I have been through the process of living in a post-career environment, and I know it can be unsettling. But in the course of my work, I don't rely only on my own experience or only on formal research reports.
I have also talked to literally hundreds of post-career Americans engaged in post-career work, such as:
- a part-time barista at Starbucks,
- entrepreneurs who have started new business ventures…some even exporting to overseas markets;
- a volunteer soccer coach for a girls' soccer team,
- paid consultants in a variety of jobs – from knowledge workers to blue collar workers,
- a part-timer who sacks groceries at a Safeway…and another who ferries Hertz rental cars to airports,
- a SCORE volunteer one day week,
- the chairman of the lay council of a local parish – a job that consumes about 15 hours a week; and others.
Nearly all described themselves as "retired" though not one had withdrawn, taken leave, or retreated from the action and passions of life.
Unfortunately, we do not yet have a language to describe people who continue to be fully engaged in life, including work, after they leave their careers…and words like "retirees," "oldsters," "elders" and the like don't work. This is amazing when you stop to consider that we have good studies based on reliable data to indicate that as many as two-thirds to three-fourths (66% to 75%) of later-life Americans want and expect to continue to work in their post-career years.
The Bonus Years Living blog is designed to show the cultural transformation that is taking place in America. This is a result of the remarkable determination of so many later-life Americans to remain engaged in work that will allow them to continue to use their gifts of time, treasure and talent to help others and repair the world.
We also invite those in the larger community to submit their own stories or to tell us about inspiring stories they have encountered in their family, neighborhood, or other venue where later-life Americans can be found fully engaged in the world of work. If you have ideas along these lines, please leave us a message: Contact Us.
Tending to the future of our community is a “worthwhile thing”
Eddie Sutton is 79 years old. Many in their bonus years will remember Sutton as the first basketball coach to lead four Division I schools to the NCAA finals, including two to the Final Four: Arkansas in 1978 and Oklahoma State, Sutton’s alma mater, in 1995 and 2004. Award-winning journalist and Sutton fan Roger Rosenblatt…
Important life lessons spring from overcoming disabilities
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Perspective. That’s one of the advantages of the bonus years. As you pass through your late 50s and then into the 60s and 70s and beyond, you are able to take a more measured assessment of life’s events. Your thinking and understanding…
A vigil is a good time to reflect on life’s transitions
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland. It began 12 days ago when we received a phone call from family friends who retired in Florida. They had stopped by to visit my mother, known to her friends as Ginny. Ginny is “97 and three-fourths” — her words — and…
Math professor retires to new challenge in medical research
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” So said Mark Twain. But don’t even think about saying this to Charles Mylander. Mylander is a statistician. Actually, he is much more than that. After earning an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Bowdoin College…
Annapolitan dancer and choreographer just keeps on dancing
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Some people change lanes when they come to their bonus years. Examples: The attorney shifts to volunteer work for a food bank. The accountant drives a school bus. The plumber reboots as a Little League coach. Others stay more or less in…
Reaching down to lift up another is a good exercise
“Every day is Saturday.” So said Annapolitan Cynthia Palmer when I asked her how she liked retirement. Before retiring, Cynthia was a high-performing research manager at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). With degrees in biology and economics, she coordinated the work of more than 160 organizations engaged in research to develop…
What about a Caregivers Corps to help neighbors to age in place
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Remember the old cartoon showing the engineer proudly holding his diploma and flanked by his parents on graduation day? The caption says, “Five years ago I couldn’t spell engineer, but now I are one.” Well that same kind of thing happened to…
Woodworking, water colors and a pick-up truck: How lifelong attitudes and practices shape encore careers
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland History’s view of Calvin Coolidge, the conservative Republican who served as the 30th president of the US, is enjoying a renaissance. It began with the presidency of Ronald Reagan; it continues with biographer Amity Shlaes’ new book, “Coolidge,” published last month by…
High performance comes naturally to bonus years’ exemplar
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Some people are “early bloomers.” Mozart and Beethoven come to mind. Some people are “shooting stars” – like many athletes, most chess players and some business, political and military leaders – people who shine brightly in their 20s and 30s and then…
The portfolio life has many profiles, including life as a DJ
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland We were passing through the entrance to Pelican Landing, an upscale community just north of Naples, Florida, where we were visiting some Annapolitan snow-birds. A sign on the gatehouse announced a BYOB community dinner – from 5:00 to 6:30. You know…