As I have discovered, there is no shortage of Baby Boomer blogs. There are sentimental blogs that feature, among other things, entertaining stories about Boomers who were at Woodstock or who were among the screaming teenagers at the Beatles’ 1964 Carnegie Hall concert. And there are the forward-thinking bloggers who post practical information about travel, jobs, retirement and reconnecting with old friends on Facebook. Since photos of the bloggers or contributors often accompany their posts, when reading those web logs I occasionally ask myself: Where are the blogs featuring BBBs’ (black Baby Boomers)?
Collectively Baby Boomers have generational similarities, but by the same token different racial groups have unique and unshared experiences. It is a given that overall black people work at keeping folks out of their business; including those who work overtime trying to get into other folks’ business. But that is neither here nor there. If posting an episode about your life on a blog for the world to see takes you outside your comfort zone, then just exercise the same precaution you use on your Facebook page. On second thought, some of you may want to exercise a bit more discretion than what you use when posting on FB. But joking aside you can’t go wrong if you post something about your love for cooking, concerts, the arts or that cruise you took. Or if you prefer, write about politics, your religion — or lack of it, your job, or your outlook on life. Write about whatever is on your mind.
Like their generational peers, black Boomers have sufficient material for blog topics that could interest others. I recently read an online post — although it was not on a BBB blog — that addresses the financial challenges that retired black Boomers face.
Why not give your spiel on things? Share with others what’s happening in your life. Publish a post about your present day realities like grandparents raising their grandchildren — childrearing the second time around — or your past experiences with your own children. Had a spiritual awakening? Talk about it. And God knows there is always room for humor, write about the funniest thing that ever happened to you. Make your presence known.
Boomers who have a taste for nostalgia might find it intriguing to read a blog post by another Boomer who shares a fondness for Nikki Giovanni poems like My House and Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day. Someone else may delight in remembering that decades ago he or she enjoyed a performance by The Last Poets at the same venue on the same date as the author of a post disclosing her own experience at the program. And yet another black Boomer may want to share his story about how it felt back in the day to be an afro sporting, dashiki-wearing, black hippie hanging out in Greenwich Village.
I know that there are black Baby Boomers blogging (try saying those last four words three times real fast) who obscure their identity in order to facilitate an open forum. Minus a picture (and sometimes even with it) it may be difficult to determine the racial identity of the author of a post or blog. If you find a site that appeals to you, read it regardless. Unfortunately, we are not an inclusive, colorblind society that can please all of the people all of the time. So idealism aside that brings me back to my original question. Where are the black Baby Boomer blogs?