Boomer Years & Regrets

SidLinx
Sep 24
3 min read

“I could have been a writer.” Boomer Generation

“I could have been a ….” Fill in the blank to whatever you regret not becoming. Boomers are at an age in years, where looking back is longer than what is ahead. If I look back at my life choices as a young adult, I should have trained as a teacher, specializing in English. For me, a Boomer, it is a regret.

Boomer

Boomer is short for the original term, Baby Boomer. It typically applies to babies born between 1946 and 1964, the period after the end of World War II. The Boomer era is known for a population surge. This generation experienced the Cold War, the space race, the civil rights movement, and the rising popularity of television. In the 1960s and 1970s, the period I grew up in, it was a time of important political and social behavior.

Toward the end of the 1960s I was a young boy moving into my teenage years. These were the hippie years, the time of flower power, of peace and love, of Woodstock. I was never a hippie, I never marched with flowers in my hair, or shouted “make love, not war.” I saw the Vietnam War play out and the protests against it, including its end, all on television. I was a spectator, seeing but not understanding the geopolitical influences.

Regrets

I was inspired to write as a Boomer who has regrets by an article I read, written by Avery White, Sep 22, 2025, by Franetic, a marketing and digital transformation agency. It explores recurring themes of regret among boomers, focusing on missed connections, fear-driven decisions, and the emotional cost of not prioritizing your health.

Missed Connections - Not Spending Enough Time with Loved Ones

Due to my marriage failing after 15 years, my children were still young, from a toddler through to teenagers. For 10 to 20 years my influence was negligible. My regret is not going to court to formalize the separation and establish legal visiting rights. Informally I was never denied access to my children but emotionally it was an exceedingly difficult situation.

One way or another I stayed in contact with all my children, even when they moved to another country. Today I am happy to say I have a particularly good connection with all my children.

Fear Driven Decisions Holding You back!

I’m a risk taker in business and for a time in my social life. I no longer take risks in my social life. As a Boomer in my 70s, I still pursue business opportunities. I’ve had many opportunities over the years, thinking back I did not turn any of them down. In hindsight there are some I should have avoided. None gave me even one dollar toward my retirement years. In business, I have no regrets, I had no fear, only optimism.

Cost of Not Prioritizing Health.

My passion is golf, I’m grateful for the movement this passion gives me almost daily. If I’m not on the golf course, I’m at the driving range. For years before I turned 70, I exercised and stretched mostly 5 days a week. After turning 70, I cut the exercise down to 3 times weekly. In my 70s motivation to exercise is reduced by at least 50%. I now count a visit to the driving range as exercise – something I would never record it to be in pre-70s years. I have never smoked or indulged in alcohol; thanks to my mum and the spiritual values she instilled in me.

Covid and cancer have been part of my health journey as it has for many others. All of us who have survived both of these health scares, are grateful for the added years we have.