Shopping at Meijer tonight while zooming around in the store scooter, I stopped at the meat counter for 3 pounds of ground chuck to make lasagna this week. The young man began scooping out the meat and placed it on the scale. I noticed the scale read 2 pounds, so I brought it to his attention. He quickly apologized, saying he was having a little problem hearing. Noticing the somewhat loud buzz from the fluorescent lights behind him, I said that was understandable.
But the young man looked tired, and I inquired if he had a busy weekend. He said he was tired, but not from the weekend. He recently had surgery to repair a punctured ear he had since birth. Actually, this was the second surgery since the first did not heal properly.
He brought the now packaged meat around the counter and placed it in my scooter basket, then said he hoped the ear healed properly this time so he could enlist in the army. He graduated from college with a major in sports medicine, but there were few job openings due to baby boomers needing to work past the retirement age. He found the Meijer job, but it doesn’t pay enough for him to have any kind of life…plus the college debt he must pay. I nodded my head and told him that was a trend. Baby Boomers are ignoring the typical retirement age of 65, not making way for the younger generation.
Last year, 32 percent of Americans 65 to 69 continued to remain in the labor market. Even past age 70, a growing number of seniors continue to work, whether by choice or need. Many saved little for retirement, lost pensions due to company bankruptcies, or incurred high medical expenses. By 2024, 36 percent of 65-to 69-year olds will be working, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is up from 22 percent in 1994!
I asked his name and gave Jonathan a hug and told him my heart breaks for him and all young people not finding jobs after college. He finds out tomorrow if his ear healed properly so he can immediately enlist.
SO SAY A PRAYER FOR JONATHON. I will keep you informed!
by 
