Issues for Boomers: can you afford to retire?

[LiberalEsto]

20. absolutely agree

Hi annabanana,

I think you're right about environmental deterioration, as well as exposure to all kinds of food dyes and chemicals that our ancestors never encountered in their lifetimes.

When my younger daughter was in second elementary school, the grade ahead of hers had an inordinate number of kids with ADD. These were all kids who were born in 1985. Out of about 75 kids, 28 in that grade had a diagnoses of ADD, and you could see it in their behavior. The third grade teachers were grateful to get the quieter born-in-1986 kids the following year. What was going on with that age group, I wonder.

I grew up in the 1950s-60s and I can't remember any classmates with ADD behavior. Or food allergies. My older daughter is severely allergic to all nuts, including peanuts. Sometimes she becomes temporarily allergic to eggplant and tomatoes; so does her sister. Other times they're both fine with those foods.

Two of my friends also have problems with adult children who can't figure out what to do with their lives. Part of it is the economy, with the future so uncertain. All the parents are college-educated. It's sad.