Bonus Years Biographies

Brenda Schoener
"We should not wait till the end to talk about life's lessons."

Craig Sewell
"I'm not changing my game. I'm just changing my approach to the game."

Ted Levitt
He has a small placard in his living room which says, “I’m not retired. I’m just getting started.”
Retirement is surely a dead-end idea…literally. Retirement is also a recent idea….and a pretty depressing idea, at that. Look it up in the dictionary. My Oxford says to “retire” is to withdraw, go away. retreat, give up, seek seclusion. Sounds like fun! The Oxford definitions include “retiring from the world” or “to retire unto oneself” or to become unsociable, uncommunicative, withdrawn from society. Who wouldn't want to do that?
But we have a different idea. We believe that successful aging is best achieved by active engagement with others.
Never miss a Bonus Years update!
We take your inbox seriously. No ads. No appeals. No spam.
We provide — and seek from you — original and curated items that make life
in the Bonus Years easier to understand and easier to navigate.
"It’s better to wear out than rust out.” That is the message of Reboot! For men and women navigating change and planning for life’s transitions – all the while striving to finish well – Reboot! provides a roadmap for living a life of meaning, challenging the reader to be a Luminary not a retiree. Burgess boldly asserts that retirement is a deadly disease, and that work after a life of work is the best option for post-career years that are meaningful, productive, healthy, and satisfying.
The Length of Our Days
Days in the average American life span
Average life expectancy in days at age 65
Chances to leave a legacy
Bonus Years Columns
Unabridged articles from my weekly Bonus Years column in the
Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital Gazette, Annapolis, Maryland
Grandchildren have been the greatest joy among the disruptions of 2020
There’s no stopping the Showstoppers, not even the coronavirus
Storytelling is a great way to pass family legacies to grandkids
The American Thanksgiving is likely to be different this year
Berkman’s “lifequake” sent him on a mission to end prison slavery
Nana time is the latest response to coronavirus disruptions

Nice to meet you!
I’m a Bonus Years guy. My business is helping Luminaries navigate age-related transitions – and writing interesting stories about those who do it successfully.
My aim: To inspire others to do the same.