For some boomers, they too are hitting the schoolyard, books in tow. Several million of retirement-age baby boomers have recently headed off to college in the U.S. In California alone, students between the ages of 50 and 64 have risen 61 percent over the past two decades according to McClatchy Newspapers. Universities offer baby boomers opportunities to gain new vocational skills, intellectual enrichment, companionship and that new educational buzz phrase --“lifelong learning.”

But this isn’t really news. We know the boomers are reinventing themselves. We know they are pushing the boundaries on retirement (as they always have done) to create a more exuberant second phase of life. And thank for goodness for that.

What is interesting is how Generation Y (“Millenials”) and the boomers will influence each other as they muse upon the role of Beethoven, the Beatles, Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique, LBJ’s Vietnam and Reaganomics. I would love to see the boomers actually teach courses to Millennials about subjects that go far beyond Mahler or Proust.

In an era of narcissistic entitlement, boomers could be helpful in offering “lifelong wisdom” to their youngish friends, who may be looking for clues on how to successfully (and happily) steer through life in the face of less than high-minded leadership, a ‘get mine’ culture and unexpected adversities. Boomers have after all, real experience to relay—they can talk about their successes and their failures based on what actually happened, not just theories. These intergenerational conversations would likely provide younger generations with a better understanding about the fabric of life, about what is required to truly soar in mind, body and spirit—about what is required to help others do the same. And maybe, in the process, the boomers might learn a few things too.

Amanda Sobanet