Riding Off into the Sunrise, Yes the Sunrise!

One of the great metaphors of retirement is known as quotriding off into the sunsetquot To mean that after a long and successful life you39re finally at a point where you can move away from your toil in the direction of a more beautiful and serene setting We can all see it in our minds the joy of a longawaited retirement and the anticipation of endless pleasure rest and relaxation What a pleasant thought but not if you39re part of today39s generation of quotretirement agequot people Instead of moving away from work and responsibility they39re moving towards it shunning retirement for the active engagement and activity that makes them feel ageless The boomers are defying the clichamp233s of aging with vigor and setting a new direction for retirement They are riding off into the sunrise and the dawn of a new day of defying the stereotypes of agingIf you39re a boomer you grew up enjoying one of the most popular film genres of the 20th century the American Western Westerns were rife with clichamp233s like the saloonemptying brawl or the worn tale of an aging gunfighter trying to mend his ways to settle down to a normal life And while we39re at it we can also thank western films for the quotriding off into the sunsetquot clichamp233 as well How many times did we see a good guy arrive in a troubled town to banish the bad guys and with the townspeople begging him to stay to maintain order he then rides off into a setting sun destination unknown Popularized by westerns this has become one of the most prevalent metaphors for a traditional retirement ie my work here is done it39s time for me to move on to a life without workIf you39re marketing to quotretirement agequot consumers it39s imperative that you understand how they39re embracing this next phase of their life Let39s use our quotsunsetquot metaphor to shed some light on what you can expectSunsets are About EndsIn the Western the sunset was a great plot device that perpetuated the mystique of the hero He had arrived unexpectedly and was now leaving without warning heading to something glorious on the horizon but to someplace that was unknown But as the clichamp233 was applied to retirement the sun became a new metaphor within the metaphor representing the arc of one39s life ie life dawns rises and ultimately sets with death As the boomers age and begin to realize that their life is finite they39re offsetting that unpleasant end scenario with a much more optimistic albeit irrational outlook of a life without limits As quantity of life remaining decreases they39re putting a corresponding emphasis on increasing their quality of life They39re turning away from the darkness that comes with a sunset and reorienting themselves toward the brightness of youth and its promise of longevityquotRiding Offquot means Riding Away from the ActionBecause we don39t know our cowboy39s next destination his ride into the sunset is less about where he39s going and more about what he39s leaving behind As the boomers anticipate what39s next it39s the opposite that39s true Since they define aging as quotthe future of livingquot they are very intent on what39s next In this way life at age is a series of journeys to new adventures that has them actively moving in the direction of more Historically retirement was all about what one was leaving behind ie work As today39s boomers exit the traditional work place they39re not eschewing work for a sedentary life they39re looking for replacement activity that39s meaningful and invigorating They39re riding in the opposite direction of the metaphor because they39re looking for all of the new beginnings that come with a new dayHe39s AloneEpitomized by Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter your typical cowboy was a nomad who traveled alone By contrast one of the boomers39 greatest fears of aging is the worry of social isolation so it39s not surprising that their plans for the future include endeavors that include other people While it39s usually more fun when you share experiences with others there39s more to it for people of age It39s been wellestablished that socialization is critical to the healthy aging that boomers aspire to as it contributes to emotional mental and even physical wellness Don39t get me wrong There will always be those times when we want to escape by quotriding off alonequot but for the most part expect the boomers to be socially extroverted as they age They may be the original social animals but they know there39s more to life than hanging out with your horseIf you39re going to be effective at marketing to age you39re going to need to start by running all of the retirement clichamp233s out of town The boomers would rather be tired than retired so instead of declaring that their life39s work is done they39re riding in the direction of yet another dawn They39ve waited a lifetime to choose their own direction so now is the time As they seize the moments of every day marketers must seize the opportunity to ride along with them to the bright future that they see aheadPhoto courtesy of BoomAgersClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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Riding Off into the Sunrise, Yes the Sunrise!

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Peter Hubbell

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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