In Nomadland, a best picture award winning film, the protagonist, Fern (played by Frances McDormand), leaves her hometown after her husband dies and the town’s sole industry closes. She elects to be “houseless” and travels around the United States living in her van. She finds community – and essentially her new sense of home –…
With my first book coming out in the fall, I am paying more attention to bookstores. I’m finding an increasing number of titles related to aging. It’s probably not surprising as the bulge of baby boomers – the oldest of whom are now in their mid-70s – are looking to successfully age, where a longer…
In the 1980s, Nike ascended to a global marketing icon with their advertising campaign “Just Do It.” Athletes from Bo Jackson to Michael Jordan to Roger Federer boiled down their incredible feats to a matter of attitude: don’t overthink it, just do it. Similar thinking applies in the domain of healthy aging: just move it….
We added to our family during the pandemic: we got a bunny. A Holland Lop to be exact. His name is Mr. Cubbington, an unusual name created by our teenage son. Mr. Cubbington is cute and irresistible with his big floppy ears, soft coat of hair and diminutive size. I wasn’t as taken with the…
When I was growing up, I was convinced my mom had found the fountain of youth. She was 38 years old for almost ten straight birthdays. Not 40. Not even 39. Nope – 38 years old was the number. She reached it and it was as if time, for her, stood still. She was never…
I was hoping something magical would happen in 2021. Life would return to “normal.” I understood that flipping the calendar to a new year was more symbolic than significant – the coronavirus doesn’t change its behavior from one year to the next – but, psychologically, I was ready for things to get better. Fast. That…
Simon Sinek’s TEDx Talk, Start with Why, has been viewed over 50 million times. He argues that for leaders to inspire action, articulating the why of the movement is far more important than the what or the how. It turns out the same is true in the context of successful aging. Since thriving over a…
We are working on an outdated paradigm for living argues Dr. Laura Carstensen, Director of the Stanford Center of Longevity. Our society assumes a three-chapter life – education, work and retire – where the final chapter is approximately a decade. However, this narrative doesn’t match the reality for many people today, and certainly won’t match…
9/11 was a life altering event. Like many of us, I can remember exactly where I was when I received word of the attack and saw live footage of the twin towers collapsing. It was a shock to the system. Soon after, pundits speculated how our society would forever change, including how many of us…
An interesting question: How can I successfully age on my own? How can I manage all that’s necessary, from housing to health to health care to finances to purpose and beyond, by myself? The answer: You can’t. Successful aging is a team sport. You need an A-Team.
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