Michael and Debbie Campbell
Today I’m sharing inspiring stories about people who are thrilled about the second half of life.
You’ve heard the term “aging in place”? Michael and Debbie Campbell, both retired, reject such a concept. Instead, they put their own home up for rent on AirBnB.com, and travel around the world, staying in rental homes for extended periods, purely to enjoy learning about a different part of the world. If you want to read more about them, click here.
This born inventor was told that engineering schools didn’t allow females to enroll. Eighty years later, Barbara Beskind landed her dream job: technology designer in Silicon Valley. Now she spends every day working with young people and inventing to her heart’s content. You can read her story here. There’s more about Barbara in an interview with National Public Radio here.
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Chris Farrell
Chris Farrell is senior economics contributor at Marketplace for American Public Media. He’s also economics commentator for Minnesota Public Radio. In his new book, Unretirement: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community and the Good Life, Farrell says that what scares people the most about getting older isn’t aging – it’s retirement. These days, people are asking, “What does retirement mean? What does my last third of life mean?” He says, “The most valuable asset an older person has is their network. The people that they’ve known over the years. Tap into that and start exploring, ‘What can I do next?’” You can read the interview here.
Geri Shapiro
Geri Shapiro, aide to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, works every day in the thick of politics. She’s getting her second wind at 70-something, and says one of the best things about being older is “That it is really OK for a woman to be Type A., ambitious and competitive; I am finally there!!” You can read more about this human fireball here.
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LATE ADDITION: This morning I’m featured on Seniorpreneur, a blog in the United Kingdom that focuses on encore careers. I hope you’ll stop by and say hello! Click here.
On Friday, we’ll talk more about the six stages of adult development. Have a great week!
Hi Lynne…
Pre-retirement contemplation is very helpful and important; however, until one actually “makes the leap” it is really difficult to know how it will feel “on the other side.”
As an educator, I was fortunate to have extended time away from my work. I knew what it felt like to have approximately two months off every summer, and I know that made a huge difference in how I approached retirement.
Another benefit I enjoyed was being a middle school guidance counselor. Every time I did any “career planning” with our students, I was considering my own future.
Good information here and on Seniorpreneur, Lynne!
Sue
Thank you Lynne — you always do such excellent research (and always with a heart)
Good to hear from you, Heather!
Lynne, I’m never going to feel badly about being “retired” again. Not that I’m not enjoying living life on my own terms but these people are the poster children for making the most of those ‘Golden Years”. Thank you for sharing so many inspirational stories. Now I’m going to hop on over to your guest post on Seniorpreneur for what I’m sure is another inspirational post. Cheers~
Welcome back from your Lenten hiatus, Kathy. What a trip that must have been, to be “unplugged” most of 40 days.
Thanks,Lynne. It feels good to be back in the fray!
What a wonderfully inspiring post! Although I don’t see myself re-entering the workforce, I have been thinking lately (after almost one year of retirement under my belt) that I’d like to have a bit more to show for my time.
My husband and I have put some thought into extended travel and are curious about AirBnB, VRBOs, and home swaps. What a wonderful way to feel immersed in a culture.
And, congrats on the Seniorpreneur feature! You brought up a lot of the time management concerns that I have had lately.
Janis, that’s the funny part about being retired – one of them, anyway: we have to figure out how to act! Do we lay about and waste it? Try to look good/exercise/diet or let go and relax? Throw away all our business attire? Only wear flats from now on? I’m still working on formulating a normal routine. And what fun to have the freedom to do so.
the United Kingdom!!! I am so proud to call you my friend. WOW!!
Thanks, Sis!
In 1965, halfway back to the dorm I lived in at Park College (now Park University) in suburban Kansas City, Missouri, I thought to myself, “I want to make the world a better place for having passed this way.”
Now, 50 years later, I’m concluding the nightly blog posts I’ve transcribed from the diaries I kept, in A 1961-65 Park College Diary. I’ve been asked to help plan the Class of 1965 50th year reunion.
On Twitter I initially became acquainted with other writers and posted writing-related tweets. Now I have a new project: as a supporter of Hillary Clinton since Bill Clinton first ran for the presidency, I’m publishing RTs and tweets in favor of Condoleezza Rice becoming a Democrat again and running with Clinton to become the first female administration.
Wow, Barbara, your energy inspires me. Best wishes with your campaign. You are definitely keeping your promise of 50 years ago.