What is your (non-financial) legacy
Many people think legacy is meant for those who have a lot of money and are known as philanthropists. Or they are people such as Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa, activists and saints doing important work. But we can all leave a legacy. Whilst we are likely to leave money to family and other […]
The new old age
Interesting Article in The Atlantic by David Brooks – The New Old Age. This article is in line with my research into rethinking retirement and has an emphasis on the programmes created by leading universities such as Stanford University – Distinguished Careers Institute. These take successful older people into a year or so where they […]
Exploring Age with Perspective
As I go through life’s journey, I often think about how our views on age change. In my early twenties, I felt like time was flying by, making me feel old. Now, at 66, I face different challenges, like dealing with physical issues and knee pain. But, that’s just part of getting older. Physiotherapy might […]
From Midlife to Milestones: Navigating a Century of Opportunities
My main focus is on the retirement transition, but we can also consider our future earlier, around midlife. With children born today likely to live to 100, there is much talk of the 100-year life. So around 50 we move into the second half of life. The Government have been talking about Midlife MOTs, I’ve […]
40 Years Later: Revisiting Maggie Kuhn’s Vision for a World without Ageism
I’ve recently watched a video with Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers, dedicated to fighting age discrimination. It’s from 40 years ago and the interviewer will be my age or older now. I wonder if she thinks differently now?. Key Messages The interviewer begins by asking what Maggie thinks of the terms: golden agers, mature […]
Why do you say that you are too old? It’s the transition not our age that we need to consider
So much of life is a transition, I’ve spent 3 years focused on the transition from full-time work and have both research evidence and practical experience that people will have thoughts on what they can, and can’t do, based on age. It is not true that our capacity to learn diminishes with age. Yes, we […]
The importance of friendship in later life
I’ve been working with The Oddfellows friendly society to promote Friendship Month. This is a way of raising awareness of the organisation and to promote the benefits of making new friends. Oddfellows commissioned a survey of 2,000 over 55s in the UK and looked into the social relationships of older adults. The results included that […]
A letter from my 70-year-old self
Today I’m 66. This is the day I get my state pension. A year ago, I spent my birthday reflecting at my wood. Reading poems and notes sent by friends. Watch the video here. This year I’m going away for a few days with my partner, visiting Hawkstone Follies, which I last visited over 25 […]
Loneliness and Legacy: Navigating Transitions, Making an Impact, and Fostering Social Connections
Overview This article delves into the profound impact of loneliness on individuals’ health and well-being, highlighting its equivalence to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Through an evidence-based approach, I explore original research reports, including an extensive booklet from the US Surgeon General, to shed light on the wide-ranging implications of loneliness on physical and mental […]
How old are you in your head?
On ageing …. I want to share a couple of sections from my forthcoming book (on its way to my editor by the end of the week to enter pre-publication), and I’d be delighted in any comments you have. 1: How old are you in your head? Gerontology researchers will ask people ‘how old do […]