| There is a lot to be said for the new crop of | | | | battery banks. Conservation and personal |
| environmental-friendly, retiring Baby Boomers that are | | | | independence rank high. |
| refusing the canned retirement solutions that are out | | | | In addition, unique designs for homes that circumvent |
| there aplenty. Many have had to live in the cities that | | | | the need for central heating and air conditioning are |
| created their employment...complete with smog and | | | | coming to the fore. The strawbale house is a wonder |
| crime. Years have gone by, the kids have been | | | | in temperature economy. Thick walls of dry bales of |
| protected as much as possible in gated communities | | | | straw are covered with a "skin". The one I recently |
| and the day has finally dawned when it's time to take | | | | viewed was plastered with a mixture of adobe mud |
| a look at "what's next." | | | | and cement. Contractors and architects are getting on |
| The idea of travel that so held the attention of their | | | | the bandwagon as this trend spreads. Books and |
| elders has less appeal to our Baby Boomers. Cruise | | | | seminars on strawbale building are under heavy |
| ship horror stories and the risks that have become | | | | demand. |
| part of RVing have taken the shine off of what their | | | | And then there are the Earth Ships. These are |
| parents were satisfied with. Also, many have traveled | | | | energy-efficient homes dug into hillsides and |
| extensively in their work and have added expensive | | | | constructed with great care to offer shelter without |
| vacations to far away places with strange sounding | | | | messing with the environment. The one I visited looked |
| names to the mix. | | | | amazingly cozy. |
| Freedom doesn't even have the draw that it had for | | | | Our Baby Boomers want a new kind of challenge and |
| earlier generations. Many Baby Boomers have been | | | | most of them are extending it into organic gardening, |
| connected with web-oriented businesses and have | | | | another science that offers them simplicity and |
| been able to work at home some of the time, following | | | | increased wellness. They want to grow what they eat |
| their own pace. This usually meant longer hours for | | | | to a great extent. There's usually plenty of room to do |
| most of them, but more personal freedom was | | | | this because they buy acreage not a lot. This |
| involved. | | | | movement toward healthy living isn't carefree but |
| As a result this new breed wants to get the heck out | | | | that's not what most of them are about. They are |
| of Dodge and do some kind of physical work. That's | | | | willing to work long and hard. |
| right, they don't want to be taken care of or sit around | | | | You will find, in their strange residences, battery-run, lap |
| the campfire, they want to address the challenges that | | | | top computers! After all, email, like life, must go on! |
| correspond with their ideals. | | | | Boomers are making sure that the things that matter |
| Peace and quiet rate high on many Baby Boomers' | | | | to them are included. It's never been about denial. For |
| lists of priorities. Living more simply calls to them. "Off | | | | lack of a better description, I would call their evolving |
| the grid" was not a phrase most of us were familiar | | | | ethic "creating a challenging simplicity." |
| with even ten years ago. If we had heard it, it would | | | | If you get a chance to read up on this movement and |
| have been with fear and loathing that we would have | | | | or have an opportunity to visit someone who is |
| considered living without being connected to a reliable | | | | immersed in it, don't pass it up. Rome is being rebuilt, |
| power source. However, these up and coming retirees | | | | yet again. |
| are often extremely interested in solar panels and | | | | |