Mrs Lumsden and I are in the process of booking a holiday with some friends.
Nothing unusual in that, except with this year’s summer yet to arrive, we are looking to book for summer 2010 – already!
By contrast, my son and his friends are too busy celebrating the end of university exams to even think about this year’s holiday and will probably end up doing something on the spur of the moment.
And that – in a nutshell – amply illustrates the differences between the so called “Baby Boomer” generation of 50+ and the new “Generation Y” born in the 80s and 90s.
The young adults now coming through into the workplace are confident, IT literate, and very much focused on the moment. Unlike my generation, where confidence was often seen as arrogance and where the emphasis was on planning for the future.
Save for a rainy day? Not today’s generation. Their future won’t have any rainy days – or if there are, they just know that someone else will provide an umbrella when they need it.
But back to my summer holiday.
The idea of taking a villa in Italy next year was born out of a wine fuelled barbecue with two other similarly aged couples a few weeks ago.
When we sobered up we had to have a planning meeting (wine again) to decide if it was feasible and how big a place we would need (the possibility of many “spur of the moment” Generation Y offspring tagging along has to be considered by us, even if not by them!)
I guess you’re starting to see the pattern here. Another session...err...planning meeting, to decide when to go, several more to choose the right villa, and then at least one every month till Summer 2010 to discuss routes, shopping lists and packing.
In my book, that means the holiday feelgood factor is going to last for about 14 months. Sweet!.
But this planning ahead comes as second nature to the generations who grew up without the ability to call or text someone to alter plans on a whim.
If we are going somewhere, we want a detailed route, and a pretty accurate assessment of how long it is going to take, so we don’t (heaven forbid) arrive late. My father, who is 76, will often go on a “dry run” to suss out routes, times, distances and parking options if he is going somewhere new for an appointment or to visit somewhere.
All of this pre-planning is ingrained in the DNA of the older generations but it seems as if these chromosomes have dropped off somewhere down the line with today’s youngsters.
We have shopping lists, they buy on impulse. We phone a restaurant to book a table, they turn up on spec and move on if they can’t get in.
Maybe that is why advertisers spend so much on the younger generations and so little on us. These younger consumers are like puppies, easily attracted by the flashing lights and bright colours...while we oldies are more canny and want some real solid information so we can plan our spending.
We are naturally suspicious and request confirmation of everything (sometimes we even call to see if someone received our text, telling them we sent an email!!) Not so the younger generation, who take it on trust that everything will work out fine in the end.
But who is to say that we are right and they are wrong? When I was young I was told how important it was to save for the future and plan for retirement. Yet here I am, facing retirement in the not too distant future and all of my plans have been scuppered by the economic collapse.
For millions of us who invested in personal pensions, saving every month, year after year, it is galling to now see the value of these savings decimated by poor investment performances.
Is it any wonder then that the younger generations – and I am talking right up to the age of 40 now – have ignored the advice that we acted upon and are turning their backs on pension planning?
Maybe their “live for the moment” philosophy will see them through. Or maybe they are just relying on our generation to leave enough behind to see them right.
But don’t think I’m bitter. If I had the choice I’d rather be young and impulsive than old and predictable. Growing old is not much fun. Each week there are a few more aches and pains to ruminate over and each week seems to bring a reminder of something you just can’t do any more.
Show me someone who says they are happier now than they were when they were young and I’ll show you someone whose pants should most certainly be on fire.
Our generation may have wisdom and we may have an inner steel through having survived wearing the fashions of the 70s and the 80s, but if push comes to shove, I know I’d rather have 53 years to look forward to, than 53 years to look back on.
Now....just another 280 days till Italy 2010 !
• Dick Lumsden is Managing Director of Senioragency, one of the few companies specialising in marketing and advertising to the 50+ group. If you have any views, or are over 50 and would like to take part in occasional consumer research, please contact him on dlumsden@senioragency.co.uk or visit his website at www.senioragency.co.uk
