Sixty-Something: The First Round Of Opinions, Observations, Remarks

One thing about the East End of Long Island is that it is rich with history. One thing about being over 60 is you are rich with history too. Much is made of the commotion of the situation in Montauk with the crowds of young visitors and their nightly behavior upsetting the locals and even the older visitors. There is no doubt the situation is a generational thing. I have firsthand knowledge the folks around Woodstock, New York circa the summer of 1969-1970-1971 were not thrilled to see the young hippie folks who visited the area. The aroma of pot, cheap wine, and urine was as in the air as was the “free love,” of the then reigning Woodstock Nation.

The beauty of the East End of Long Island is a synthesis of natural beauty such as ocean beaches, lush green terrain along with amazing sunrise and sunset skies. This is coupled with man-made beauty of old farms, old homes, and winding country roads and yes even the mansions that dot the picturesque landscape. How can you ever drive about on either the South Fork or the North Fork of Long Island and not notice these things? The magnetic force of their beauty draws something very dear to the soul.

I was at an editorial meeting a decade ago at a weekly free East End publication when the new news was of an Apple iPhone invention soon to come out. Amazingly enough all the under 30 reporters/writers did not want that story. “It’s too expensive ($299) no one will buy it!” was the mantra and general consensus in the room of these very bright young minds. I took the assignment not knowing much about Apple, Steve Jobs and the “Apple Computer Culture,” then a very small minority in the computer world dominated by IBM and Microsoft. My final paragraph predicted the iPhone would change the world! It was almost edited out as too outrageous. Luckily the editor was my roommate and I could change his mind.

I was 54 years old then (ten years ago) and my point is not always do the young folks see new things as well as older folks. In a world where people over 60 are the largest percentage of the population, according to Business World, making up 70 percent of the individual wealth in the country, yet the “over 60” crowd is still perhaps underestimated by the younger folks now making their mark in the world. In my follow up columns, to be called Sixty-Something, I hope to entertain the reader, while making a few salient points.