Rose Robinson

and if you are not prepared it WILL KNOCK YOU OVER! I'm referring to the social media wave that has been building momentum for the past 2 years or so and now is ready to reach critical mass proportions. Not even a year ago, and I was not aware of Activerain, Twitter, etc...now everyone that I associate with is either on one of these networks or has an outside blog going.

Initially I was very resistive to this phenomena but I buckled in the wake of reading and researching. My generation (Baby Boomers) are still the primary force when it comes to consuming goods and services; we are older and have more disposable income and time to spend it.

HOWEVER, THE NEXT GENERATION (and the one after that) are already well on their way to topping our earning power and guess what? They are more mobile, independent, and internet-savvy! Their online expertise is second nature to them; most of them have grown up around computers from kindergarten onto college.

My question to you is, "Are you ready for the wave?"

Ever have one of those mornings (especially after a party or extremely hectic week) where all you wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep some more? This morning I woke up to a grey, drizzly and cold day; my mood was identical! Looking around, I saw more of the same...

On the tube, media mongrels were grousing about stuff that made my teeth grind---Illinois Governor trying to sell Obama's seat? PLEEEEASE! I don't get it...why do these young(er) good looking, politically correct men with golden lives (and wives) go on the deep end and do such stupid self-destructive things?

They must be thinking they're God and nothing will touch them---are they so vain to assume they are above the moral and right compass for the rest of us? Like I said, I don't get it.

And then there's the headline "Joe the Plumber is Angry with McCain---I wanted to get off the bus, he says." WHAT? Don't we all have better things to do then listen to Joe the Plumber???

I apologize if I seem jaded, but for once, I would love to turn on TV, or the news blog and see a news-worthy article or story that will make my heart sing, and be glad to be alive! Don't you agree?

So disgusted with this, I decided to start my day by affirmatively speaking a new reality:

TODAY, I will not be locked into a purposeless routine. I will open up and branch out! I will begin to recognize and appreciate the function that I am and the purpose that I serve. I will continue to identify myself with a greater purpose and leave behind being caught up in mindless (and meaningless) routines. Life is infinitely more than it seems. This is my affirmation for today.

TODAY, see if walking around in a galaxy instead of walking around your office in the same wornout shoes is possible! See what you've been missing. See what you've been over-looking. See that a purposeless routine is a small concern for a vast creature like yourself who can dream up anything in any moment! Let the sense of being part of a galaxy come into being with you today!

(Acknowledgements: Toni Stone for her teaching me about affirmations; Astro Images by Jason Ware)

Ever have one of those mornings (especially after a party or extremely hectic week) where all you wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep some more? This morning I woke up to a grey, drizzly and cold day; my mood was identical! Looking around, I saw more of the same...

On the tube, media mongrels were grousing about stuff that made my teeth grind---Illinois Governor trying to sell Obama's seat? PLEEEEASE! I don't get it...why do these young(er) good looking, politically correct men with golden lives (and wives) go on the deep end and do such stupid self-destructive things?

They must be thinking they're God and nothing will touch them---are they so vain to assume they are above the moral and right compass for the rest of us? Like I said, I don't get it.

And then there's the headline "Joe the Plumber is Angry with McCain---I wanted to get off the bus, he says." WHAT? Don't we all have better things to do then listen to Joe the Plumber???

I apologize if I seem jaded, but for once, I would love to turn on TV, or the news blog and see a news-worthy article or story that will make my heart sing, and be glad to be alive! Don't you agree?

So disgusted with this, I decided to start my day by affirmatively speaking a new reality:

TODAY, I will not be locked into a purposeless routine. I will open up and branch out! I will begin to recognize and appreciate the function that I am and the purpose that I serve. I will continue to identify myself with a greater purpose and leave behind being caught up in mindless (and meaningless) routines. Life is infinitely more than it seems. This is my affirmation for today.

TODAY, see if walking around in a galaxy instead of walking around your office in the same wornout shoes is possible! See what you've been missing. See what you've been over-looking. See that a purposeless routine is a small concern for a vast creature like yourself who can dream up anything in any moment! Let the sense of being part of a galaxy come into being with you today!

(Acknowledgements: Toni Stone for her teaching me about affirmations; Astro Images by Jason Ware)

I woke up this morning to the most beautiful sight...snow! The mountains around our home were shrouded in all their majesty, the snow softening their hard edges. It looked more like Christmas than the week of Thanksgiving.

I couldn't resist going outside to "play" in the white stuff; my two puppies were rolling around in it as if it was made especially for them. At times I could barely see them, as they are white also!. Eventually I ventured into my office; thank goodness I have four-wheel drive though as the roads were treacherous.

Here are 2 pictures from my office (not plowed yet):

It reminded me of when I was a teenager, when we used to have terrific snowstorms...with the exception of last winter, we've had really mild winters; this early snow may be a harbinger of this coming winter!

Time to clean out the motorhome and get ready to travel south??????

I have been studying trends and researching whether they are in fact trends or just a short-term fad. There are a few trends that literally jump out at you! The first one is "AGEING"... as global beings, we are all getting older. Statistics show that every 8 seconds in the US someone turns 50 years old.

Many organizations however continue to obsessively focus on young people. Their products are geared to them, the ads portray them and continue to target market these young people. The fact remains though that the vast majority in this country are older folks. In other countries, such as Japan, the percentage of people over 75 years old is forecast to increase by 36% by the year 2015.

The implications of this shift includes (possibly) higher taxation (as much as 175%) simply to maintain current benefit levels. Pharmaceutical expenditures will also increase. Not to mention the increased interest in healthcare and medical issues.

What does that mean to us? The trend indicates a boom in industries such as travel, healthcare, elderly housing, etc. There are so many other significant changes as a result of people getting older and living longer...how about replacement of old, worn out parts? We already see a marked increase in eye surgery and teeth replacement.

In housing, there will definitely be a shift towards small, more easy to manage homes, possibly home-sharing, and pooling of resources such as communal clubhouses, pools, etc.

As I have a big interest in trends, i will continue to write more in the days to come...stay tuned!

(Picture courtesy www.wheatlandvillage.com)