Bonus Years Lifestyles

The portfolio life has many profiles, including life as a DJ

By Phil Burgess | January 27, 2013

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…

After 50, it’s family, friends and work that count the most

By Phil Burgess | January 20, 2013

Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland I had just turned 16 when it happened. I had a glossy, new driver’s license in my billfold.  I was driving my father’s new DeSoto down 9th Street in Lafayette, Indiana.  The car was packed with friends as we headed over to…

Using the gift of time to promote economic literacy and civility

By Phil Burgess | January 13, 2013

Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Richard Bach, the American author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and other best-sellers, once said, “A great life is the sum total of the worthwhile things you’ve been doing one by one.”  Everyone entering his or her bonus years should tack this quote…

A tip from a “long-standing” friend, not an “old” friend

By Phil Burgess | January 6, 2013

Last week, I wrote about the many similarities between the very young and the very old – such as shared preference for soft foods, naps, battery-driven vehicles, and sometimes even diapers.  Well, the roof caved in. I received 31 responses to my commentary after three days, and most of them were along the lines of…

Do what you will, but don’t take the keys to my car

By Phil Burgess | December 30, 2012

Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland I am writing from southwest Florida — in Naples — where we are spending the holidays with my soon-to-be 96-year-old mother and are surrounded by many interesting and lively people, also in their bonus years. Some are here year around; others are…

Consumables and experiences trump “stuff” on Christmas

By Phil Burgess | December 23, 2012

Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Buying a Christmas gift for a friend or relative in their bonus years can be a challenge.  What kind of gift do you buy for the person who has everything or for a parent or bonus years friend who is an empty-nester…

The valuable wisdom of a grandparent educates the kids

By Phil Burgess | December 16, 2012

Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland December is a good time of the year, especially in the world’s Judeo-Christian cultures.  For those of the Jewish faith, these weeks mark the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah, a time of joy, renewal and thanksgiving that commemorates a revolt by the Jews…

Bonus years can work, for better or for worse

By Phil Burgess | December 9, 2012

This past week, Pope Benedict XVI inspired many with his comment that it is “beautiful to be old.”  The 85-year-old pontiff, who now uses a cane and has eyesight problems, also acknowledged that age brings challenges and difficulties.  While visiting elderly residents of Sant’ Egidio Community in a Rome neighborhood near the Vatican, he said,…

Something old, something new makes a portfolio

By Phil Burgess | December 2, 2012

Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland “On April 9, 1940, the very day that the Nazis invaded Norway, a young Swedish nurse received a life-changing letter.  It contained an improbable wedding proposal from the man she loved – a Norwegian living more than three thousand miles away across…

The ‘fastest clipper in the East’ is not about to retire

By Phil Burgess | November 18, 2012

Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Shortly after moving to Annapolis in 1993, I learned about the city’s ethnic diversity and rich history of immigration.  About a year later, I met one of those immigrants, an Annapolitan by the name of Savvas Yiannoulou (rhymes with “Honolulu”).  Savvi, as…