Phil Burgess - Bonus Years

Annapolis Institute

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“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…

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…

Image of business people playing tug-o-war on a rope

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…

Man pushes a boulder up a hill like the myth of Sisyphus

“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…

Woman shops with mask on to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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…

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,…

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…

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,…

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…

“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…

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…

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:…

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…

As Dr. Seuss might have said, last week was special, special-er than most, because I got to meet Captain Brian Hope. Hope, born on Thanksgiving Day in 1943 in Lowell, Massachusetts, is a man of many talents honed during 76 circumnavigations of the Sun – and many more around the waters of the Chesapeake Bay…

The 111th Naval Construction Battalion landing at Omaha Beach before the Mulberry was installed, 6 June 1944.

Anyone who has read Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation knows that more than 16 million American men and women served in WWII. Though nearly 15.5 million came home, fewer than 400,000 survive – and fewer than 6,000 WWII survivors live in Maryland. Despite the odds, it was my privilege and honor to meet one of…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from Bonus Years in the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, December 1, 2019 We bought a new TV last week – a so-called “smart” TV. In the old days, with dumb TVs, you bought the TV, put it in the trunk, unpacked it when you got home and plugged…

Unabridged Bonus Years Column from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, November 24, 2019 Back in 2017, British demographer and commentator, David Goodhart, introduced the idea of “Somewhere” people and “Anywhere” people – what he calls “the new Great Divide” in the cultures of the UK and US. Tailoring Goodhart, Somewheres are people…

Unabridged Bonus Years Column from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, November 17, 2019 Readers of this space know I’m a fan of “experience gifts” – i.e., instead of gifting stuff gift an experience such as an airplane ticket or a Netflix subscription. Experience gifts are especially suitable for those in their bonus…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from Bonus Years in the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, November 10, 2019 Last week it was my privilege to get to know Bobby Villares, age 62, and his son, Gabe, age 24 – and to learn about Langton Green, a hidden jewel in our community. First, the people. …

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, November 3, 2019 Have you noticed how some individuals and many organizations have a need to do “big” things with their time, talent and treasure? For example, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg – who has been making the rounds in Washington with a…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, October 27, 2019. Tales of the sea abound. Think of The Odyssey by Homer, Melville’s Moby Dick or, more recently, the nearly two dozen novels by Patrick O’Brien such as Master and Man, depicting sea warriors during the Napoleonic Wars – and,…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, October 20, 2019 Last week, I met a guy named James Hatch. Hatch retired after 25 years and 11 months in the Navy, years he described as like riding on a Speeding Train. James Hatch is also the name you’ll see on…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, October 13, 2019 Most writing about aging holds that one of the great blessings of the bonus years is grandparenting. Now that we have two granddaughters, with the older turning four and the younger turning two, we share those views. Fortunately, our…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, October 6, 2019 Over the past decade, Clint Eastwood has presented a provocative profile for aging – both in his personal life and through recent characters he has played in acclaimed films that depict an aging man adapting to a changing culture. …

Remembrances. Reflections. Recollections. Time for musings is clearly a benefit of the bonus years. With each passing year, our life experiences pile up. Some we want to forget, especially memories of those times we got in the way of good judgment. But most memories are rooted in positive anecdotes, rich tales or experiences that tell…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, September 22, 2019 There’s no place like home – and that goes for those in their bonus years as much as for any age group. You would be excused if you thought differently. After all, most news is about those longer in…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, September 15, 2019 “Sublime” is not a word I use very often. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever used it. And a Google graphic tells me I’m not alone because it shows that use of the word sublime has seriously declined…

by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, September 8, 2019 Readers of a certain age will remember Art Linkletter, the radio and television talk-show pioneer who, for 25 years, hosted the Emmy-winning “House Party” and “People are Funny” broadcasts. Of his many achievements, Linkletter is perhaps best known for…

Phil Burgess — President The Annapolis Institute, educator, writer, business executive and former Telstra Group Managing Director, Public Policy and Communications speaks about how Intelligent Control Systems— Sensornetics — are changing management of the Engineered World.

by Phil Burgess, unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, September 1, 2019 Tomorrow is Labor Day, first celebrated in 1882 in New York City. By 1885, Labor Day celebrations had spread to many industrial centers around the US – and in 1894 President Grover Cleveland made it official, formally establishing the…