The New Rules of Aging: What Matters More After 70 Than It Did at 50
There is a strange thing about getting older. Some of the things that seemed terribly important at 50 matter less. And some of the things we barely noticed become enormously important. At 50, you may think mostly about work. Income. Mortgage payments. Children. Career. Retirement savings. At 70, 80, and beyond, the priorities begin to […]
Aging Longer Changes the Question: It Is Not Just How Long You Live, But How You Live
We have entered a new age. Not simply old age. Not simply retirement. The Age of Longevity. People are living longer than previous generations ever expected. That is one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine, public health, nutrition, sanitation, and technology. But living longer creates a new question. For most of history, people worried […]
The Third Rail of Aging: When Independence Ends Before Life Does
We talk a great deal about living longer. We celebrate longevity. We talk about retirement, Social Security, Medicare, travel, grandchildren, staying active, and enjoying the years we worked so hard to reach. But there is another part of longevity that receives far less attention. What happens when life continues, but independence does not? That may […]
Your World Can Get Smaller Before You Do
One of the strangest things about aging is that life does not always become smaller all at once. It happens quietly. You stop driving at night. Then you stop going somewhere because parking is difficult. A restaurant feels too noisy. A long walk feels like too much trouble. A friend moves away. Another friend becomes […]
How Old Are You, Really? The Old Definition of Aging No Longer Fits
There was a time when turning 65 meant something very specific. Retirement. A rocking chair. Slowing down. Maybe a little gardening. And, if we are being completely truthful, society quietly began treating you as though the interesting part of your life was already behind you. That idea made a certain amount of sense when people […]
How Old Are You, Really? Why Your Birthday May Be the Least Important Number
Ask someone how old they are and they will usually give you a number. Sixty eight. Seventy four. Eighty one. Ninety. But does that number really tell you very much? Not necessarily. Two people can be exactly the same age and live completely different lives. One may be traveling, exercising, working, learning new technology, dating, […]
Life Happens. Are You Ready for It?
There comes a point in life when you realize something nobody bothered to mention when you were younger: Life does not care about your schedule. You can plan carefully. You can save money. You can take care of your health. You can do almost everything right. And then life walks through the front door carrying […]
Your Future Self Is Counting on You
There is someone depending on you today. Someone whose health, independence, finances, friendships, mobility, and quality of life will be influenced by the decisions you make right now. That person is not your spouse. Not your children. Not your doctor. It is your future self. The person you will be five years from now. Ten […]
Life Happens. Are You Ready?
We spend the first half of life preparing for things. School. A career. Marriage. Children. Buying a house. Saving for retirement. Then retirement finally arrives and we’re supposed to believe the planning is finished. That’s a dangerous assumption. Because life does not stop happening when you turn 65. In some ways, it becomes less predictable. […]
Elderhood 2027: A New Way to Think About Growing Older
For most of human history, getting older came with a fairly simple expectation. You slowed down. You retired. Your world became smaller. Your health gradually declined. And eventually, you learned to accept that decline as the natural price of aging. But as we enter 2027, that old picture is becoming harder to defend. We are […]