Link to article in Lakeshore Weekly News
Richard was 85 when asked about his outlook on this period of his life. “At the end, I hope I’m going 500 miles an hour with my hair on fire,” he said, metaphorically speaking. Richard always lived vitally, involved in new activities with a healthy mix of friends, especially important after his wife Caroline died.
Think of the favorite older adults in your life; these mentors helped you grow into the person you are today. We owe these older adults a debt of gratitude because they’ve made us and our communities better.
May is Older Americans Month, and it’s a great time to showcase older adults and the contributions they make, as they blaze a trail leaving their positive imprint on all of us.
Just look around our culture; we have presidential candidates who are in their 70s or soon will be. Local sportswriter Sid Hartman has been plying his trade in Minneapolis for nearly 72 years. And when Sid was celebrating his 12th birthday way back in 1932, another beloved Minnesotan, author Laura Ingalls Wilder, was publishing her first book at age 64. We enjoy actors and actresses in their 80s and 90s who remain box office draws. These inspiring seniors rejected retirement; instead they chose to take their skills and abilities, honed over decades, and apply them in new arenas.
Great idea: refiring rather than retiring
The later years represent an exciting period when we can retool and get fired up by new challenges. The baby boomers who are now retiring can expect to live another two decades or longer. So it’s important we maintain a healthy balance of activities and relationships for a vital lifestyle.
California State University researchers have discovered that people who continued working or volunteering after retirement were less prone to health problems and enjoyed better state-of-mind.
At Senior Community Services, we have many senior volunteers who decided to reinvent themselves through new work and passions to blaze a trail of positive impact in the lives of others.
High functioning retired professionals serve as volunteer Medicare counselors, helping retirees navigate the intimidating world of health insurance options. Other volunteers help seniors and caregivers with chores and basic home maintenance so they can remain in their long-time homes. We benefit from staff and board members in their 70s and 80s who are respected experts in their fields.
So rather than seeing retirement as the sunset of life, let’s envision a new beginning with a constellation of opportunities still ahead. It’s a great time to innovate, reinvent and make your mark in many ways. With the luxury of time, and a lifetime of accumulated talents, you can be helpful and productive — blazing your own trail.
So, it’s never too late to make your mark, especially today with seniors able to access a myriad of supportive services needed to maintain safe, healthy and vital lives. There remains great promise among Minnesota’s more than 700,000 older adults and we’re happy to assist them as they blaze new trails.
What a rewarding and gratifying way to help reimagine aging, as Minnesotans grow older.
Deb Taylor is CEO of Senior Community Services (www.seniorcommunity.org) and its Reimagine Aging Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for older adults and helps seniors and caregivers maintain their independence through free or low-cost services.
