something camera guys and sound team with me got schooled. For nearly 30 years, Mr. Gibbs had been a sound engineer for the Charleston Symphony. He built his own sound studio in his home including making all of his own cables from pieces he bought at Radio Shack. This highly sophisticated set up did not include any computers, no software of any kind. Every piece was custom built to serve a very unique purpose. He even built the surround sound speakers that were located all around the sound room.

Nowadays he has to keep the electricity shut off in that part of his home because he can't afford to pay the utility bill, but he turned it on long enough to give us the thrill of a lifetime. In his perfectly adorned acoustic sound room, he played us a limited edition version of Hotel California mastered in Japan in the early 80s. I teared up it was so amazing. Watching Mr. Gibbs watch us as we listened to it made my day. He had a purpose again. He was important, again. He had a reason to get out of his chair, again.

You never know what someone has been through or what contribution they have made or still will make when you meet them. My plea to you all is to stop judging a book by it's cover. Embrace our differences and realize that Baby Boomers are still capable, vibrant people who bring a lot to the table. We were the first generation to get high, play hard rock, burn bras and have open, free-loving sex. We are funny, fun, smart, interesting contributors to society and we want to work our butts off even though a lot of us don't need the money. So the next time you are on an interview panel and someone from a different generation is sitting across the table, stop judging and just listen to what they have to say. You may be surprised at how much we have in common.