The inevitable seems to be consuming us! Maybe it’s just me. Have you noticed how massive the parade has become of folks commenting on, conjecturing about, agonizing over, second-guessing, fixing, denying, snake-oiling, and profiteering from the concept of aging? We “modern elders” are kicking up quite a fuss about this irreversible phenomenon. It’s understandable. The… Continue reading Does Age Matter? Yeah, But We’re Overplaying It!
What Is a Middle-age Crisis? Had Yours Yet?
The concept of a “crisis” at mid-life is talked about a lot. IMHO, it’s highly overplayed. Few of us experience a true crisis. It’s really more of a catharsis that we go through, usually starting at that point where the ego begins to move aside and the need to continue to accumulate, strive… Continue reading What Is a Middle-age Crisis? Had Yours Yet?
Celebrating 5 Years!!
256 articles and counting! Five years ago, I broke through the fear, resistance, and imposter syndrome that accompanies the decision to put myself out there with a blog. “Who would want to read what I wrote?”, I asked myself. Then a veteran writer reminded me “your mess is your message.” That’s when I knew it… Continue reading Celebrating 5 Years!!
In your assessment, do you think you are aging gracefully?
Or is there some work to be done? I had to stop and think about this question. What does “gracefully” mean? My dictionary doesn’t have it except as an adverb of grace. Under grace, we find words like charm, attractiveness, beauty, and ease of movement. I’ve been on the planet longer than most, having just… Continue reading In your assessment, do you think you are aging gracefully?
I Went Back and Had a Conversation With My 50-year-old Self.
It was informative but a bit painful. I recently wrote about what it’s really like to be 80 years old. I don’t normally allow my thinking to regress into the past, but the post got me thinking about what I would say to my 50-year-old self, knowing what I know now. Here’s how that dialog with my… Continue reading I Went Back and Had a Conversation With My 50-year-old Self.
A Retirement Salvaged – A Story About Paying Attention.
The picture above is of Paul Debrone, retired Air Canada pilot, in the early days of his retirement. Paul still holds the world record for the longest-tenured pilot in aviation history – 46 years of continuous service with Air Canada, which included being the #1 pilot in seniority for eight straight years. It’s also the… Continue reading A Retirement Salvaged – A Story About Paying Attention.
What’s It Really Like Being 80 Years Old? Surprise, surprise! Nothing changed.
Image by annca from Pixabay As you might expect, turning 80 generates this question a lot. There’s a strange significance tied to it, perhaps because something less than half the U.S. population gets there. Well, I just got there — with much more fanfare and celebration than I expected or deserved. Having gotten there, I don’t find… Continue reading What’s It Really Like Being 80 Years Old? Surprise, surprise! Nothing changed.
How Come Some Older People Don’t Want To Live That Long?
This is one of those basic existential questions that we all wrestle with at some point in our lives. Do I want to live long? It’s easy to understand why one would want life to be over if they are in constant pain, lonely/isolated, and are merely drawing breath, using up oxygen, and taking up… Continue reading How Come Some Older People Don’t Want To Live That Long?
Open Letter to Someone Who Needs to Be Rich to Avoid Suffering.
Image by Siggy Nowak from Pixabay Someone, somewhere, popped this question recently on Quora.com. I had to respond. How can I be rich? Am I suffering too much? May I ask – are you talking intrinsic riches or extrinsic riches? The difference? Extrinsic = external, materialistic, possession-based riches such as money, houses, cars, clothes, etc. Intrinsic = internal… Continue reading Open Letter to Someone Who Needs to Be Rich to Avoid Suffering.
Are You Prepared For the Challenges Presented When Both Spouses Retire? Here Are A Few Tips to Consider.
Spousal relationships can be heavily impacted by retirement, especially when both have been working and both decide to retire, regardless of the timing of the respective retirements. The key to this and to the other elements of retirement that may take place is to start the planning process early, ideally 3–10 years ahead of the… Continue reading Are You Prepared For the Challenges Presented When Both Spouses Retire? Here Are A Few Tips to Consider.
