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Will this matter in 50 years? A wise friend of ours is fond of dropping this question into a heated discussion, be it on national politics, sexual politics, or whether recycling will really make an impact on the health of the planet. It usually gets a chuckle and restores civility. But his seriocomic question is a good one to pose in the context of our national obsession with work, particularly in our mature years. We Americans see ourselves as the most hard-working people on earth, a view shared by many others. We take pride in this, build our identities on what we do, and often confuse it with who we are. And because work consumes so much of our available time, all we may be good for at the end of the day is to kick back and channel surf. We are too exhausted to think about our values. Or in denial about what really matters. And the more engrained the habit, the harder it is to change it. “Midlife overwork in America has reached pathological proportions,” Marc Freedman, president of Civic Ventures, a national nonprofit that works to expand the contribution of older Americans to society, told a reunion of University of Pennsylvania alumni, “Indeed, this situation presents one of the greatest challenges to realizing the aspirations of our aging society.” Civic Ventures leads a new initiative that will help millions of us 50 and older, ask ourselves questions that matter and reshape our lives accordingly. Called the Life Options initiative, it challenges the prevailing notion that the aging of America will “shipwreck” our future, and offers a competing and compelling view that “if we can devise creative new roles and opportunities [for this age group] at the community level, … people will respond.”
Surveys reveal, says Freedman, “a deep hunger on the part of older Americans to live lives that matter, to use their experience and knowledge in important ways, and to continue learning and growing in the process.” In January, Civic Ventures, with the support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, convened a conference of organizations in various phases of implementing Life Options Centers throughout the country. These included community-based organizations such as life-long learning and senior centers, libraries and community colleges, as well as organizations like ElderHostel and the National Council on the Aging, grant-makers like the Virginia Piper Charitable Trust and Chicago Community Trust, consultants and other groups dedicated to the same “asset-based” view of aging. 2young2retire was privileged to be in that company. The “buzz” was palpable throughout the two-day meeting in Oakland, California and commitment to the cause evident in every session. On the last evening, David Bornstein gave an inspiring speech based on his new book, How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas. To our minds, the Life Options initiative represents the greatest hope that we and other older adults will make wise choices with the gift of longevity and revitalize our country in the process. Here are some communities where programs have already begun or will within the next 18 months.
- Asheville, North Carolina. The North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, http://www.unca.edu/ncccr/, founded in 1988 offers opportunities for lifelong learning, leadership and community service.
- Chula Vista, California. Up and running under the Life Options focus with 15 community partners and in two locations. Check out their website: www.lifeoptionssouthbay.com Program leader: Karen Harvell.
- Cleveland, Ohio. A wonderful example of partnering between nonprofits, grant-makers and local businesses, the new OASIS Lifelong Learning and Development Center will soon open at Kaufmann’s Department Store, in nearby Parmatown. Founded in 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri, The OASIS Institute already serves 360,000 people 50 and older in 26 cities. Elizabeth Fiordalis is Project Manager. http://www.oasisnet.org/
Also in Cleveland, “What’s Next!” lifelong learning project is already underway at The Fairhill Center. Contact Ron Browne, browne@fairhillcenter.org
- Chicago. Supported by the Chicago Community Trust, the Council for Jewish Elderly will launch a Life Options initiative pilot by October 2004. Mary Baim heads the project, Mary.Baim@CJE.net
- Greater Rochester, New York. With a Federal grant, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc., has developed PlanIt!, a seminar in life planning for the 50+ . Funding is being sought for a “bridge” job demonstration project. Contact Fran Weisberg, president/ceo, fweisberg@lifespan-roch.org
- Hartford, Connecticut. Through nonprofit Leadership of Greater Hartford, Doe Hentschel heads up Third Age Initiative, a system to identify, develop and engage older adults as community leaders. The year-long experiential program was presented at the UN Assembly on Aging in April. http://www.leadershipgh.org/programs/third_age.html or contact: doe.hentschel@leadershipgh.org
- Mesa, Arizona. The Mesa Life Options Center, aimed at adults 45 and older, is scheduled to open in July. Contact Barbara Thelander, thelander@mail.mc.maricopa.edu
- Minneapolis, Minnesota. Vital Aging Network, an online resource. See www.van.umn.edu or contact Janet Hively, HIVEL001@umn.edu
- Ocala, Florida. Central Florida Community College. Pathways to Living, Learning and Serving links Marion county adults 50 and older with local resources for continuing education, volunteering, health/wellness, employment and social activities. Opened January 2004. Director: Margaret Spontak, spontakm@cfcc.cc.fl.us
- Portland, Oregon. Morrison Child and Family Service is a founding member of the Portland Life Options Initiative and will open a demonstration Life Options Center in Febuary 2005. Contact: Jay Bloom, president/ceo, jbloom@morrisoncenter.org
Here’s Marc Freedman again: “This new vision of work in later life is a hybrid living somewhere between the demands of a full-time midlife career and the avocation of volunteerism. It is an impulse that affords opportunities not only for enhancing later life and individual fulfillment, but also for helping to stem the devastating human resource shortages that have opened up across much of the social services and education sectors.” For more general information on the Life Options Initiative, see http://www.lff.org/programs/lifeoptions/LifeOptionsBlueprint.pdf and
www.civicventures.org. What we do matters, and WILL matter in 50 years. POTPOURRI - Can work be fulfilling, joyful, and fun? Can it be an expression of the best in us? All too rarely, if the collection of personal stories collected in www.aboutmyjob.com is any indication. Inspired by Working, Studs Terkel’s classic of the genre, this fascinating website gives us a contemporary glimpse into the state of work these days. Not a pretty picture.
- What determines your real age, chronology or biology? Discovering what you are doing right to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit is a great motivator. Take this fun test at Real Age and find out where you stand. You can also sign up for weekly tips on improving and/or maintaining your good health habits. Copy/paste: http://www.realage.com/
- Public service journalism? Seems an anachronism in a world where five big media companies control just about everything we read and hear. But if you’re looking for another voice, check out The Center for Public Integrity: http://www.publicintegrity.org/dtaweb/home.asp
- Good news for executive coaches from The Herman Report: “Skill building will be vital to the success of tomorrow's corporate workforce, but building stronger interpersonal relationships between workers, management, and corporate leadership will become a more integral part of corporate training and development. For this reason, companies will employ more professional trainers and coaches to integrate learning with a personal engagement to the job and the employer.” www.hermangroup.com
- You can’t fight Mother Nature, so you might as well join her. Here’s an invigorating way to enjoy the outdoors then stretch and relax with master yogi and avid skier, Anne Greene. Cross-Country Skiing & Yoga Retreat. Feb 13-16 (3 nights, Fri-Mon); Feb 19-22 (3 nights, Thurs-Sun). $240 tuition + 3 nights room and meals. For more information and to register, see http://www.kripalu.org/programs/fitndesc/XCY.shtml
- Created by William E. Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur when both were students at Duke University, Mental Floss is “dedicated to helping time-starved people feel smart again by blurring the lines between education and entertainment. It's published bi-monthly and contains everything you should have learned in school – but didn't!” Readers Digest recommended the cheeky newcomer with these words: Read once a day for a minty-fresh mind. For online version, copy/paste: www.mentalfloss.com.
- “Whose Golden Years?” asks Consumer Affairs.com, a terrific watchdog site we recommend. Here’s their take on the subject: “The recent rewrite of Medicare, which provides medical care for retired seniors, is providing a lot more than that for the Congressmen and Administration operatives who rammed it through Congress. Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) is negotiating a multi-million dollar deal to head PhRMA, the drug industry's all-powerful lobbying group. It's the latest in a series of big-payoff "retirements" by Medicare rewrite insiders that have Washington tongues clucking about the crass timing and lack of, shall we say, finesse.” For more, copy/paste: http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/tauzin.html
- Get the skinny on the new Health Savings Accounts, launched January 1. Not the universal healthcare we’re seeking, but maybe the best we can hope for right now. Copy/paste: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-montalk25jan25,0,3044759,print.column?coll=la-headlines-business and http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/reports/1061hsafactsheet.pdf Don’t forget to copy/paste into your browser.
- At a time when scenes of atrocity, conflict and crime fill our TV screens and newspapers, when tit-for-tat killings, attacks and counter-attacks seem to grab all the headlines, The Forgiveness Project aims to tell the quieter, less publicised stories of reconciliation. The stories of people who have discovered that the only way to move on in life, is to lay aside hatred and blame.
Set up by a small team working purely independently with no religious or organisational affiliation, The Forgiveness Project consists of a touring exhibition (The F Word) that will build on an evolving collection of narratives. The Forgiveness Project also aims to raise the profile of, and funds for, relevant grassroots projects. http://www.theforgivenessproject.com/
- In the election of 2002 we saw that only 39.9 % of eligible voters actually voted, and considering the closeness of many of the elections, that meant that approximately 20% of eligible voters determined the course of this country. Why aren't the other 60 to 80% being heard from? http://www.timbuk3.com/essay1.htm See also, Take a Friend to Vote: http://www.lwv.org/voter/govote/takeafriend.html
BOOK NOTES
- Congratulations to Robert Otterbourg for the publication of the third edition of Retire & Thrive (Kiplinger Books, 305 pp., $17.95), released in October, and to Abigail Trafford for her brand new, My Time: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life (Basic Books, 254 pp., $25). (Trafford was a speaker at the Life Options conference.)
- Clearance Sale!! As we prepare for the launch of our new book, Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life (Plume, 176 pp., $13) now available for pre-order on Amazon and other online sources, we are clearing out our remaining stock of the original version, Too Young to Retire: An Off-the-Road Map to the Rest of Your Life at discounts for bulk orders: 1-14, $10; 15-49, $7 and 49 and over, $5. Contact howard@2young2retire.com ASAP!
Keep warm and keep smiling,
Howard and Marika
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