Not long ago I read an
article by Joseph B. White in The Wall Street Journal (October 28, 2009) called
“Dude, Where’s My Car?” The article had
some interesting observations about “boomer downsizing.” He talked about many adjustments but giving
up his car seemed to bother him the most.
Downsizing is a topic
frequently associated with seniors as they consider leaving the ancestral home
when the family unit shrinks to one or two people. Whether you do this because you want to
embrace the “green” movement or because you no longer want the up-keep
associated with a multi-level home is a personal revelation, but it isn’t
always as easy as one might suppose.
The author described his
move from the suburbs back into the city.
His motivation was in making a “green” contribution, by moving back to
the city and giving up his car. The author described himself as “A Third Life
Boomer,” who had become dedicated to leaving less of a carbon foot print by
driving less and walking more. For him,
giving up his car was a personal choice but for a senior it might be a bit more
heart wrenching. He touched on the challenges associated with commuting and with
everyday activities such as grocery shopping without a car. While the store might be within walking
distance of your home, there is only so much that you can carry at one
time. As you change your routines you
will undoubtedly notice that life without a car takes a lot more planning.
People are being encouraged
to leave the suburbs and move back to the city.
Hopefully this ties in with cutting expenses while making it easier to
remain in the thick of things, instead of vegetating in the country. It was predicted and baby boomers were
encouraged to opt for easier to manage housing, but the hope that consumers
would follow this trend has been put on hold as the housing bust has led many
people who might have downsized stay put. Still, many boomers and older seniors
are considering moves back into the city to accommodate their needs and to take
advantage of what urban communities have to offer.
The serene vision of people who have
de-cluttered their lives in order to make these moves doesn’t take into
consideration the difficulty of reaching that state. He concluded that someday millions of boomers
may very well want to compact their lives and move into small elegant lofts,
but first they will have to tackle the clutter.
In the foreseeable future the only ones making a killing will be the
businesses that rent the trucks that offer to haul away all of your junk.
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