The Boomers say goodbye. Those born between 1955 and 1970, during the baby boom years, have reached retirement age or are among the older generation gradually stepping down from their positions. The Boomers share a sense that there are too many of them, a feeling they experienced in overcrowded classrooms and later in the job market. This led to a mindset of skepticism, and the experiences of AIDS and Chernobyl taught them during a crucial phase of their lives that nothing is secure and nothing is guaranteed. Heinz Bude, an early Boomer, describes how this generation is also bidding farewell to a way of life that has shaped our society for decades.