Posts by Phil Burgess
Plant a tree, water a flower, trim a perennial and change the world
Adm. William McRaven, a retired four-star and Navy SEAL – and retired Chancellor of the University of Texas System – used his commencement speech to the UT-Austin Class of 2014, to advise, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” McRaven, who directed the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin…
Read MoreI Care a Lot (2020)
Storyline Poised with sharklike self-assurance, Marla Grayson is a professional, court-appointed guardian for dozens of elderly wards whose assets she seizes and cunningly bilks through dubious but legal means. It’s a well-oiled racket that Marla and her business partner and lover, Fran, use with brutal efficiency on their latest “cherry,” Jennifer Peterson – a wealthy…
Read MoreGrandchildren have been the greatest joy among the disruptions of 2020
As we approach the end of 2020, many I talk to are saying this year can’t end too soon. And for good reason. The year 2020 has been filled with a lot of noise and friction we would like to forget. An ugly impeachment. A one-of-a-kind presidential election. Unprecedented and deadly forest fires that erupted…
Read MoreThere’s no stopping the Showstoppers, not even the coronavirus
Three years ago, I dropped in on the South County Senior Center in Edgewater just to see what was going on. Though I was familiar with the Wiley Bates senior center in Annapolis – an impressive place with many benefits, from history and art classes to hot lunches, for area seniors – the south county…
Read MoreStorytelling is a great way to pass family legacies to grandkids
This year’s Thanksgiving included just Mary Sue and me and a longtime friend who has spent Thanksgiving with our family for more than a decade. Normally, Thanksgiving will include 14-18 family members and friends around the table beginning around 3:00 pm – and would include drop-in visits of other friends and neighbors, some singing around…
Read MoreThe American Thanksgiving is likely to be different this year
Michael Lindell is a friend of mine. I’m not talking about Minnesota’s Michael Lindell who is seen daily on TV promoting “My Pillow” – the one with the Giza cotton. I’m talking about Michael Lindell, the Australian cartoonist, the one who signs his work “Mikko”. During the nearly four years I lived in Australia (2005-08),…
Read MoreBerkman’s “lifequake” sent him on a mission to end prison slavery
Just when everything seems to be going smoothly, life sometimes hits you in the head with a brick: cancer, a heart attack or other life-threatening illness; the loss of a loved one; a business failure or financial crisis; a physical disability, depression or other mental health challenge. Most of us have had our share of…
Read MoreNana time is the latest response to coronavirus disruptions
For those in their bonus years, the shift to retirement is one of the most important transitions they will make. Especially today because ours is the first generation to reach its bonus years with the likelihood of living an additional 20-30 years – many to age 90-plus. Increasing longevity is why a life plan to…
Read MoreInter-generational signs of civility give hope for a future without demonizing
Some years ago, I remember a Today Show interview with an age 60+ grandmother who loved to ride her Harley. She and her husband had planned a motorcycle trip around America, but he passed unexpectedly, so she did it herself. Thousands of miles. Mostly on state and county roads. When asked, “What about your trip…
Read MoreFrom WWII island hopping and the A-bomb to surgeon, civic leader, centenarian
This article was originally published with the title “Phil Burgess: World War II vet says Truman’s decision to use A-bomb saved U.S. lives”. Thursday marked the 75th anniversary of the first wartime use of an atomic weapon when, on August 6, 1945, the US bombed the Japanese port city of Hiroshima. Today is also a…
Read MoreThe Navy and Rotary are bookends of a life serving others
Like many others in their bonus years, my K-12 years were marked by the Cold War between the US and the former Soviet Union, which included a nuclear arms race and later the space race. This stirred my interest in national security policy, which led to a 30-year career as a professor teaching national security…
Read MoreAnnapolis Rotary adapts crab feast to coronavirus pandemic
Adaptation. That’s a specialty of human beings. Most do it really well. The idea of adaptation is at the center of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr’s often-quoted “Serenity Prayer” – which says, “Accept the things you cannot change; change the things you can; and have the wisdom to know the difference”. Using that wisdom certainly applies to…
Read MoreAt age 100, Annapolitan centenarian is still using his gifts
A few weeks back, we noted the US Census Bureau’s forecast that the US will have 130,000 centenarians by 2030, up from 53,000 in 2010. Two weeks ago, on June 26, 2020, the Annapolis area did its part, when Ken Nagler of Edgewater, a Bonus Years subject from yesteryear, celebrated his 100th birthday. Kenneth Nagler…
Read MoreAge-proofing the home is needed for successful aging-in-place
With nine out of 10 Americans aging in place and with more Americans living into their mid-80s and mid-90s, finding ways to create an age-friendly living environment is high on the agenda of aging Americans in every region of the country. Downsizing or moving to single-level living is one approach. Renovating an existing home is…
Read MoreWith increasing longevity, boomers are the first ‘older generation’
Oliver Brown, age 62, lives in Newcomb, Maryland, located on the Miles River between Easton and St. Michaels. Because of increasing longevity among Americans – adding more than 30 years during the last century – Brown, an aging boomer by most standards, considers himself a “proud member of the first, new, older generation”. There’s a…
Read MoreEngineer who helped US subs run silent also plays accordion
After reading last week’s Bonus Years column on assisted living and other types of senior housing that have developed over the years, Annapolitan Dick Schoeller gave me a call. “Hey, Phil,” he said, “I read your column today. I took a different path. We should talk.” Anytime I get a call from Dick Schoeller I…
Read MoreNew assisted living and memory care choices come to Annapolis
Over the years, we’ve been treated to many expert forecasts that have turned out to be wrong. Among the most flagrant were forecasts after the 1970 Census about the coming “grey tsunami” and how the rapid growth of aging Americans would overwhelm everything – from housing to hospitals. Well, the “grey tsunami” part happened. The…
Read MoreRe-opening advances as knowledge of the pandemic grows
“If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made.” Those in their bonus years, who went to school before “modern” history books, will be familiar with this laconic but also profound observation. It’s often credited to German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck – the celebrated 19th century general and political leader who created…
Read MorePost-pandemic cultural change likely, but how much?
For nearly two months, we’ve been called to “shelter in place” as part of a public health strategy to beat the coronavirus. Like most others our family has complied. At first, I was proud of our compliance, but as time passed, I’ve realized it was a forced change in lifestyle because we didn’t have a…
Read MoreIt’s good that the re-opening pace is in the hands of governors, right?
One of many privileges of reaching your bonus years is your ability, occasionally, to use aging as an excuse for curmudgeonly behavior. That’s good because the coronavirus pandemic and the way it’s discussed by experts in the media – including many “pretend experts” – has brought out the curmudgeon in me. One of the things…
Read MoreRetired physician takes a time-out before re-entering the fray
“Fifty years ago, I made a decision to go to George Washington University medical school. I’ve never regretted it. Now, having turned 75, I decided it’s time to retire.” Those were the words of Dr. Robert Greenfield, our family physician since we moved to Annapolis in 1993. Greenfield continued, “I’m so grateful for the opportunity…
Read MoreWe’re all in the same boat; it’s called ‘Gen V’ – for Generation Virus
Last week, the US President and the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued federal guidelines for states to follow to re-open the nation’s economy. This decision caught the attention of many – especially grassroots Americans and those in their bonus years, i.e., those most likely to die from the coronavirus if they are infected. This…
Read MoreWhen in doubt, consult wisdom based on decades of experience
The coronavirus is hitting older Americans harder than any other age cohort. Older Americans are vulnerable because many have pre-existing conditions that make them susceptible to the disease. Some infection data show, for example, that a 76-year-old is 20 times more likely than a 36-year-old to die from COVID-19. Many others cannot isolate themselves because,…
Read MoreDespite social distancing, you can increase social engagement
These past three weeks of so-called “social distancing” have, ironically, been some of the most “socially connected” we’ve experienced in our life. Indeed, for those of us in our bonus years, there are lots of folks to connect with, so we’ve been “socially connecting” all over the place – both in time and space. In…
Read MoreSafe at home during coronavirus pandemic, remember blessings don’t always roar
A recurring bonus years’ theme is the idea that with age comes perspective and balance, virtues born of knowledge and experience. Sometimes we flaunt it. Think of the comment, “I’ve seen this movie before” – as a know-it-all flashes his or her familiarity with what’s going on and how it’s going to end. More often,…
Read MoreDr. Fauci’s knowledge and authority show value of age and experience in pandemic management and messaging
How old is old? After spending another week in isolation but observing the daily reports of the White House coronavirus task force – and especially the remarkable leadership of Dr. Anthony Fauci (age 79), the public face of the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic – it’s noteworthy that people aren’t questioning the advanced…
Read MoreDr. Deborah Birx is the grandmother coordinating the White House response to the coronavirus
“I’m also a grandmother.” Those were among the first words she spoke as she stepped up to the White House podium last week to answer a question about the coronavirus, the new flu that has changed the daily life of nearly every person on the planet. Her name is Dr. Deborah Birx, age 63, a…
Read MoreGifts of a lifetime can be used to free the wrongly convicted
Mary Sue and I love movies and are regular moviegoers. As we prepared to return to Annapolis from our annual trek to Southwest Florida, the calendar showed Friday – and, no matter what, Friday night is movie night. So, instead of cleaning and packing, we headed out to see Just Mercy – described by reviewer…
Read MoreBonus Years on Changing the Rules Podcast
Listen as we chat with Ray Loewe about living with purpose in your Bonus Years! EPISODE SUMMARY “It’s better to wear out than to rust out.” This is the wisdom Phil Burgess found after “failing at retirement twice.” After his several false starts at retirement, and lots of self-reflection, Phil wrote a book called, “Reboot:…
Read MoreStuff matters less in retirement. Give experiences.
With only three shipping days till Christmas, last-minute gift-buying can be a source of tension. Some gift-buying decisions are easy. For example, for young ones, there’s the rule of four: something they want; something they need; something they wear; and something they read. However, gift-buying for friends or relatives in their bonus years can be…
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