I can never be happy to see a marriage ending. When I saw that Al and Tipper Gore were splitting up after 40 years of marriage, I both wanted to comment on it and wanted to avoid anyone commenting crassly based on political leanings. They were a passionately married couple whose example was before a nation during the Political Conventions with their famous “seal the deal with a kiss” kiss. I loved it.
40 years of marriage is a wonderful track record.
There are also those who read this who will be inclined to comment that because they are divorcing, their marriage “failed.” When you have been married for 40 years, you will be qualified to make that comment but not until.
40 years is a marvelous relationship. And as so many baby boomers can attest, Al and Tipper grew apart and want to move into different directions with their lives. Many single boomer like Al and Tipper find themselves single again after many years of married life, having children and raising children together, after their careers reach stages of maturity, they find themselves wanting different things for next phase of their lives. And they divorce. Thus, leaving both of them single boomers again in their early 60s.
Dating Lessons for 1st Wave Boomers
Boomer Dating Tip #1 – Target Your Age Group
Many of the 1st wave of Baby Boomer singles are grandparents. One of the ways singles in that age group or wanting to date that age group can position themselves to meet single grandparents is to go socialize at the locations where grandparents bring their grandchildren: McDonalds especially during the summer time when the children are off from school.
Boomer Dating Tip #2 – Keep an Open Mind About Age 
It used to be that the social beliefs and mores only favored older men dating younger women. Well, this is the 21st century. No longer to are the single women being preached to that their dating options are so limited with few single men their own age. Who buys that false adage anymore? You can be a Cougar if you want to or just simply date men who might be only a few years younger than you. For both the baby boomer single women and the single men, it’s up to you and what you want. Go for it when it comes to finding last love!
Boomer Dating Tip #3 – Keep an Open Mind About Race and Ethnicity
Interracial marriage is in the White House. No longer is marrying across races and ethnic groups taboo. It still has it’s challenges, but you can even find cultural challenges between a Yankee and a Southern and within couples who are in different generations. Communication is key in a romantic relationship. When you date and court across cultures, races, and ethnic groups you ensure that you will have to surface a lot of the communication topics with homogeneous couples don’t surface until months into their relationship. Often then your relationship foundation is quite strong because you two have been doing so as your couple habits from the start of your courtship.
No matter what your age, when you want love and you give love, you can find and build lasting love. Be open to it and other people.
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Midlife and Senior Dating and Relationship Expert
Michael D Walker says
June 6, 2010 at 12:10 AMYou’re absolutely right, the politics of this doesn’t matter.
Most of us should be so fortunate to make a relationship last 40 years.
That they are ending the relationship without it being a messy affair laden
spectacle like other politicians have done—makes me admire the way they are going about this.
Michael
The Success Secrets
Hezron says
June 6, 2010 at 8:36 PMApril,
Barack Obama is a black man, his wife is Black, thus his marriage, in my view is not interracial. As for Al and Tipper Gore, why couldn’t they work out thier differences? Getting a divorce, these days is seen to me as a “badge of honour”. Am I supposed to clap for the Gore’s for having a 40-year marriage?
Lisa McLellan says
June 7, 2010 at 5:36 AMIt used to amaze me how people who had been married for so long could get divorced. But as I get older I see how people change. I see how the things that we wanted in our 20’s we couldn’t care less about in our 40’s. Our wants and needs change as well as so many other things about each of us. Also, many couples do just grow apart especially if they both work full time and don’t share many interests. It is work sometimes to keep a relationship going strong after so many years. I have been married 19 years this coming August. Some times are easier than others. But luckily, my husband and I still share many interests. Even when he travels we talk on the phone several times a day. I’m sorry for Al and Tipper but I’m sure they’re doing what’s best for them. Great post.
Lisa McLellan
Babysitting Services, Nanny Services, and Nanny agencies
Peggy Larson says
June 8, 2010 at 8:08 AMI was sad to see such a long marriage end in divorce. Marriage can be challenging in many ways and I imagine even more challenging being in the public view.
I wonder who “gets the friends” when a long term relationship breaks up. That has to be very difficult after 40 years of marriage too.
I hope they each find happiness again.
Peggy Larson
April Braswell says
June 8, 2010 at 9:09 AMHi Peggy,
Thank you for stopping by and commenting at my blog. Indeed, seeing such a long term marriage end is sad. Quiet a number of Baby Boomers divorce later in life, their lives going in different directions over time.
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Adrianne says
March 3, 2011 at 8:35 AMI always find those divorces that occur after mid-life to be so sad. Just when all their kids must have been thinking they could rely on their parents being married forever they turn around and announce a sad divorce. Such a sad end to their marriage.
Pamela says
May 7, 2011 at 4:46 AMGood points April. It’s sad to see a long standing marriage break up. So sad.