I am a “mid-point” boomer (born in 1955). In my young years, I was able to “Rock around the clock,” witness the aftermath of the deaths of John Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and play in the yard from sun up till sun down without worrying about someone hurting me! I was raised in a conservative household but am a hippie at heart.

By the time I got to High School (1969-1973) things were changing. Our country was going through a battle for its soul. We boomers were a rebellious lot. We were looking for something bigger than ourselves. We wanted to “give peace a chance.” We questioned authority and chose to make our own decisions. We became innovators and inventors who traveled the globe looking beyond ourselves.

Oh, we had our problems and we made our share of mistakes. However, our curiosity drove us to explore space, create the home computer, and consider our place in the grand scheme of the universe.

Now we are considered to be the “greedy” generation and even those in government have begun saying that the countries economic problems are the result of our generation. (As I said before we have made our share of mistakes.)

But what made our generation great was that we were curious explorers of everything that struck us in just “that way.” We were rebels who didn’t just accept the status quo, and who also saw that we were not isolated in the world, but were given a place of leadership. In many ways we took our desires for personal freedom too far, but we do believe that people have the right to be free. We are a great generation and we did really change our world.

As we struggle now with the forces that again have set out to destroy our world, our life, and our families, it is time for another rebellion from our generation. This time we need to rebel against closed minded greed. We need to take up causes bigger than ourselves. We need to learn from the past so that we are not doomed to repeat it. We need to be a people of grace, of honor, and of principle. Where we agree we are strengthened and were we do not we can show mutual respect. When others of our generation are hurting and need help we need to step in. We need to prepare our children and grandchildren for the future by being the powerful free-spirits that we were in our youth.

Time to rise up my boomer friends. Rise up and be counted. Rise up and be responsible. Rise up and be productive. Rise up and bring a new revolution to the streets of our country. Not one of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” but one of love, courage, and passion. World changing is in our blood! Now is the time – Baby boomers let’s rebel again!