Futurecast

Being young and in love we all stumbled about in our relationships, dinging each other's armor and reopening wounds. If we knew what a tumbling we were about to take from life we probably would have been less resolute about winning small battles. We would have saved our ammo for the big stuff. Small slights and minor misunderstandings might now have ballooned into catastrophes if we anticipated the many curve balls life would toss our way. Young couples rarely imagine a world that does not focus on their needs. They waste precious time upset over things that if remembered at all, transform into faded memories, like Victorian lace draped over the reflection of a long marriage. The latest statistics show that marriages are in decline. What long term impact could that have?

Our nation is reshuffling its priorities. Social security, the societal safety net is up for debate, the family home is no longer the safest of investments, the stock market is a bucking bronco, and marriage has lost its preeminence as the emotional sanctuary. How will women who are ready to begin a family look forward to pregnancy if they are unsure of their partner and there is no permanence to the relationship? The loss of physical and emotional protection when females allow themselves to become vulnerable and dependent (as when caring for a family) requires stability.  Without a solid partner, there is the flip side: Life as a single parent filled with stress. Raising children alone is likely to trap a woman in poverty, contribute to poor health and increase absenteeism at work. On the other hand, studies have shown that men's health and longevity is bolstered by a stable, loving family life. Societies thrive when their basic institutions remain stable and reliable.


Update:  For another take on the relationship between families having children and housing market conditions follow this link to a piece by Jim Tankersley of The National Journal.

Baby Boomers with unmarried adult children report that they are overhearing bits and bytes of conversations indicating that marriage and traditional family life is seen as less likely a possibility by young people. The cost of replicating the benefits we gave our children strain the imagination of a working couple today. Our thirty-something children are trying to plan the future from under umbrellas rained on by continuous uncertainty. Washington's indecisiveness has contributed to an atmosphere of post-crisis insecurity with negative implications for the economy.

Aren't we missing the opportunity to engage talented, newly retired Baby Boomers as volunteers, individuals who know how to find resources and provide encouragement?  They could participate in their own communities on an as-needed, drop-in basis at local community facilities. Seasoned adults recognize the value of direct, personalized support, they understand that people need to talk about their disappointments before they focus in the next step, they know how to find jobs in the least likely places, they have contacts still working, they've negotiated parenting issues, and have worked through their own financial problems. Retired Baby Boomers come equipped with real world experience bolstered by compassion for those who are struggling to get back to work.

Meanwhile, Americans in their sixties, many of whom suffered a loss of value in their refinanced houses are wondering if they will get much equity when they sell their small business, or in the case of long term employees, their promised pensions. Sadly, governors, mayors and many business owners can't reassure them. Many of those pensions have gone underfunded or are in investments that have lost value.

Twenty and thirty-somethings carry debt obligations which make them less eager to start a family or consider a mortgage. Communities need stability and a reliable tax base to support schools and infrastructure. Young workers could be trapped for years paying off car and school loans while struggling to meet their basic living expenses. If they are unable to accumulate any savings, and no longer see any job security, how can they save enough to prepare for old age?

Families are changing, society is undergoing renovation, the climate is unpredictable and the economy is has not yet recovered...Ironically, a good time to be surrounded by family.