KABOOMER: Movement as Good Medicine!

Some boomers, possibly those with US military or USAF ties, may remember that fond acronym for the venerable B-52 Bomber StratoFortress – BUFF.

That 4-letter word is also “an acronym …that in polite company and in official USAF fact sheets is deciphered as “Big Ugly Fat Fellow.”

Venerable?  You betcha.  The First B-52 mission occurred in 1955. B-52s are boomers by calendar years, and are card-carrying KABOOMERS for what aircraft and crews have done for our Red White and Blue. Never Quit Trying BUFFs. I am honored to have worked with a B-52 Navigator who survived many harrowing missions over North Vietnam. My office mate kaboomed! Turbine shift…

Fred Flinstone was sorta BUFF

Recall that Hanna and Barbera’s character, Fred Flinstone, first aired on black and white TV sets 60 years ago (September 30, 1960).  

Assuming that he had good luck, a nice personal trainer and stamininety, Fred would be a centenarian today (He was aged 41 when The Flinstones launched).

He probably followed Wilma’s “paleo diet” – right?

Instead of using “YAHOO”, the show creators choose the iconic YABBA DABBA DO to convey Fred’s light-hearted approach to life.
Or, as evidenced in a song at BamBam and Pebbles’ wedding:

 “couldn’t wait to grow up and live out my fantasy
And my dreams have finally come true
Now that you said, “I Yabba-Dabba-Do.”

Here is one Mental Floss tidbit of relevance – Wilma and Fred shared the same bed – a nice habit which might have been provocative in 1960! KABOOM. Not a bad place to fantasize and have lucky dreams come true. Don’t forgot those de-stressing happy hormones that triggered by hugging, spooning, or perhaps shagging as Austin Powers would dream…

Now, Fred (FF) was by no means an ectomorph. His body type had a marginal Waist to Hip Ratio by modern standards.  Nevertheless, let’s call Fred BUFF for his approach to life and honor of motion as medicine. Just as the Air Force politely called an amazing bomber which was built to last!

BUFF has several cool meanings, as many interesting urban (and rural) acronyms do in these modern times.

BUFF is slang for muscular (which relates to both lady and gentlemen KABOOMERs).

Proper BUFF is “someone that is physically attractive to the eye.”

You might imagine who the Brits label as “Buff Puffs”, yet I’ll let that lifestyle derivation alone.

This is a very timely redundant variant – Buff Buff: “ A person who refuses to wear a mask, or take any of the basic precautions to help society prevent an air born illness during an epidemic.” So, KABOOMERS should strive to be Buff, yet NOT be Buff buffs in challenging pandemic periods like ours.

B-52 Bombers, Fred Flinstone, urban slang… What does your KOACH argue is a just-so operational meaning of your B U F F ness? Here ‘tis:

B   – BUILD your

U – UPLIFTING

F – FIT

F – FORTRESS.

A muscular fortress to handle “encore aged” activities of daily and nightly life; like Fred who foot-peddled his “green” sedan and had raptors to elude or catch.

And physically attractive to one or more special someone(s), like Wilma for our “buff” centenarian Fred Flinstone.  Not Hollywood beautiful, BUT(T) appealing in a whole person, fit sorta way. I’ll save beauty in eyes of beholding for strong and shapely BUTTs for another entry…

Hone your own bespoke BUFF-ness. Be the best StratoFortress that you can to better your odds to party past ninety – like Wilma and Fred. KABOOMERS are built to last and to be the last nonagenarians at the parties in their own BUFFness.

And, its okay to have a beehive “B-52” coiffure like Wilma, other mums and diner waitresses sported in the ‘60s. Plus, if you want to look for a Love Shack, take a hint or two from the The B-52s rock group.

As FF offered, Happy Friday, YABBA DABBA DO! KABOOM.

Bomb away. Be well and B U F F.

df