On the Road

“On the Road” is a well known phrase to baby boomers because it is the title of that famous novel by Jack Kerouac of youthful exploration and curiosity.  And even though technically Kerouac represented the generation before the time of the boomers, that novel very much became a bible for the youth movement that exploded during the 1960s when the boomers went through their teen and college years.  As a result, there is wanderlust and a yearning to get away from it all and travel that is deeply ingrained in the baby boomer mentality and way of viewing the world.

It isn’t surprising then that baby boomers as adults have created a leisure and travel industry that has reached new levels of popularity in the last three decades.  So nobody would be surprised either when we see boomers in their early retirement years begin to look into becoming the ultimate wanderers by hitting the road in their RVs and staying on the go virtually nonstop.

The spirit of adventure and desire not only to see and be part of the expanse of this glorious country has a lot to do with the yearning to travel that is so common in modern day baby boomers.  But it is more than just wanting to see great sights and enjoy the huge variety of climate and landscapes that America has to offer that lures baby boomers out of their rocking chairs and out onto the highways.  It is also the allure of meeting new people, becoming “citizens” not just of their local community but of the world and packing their retirement years with fun and new adventures that has a genuine appeal to baby boomers.

Baby boomers have always been people of adventure.  This can be seen in the great literature that has been made popular by this generation.  The Lord of the Rings is a great example of how baby boomers see the world as ordinary creatures, the hobbits, go on the road to do some great thing to save their world.  No wonder that trilogy became an anthem of this generation who have always seen themselves as adventurers with a mission in life to do good for all mankind.

But hitting the road in their RV, as tame as that may seem to observers, also appeals to a sense of unrestrained life that helps boomers combat the feeling that the world is closing in around them.  The popular song of the 60s, “Born to be Wild” was more than a catchy tune.  It expressed a self-image boomers had as youth that they were only somewhat civilized and that there is a part of their nature that can never be tamed.  The freedom of travel and the lack of restrictions is liberating to aging boomers who may have been boxed in by life’s responsibilities, jobs and families for much of their adult lives.

In this way, boomers don’t see retirement as a time to cut back on the adventure of living.  Quite the opposite, boomers see the chance to live on the road in their RVs as a chance to release that inner bohemian wanderer, that Jack Kerouac and Neil Cassidy that lives in every boomer and give those free spirits the chance to redefine the world in their own terms.

So as loved ones of boomers, let’s not try to rein in these free spirits, even of those spirits live in an aging mom and dad or grandma and grandpa.  Boomers can be an inspiration to generations to come that they can live a life of responsibility and maturity and still retain a little of that inner beatnik or hippy that truly was born to be wild.

Bonding with the Universe.

As parents, we often worry about what our children are getting excited about.  We hope we can guide them to “bond” with healthy things like a love of learning, of family and of healthy social activities.  But we also worry they will bond with the wrong people like internet stalkers or the wrong crowd at school.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could harness that tremendous energy and desire to latch onto something and bond with it and help our children “bond” with the universe through a love of astronomy?

Kids love to get excited about what you are excited about.  So there lots of ways you can “spring” the fun of astronomy on them that will jump start them on a long and happy exploration of the hobby of astronomy.  Here are a few to get your imagination going.

*        Work it into an evening in the backyard.  If you know the night sky will be particularly exciting the night of a big family barbecue, plan to have some blankets out there.  Then as everybody else is playing Frisbee, just lay out a blanket, lay flat on your back and start staring up into the sky with a binoculars.  Like the old prank of staring at a far away spot to get people’s interest, your kids will see what you are doing and what to know what is going on.  As you let them take a peek, their curiosity will take off like a wild fire and they are hooked.

*        A surprise visit to the country.  Sometimes it is hard to see the vast display of stars from within the city.  So if you announce that you are going to show them a surprise one night and have them pile into the car, their curiosity will be going wild as you leave the city.  When you find that quiet park, field or lake side spot, all you have to do is point up and say “just look” and the magnificence of the night sky will do the rest.

*        A special Christmas gift.  You can buy your children an affordable and durable beginner’s telescope along with some easy star maps written just for kids.  Imagine when they open this exciting gift and want to know how to use it.  Don’t be surprised if you are setting up the new telescope in the snow to show them the great things they will see in the cosmos with the gift that Santa wanted them to have.  The gift of astronomy.

*        Unleash the power of a meteor shower on them.  You can keep your eye on the events that are predicted for the sky watchers in your area.  When the next big meteor shower is about to explode over your area, watch the weather for a clear night and get your kids excited about what they are about to see.  As the lights begin to go off over head and you create fun and interesting narration to this dramatic display, the children will be addicts for life for the great experiences that can be had as students of astronomy.

*        Plan a surprise event in with something you are already doing.  For example, on vacation, you can plan your route on a cross country trip to bring you within visiting distance of one of the great multimillion dollar telescopes in this country.  By contacting them ahead of time, you can be sure they are conducting a tour that coincides with your visit.  Just imagine if they can look up at a telescope that is bigger than their house and maybe look through the eyepiece as some amazing cosmic sight, it will be the hit of the vacation.

Astronomy is a great activity to introduce on a family camping trip.  As the family sits around the fire after a fun night of camping, all you have to do is just look up and go “Wow, look at that!” When those little heads look up, they will look back down changed children, children in love with the stars.

Astronomy is a healthy passion for your kids and one they can grow with their entire lives.  And there is probably no better gift you can give them than the love of the stars, of science and of nature that is all wrapped up together when your kids bond with the universe through astronomy.

Judaism End Of World Beliefs

Jewish believe a time of peace and righteousness will come rather than an ending to the world. This period will come after a period of intense turmoil and chaos in which lawless and a breakdown in society will occur.

The Tanakh says the world will only last 6000 years. The year 2008 equals year 5678 according to the Torah making the final year 2240, although this is much debated.

There are several things, which will occur at the end of the 6000 years, they include:

– The end of the world will see all Jews gathered back to Israel and restored to their ancestral lands and tribes.

– The Messiah, a descendant of David, will come and become King of Israel and defeat Israel’s enemies, they will come to worship the one God of Israel and ask the King of Israel for advice.

– Building of the Third temple in Jerusalem and resumption of services there.

– The resurrection of the dead, death will be swallowed up forever. There will be no more hunger or disease.

– Messiah will become King of Israel and will beat invading armies in a final great battle known as Armageddon, bringing in the start of a new age of peace and holiness, weapons of war will be destroyed and the Jewish people will experience unending joy and happiness.

Islam End of World Beliefs

Though the Qu’ran does not give specifics there are many signs given to show the end times are approaching.

Muslims believe when the day of judgement is near people will fall away from Allah and society will break down, Christianity will begin to rule. Many believe that Armageddon will begin in the Middle East and thus the events of the past 5 years have caused many to say it is near. Such minor signs include:

– When it will be regarded as a shame to act on Quranic injunctions.

– When untrustworthy people will be regarded as trustworthy and the trustworthy will be regarded as untrustworthy.

– When it will be hot in winter (and vice versa).

– When the length of days is stretched, i.e. a journey of a few days is covered in a matter of hours.

– When orators and lecturers lie openly.

– When people dispute over petty issues.

– When women with children come displeased on account of them bearing offspring, and barren women remain happy on account of having no responsibility of offspring.

– When oppression, jealousy, and greed become the order of the day.

– When people blatantly follow their passions and whims.

– When lies prevail over the truth.

– When violence, bloodshed and anarchy become common.

– When immorality overtakes shamelessness and is perpetrated publicly.

– When children are a cause of grief and anger for their parents.

The Major signs will occur near the end of time, then a great leader Imam Mehdi will come and Jesus will appear and urge his follower to become Muslims.

The Dajjal will come and lead a great army against Muslims but Muslims will triumph. In the end a trumpet will be blown and only Muslims will survive.