john yang. >> for martha mcdowell's 33-year marriage, there was no happy hollywood ending. >> it was all of a sudden we had this union and we believed it was for life, and all of a sudden, it's ripped, literally ripped apart. >> robert said unhappiness in his 17-year union had been building. >> i was frustrated, ready to move on, and that's when, you know, i started thinking about changing my life and doing other things. >> two divorces, two different reasons, but one thing in common. they're part of the growing number of married couples in their 50s and 60s calling it quits. researchers at bowling green state university found the divorce rate among those 50s and older nearly doubled from 1990 to 2009 while the overall divorce rate held steady. sociologists say baby boomers may feel less pressure to stay married and for working women boomers. it may be easier for them to set out on their own financially. >> women in particular don't feel that they have to stay with someone they may not like very much, simply because they need to be supported. >> he made wholesale changes in his life, moving f