As we get ready to ring in the new year yet one more time, set a few minutes aside to view this video and think about the vast sea of humanity that we live in. It amazes me how fast the world around me continues to change and yet I feel like I am moving in slow motion. When I was younger, I used to feel bigger than life. I could take on any challenge (I am woman; hear me roar). I was the center of the universe and all life revolved around me. As I grew older, possibly even wiser, I began to move from that center and found myself moving in a new cycle, one that revolved around my children. As every year passed, I found myself growing farther away as I gave them the space to be independent; and then, finally I reached an orbital path that was close enough to be there if they needed me, but far enough away to encourage them to go off on their own. I was comfortable orbiting there and wanted it to last forever, but nothing stays the same for long. Read more »
I love what I do, I make decent money, my kids are grown up and independent and I am strong and healthy. Call me oblivious, but I was at a point in my life where I had few worries and every day held a new promise. It’s strange, but when the economy was stable and my investments were growing, I hardly gave much thought to retirement. I knew that I was going to wait until I reached 66 but I didn’t think much past that. However, that seems to have changed considerably since this past October. Lately every thought in my head, every plan that I make seems to be overshadowed by the damage done to my retirement fund. I can’t stop thinking about my future; will I have enough money or will I have to work longer? With the contributions I have been making over the years, I always assumed that I would have more than enough to settle into my golden years without worry but, I can’t loose this nagging feeling that it isn’t going to be enough. I have talked to friends who feel the same way too. It’s such a rude wake up call that none of us were expecting and it is coloring every move we make.
An article in US News & World Report reminded me to let go of these negative thoughts because there are still many reasons to be optimistic about my retirement prospects. One of the best reasons is that Social Security guarantees cost-of-living increases. I had forgotten this simple fact and even though most years that increase isn’t much, it does help. The government is going to have to find a better way to manage Social Security, but they are never going to do away with it for those of us who have already paid into it. You know it’s funny, but as I read this article, I also realized that I don’t need to start drawing down my 401K immediately after I retire. I can wait until I am 70 1/2, so that still gives me 10-1/2 years to recoup my losses (not 6) if I need it. Compound that with the fact that I am still investing regularly and getting bargain prices, means that my losses should evaporate much more quickly when the economy begins its upswing. There are still some concerns I have about medicare and health insurance in general, but I need to see what this new administration proposes before I decide what I need to do about that. Right now, while I am working, I have good insurance so I don’t need to worry about that for a while.
I know we are in for a bumpy ride and a lot can happen in the next six years but I think that things are going to be financially okay for me and I will be able to stick with my retirement goals. If not, I will work another year or two. After all, it’s not the worst thing that could happen.
It isn’t always easy to get into the gym and have productive workouts even when things are going well and you have good intentions of taking care of yourself. But now, the holidays are upon us and we think we have a good excuse to kick back and put our exercise routine on hold for a while. But, according to Dr. Peter Snell, the major benefits of exercise come from regular workouts so we need to find time to stick with our exercise routine despite the excuses. Dr. Snell offers several suggestions that might help. For instance, we can combine exercise with socializing. Grab your friends and go skating, take a hike in the woods or build a snowman together. It will bring out the kid in you and what fun a change of scenery can add to both spending time with friends and getting exercise; not to mention the memories you are creating. Another idea is to change up your exercise routine. Try alternating high and low intensity workouts to get more exercise in in a shorter period of time. And finally, use stress as an excuse to get that exercise routine in. Taking some time at the gym will help relieve tension and help make it easier to sit back, relax and enjoy the holiday offerings. Remember, these days we have with friends and family are treasures and it would be a shame to tarnish them because we are too stressed to fully enjoy them. Read more »
NEVER SAY NEVER - Ten years ago, I moved to a very rural northern town. Isolated from friends and family, my children worried about me, especially driving at night and so they gave me a cell phone for Christmas. I never wanted a cell phone, and I definitely wasn’t going to get hooked on one, After all, I had done without one for my first 50 plus years so why would I need one now? Boy was I off base on that one! My first “mobile” phone was a one piece, black “Nokia” brand phone - it didn’t flip open, had no “sliding feature”, it didn’t offer texting, didn’t have the Internet, it had no camera, no fancy downloadable ring tones – it was just a newer, smaller, portable version of the simple old ma bell phone I grew up with. I didn’t have the heart to tell my children that service was iffy at best this far north making reception pour even on clear days; but, I used the rationale that it would be handy to have in case of EMERGENCIES. So, I threw it in my purse along with the other non-essentials I carry and tried to forget about it. However, like most rural areas, time eventually catches up up with us and signal towers began popping up among the trees and along our highways. My phone began to ring on occasion and the more I talked on it, the more I grew addicted to this wireless “demon” and soon we became one! It became a semi-permanent attachment to my ear and it was never far from reach – I learned to drive, shop and walk one-handed! I was content and all was right with the world. But my coming of age in this techno-phase didn’t end there. The cell phone industry created new and better, faster, more hi-tech phones that my children felt necessary to bestow upon me. Alas, I was left in the wireless dust! I was lucky to be able to program in the names and phone numbers of friends and family, but all of a sudden there were more options on my phone: display options, screen saver choices, ring tones, text messaging, etc. - all too overwhelming for a novice such as me. Read more »
Having just come from the doctor’s office, where I went for a routine yearly checkup, I was shocked to be told that my blood pressure is high, 150/120. For the last 60 years, my blood pressure has been perfect - 120/80. No matter what I ate or how I lived, it never fluctuated. But today, it decided to shoot through the roof. My doctor was very concerned and told me to purchase a digital blood pressure meter and monitor my blood pressure 3 times a day over the course of the next week and report back. Having never been overly concerned about blood pressure, I was clueless as to how blood pressure affected my healthy. So, as soon as I got home, I decided to do some investigation on the Internet. Read more »
I have spent many Sunday mornings sitting in front of my computer searching for Baby Boomers who blog. Sure, there is the Eons website to consider, and Get Rich without Working websites, but I am looking for 60+ people who have embraced the power of the Internet and created their own pages. As I have struggled to put forth this masterpiece (it is to me), I have realized that what comes so easily for children of the 21st century has been a difficult journey for me and now I wonder how many others who are my age deal with the challenges of blogging. I have recognized that my language is not the techno-centric English of this generation, but instead, the archaic language of black and white TV shows and rock and roll music. Yet, I am a ’60s flower-child who believes that growing old doesn’t have to boring and to stay in touch with the universe means that we have to adopt or adapt the most current modes of communication. After all, when Ma Bell put telephone lines into our small rural community, my mother didn’t hesitate. She was among the first to request a home phone - even if it meant sharing a party line with our gossipy neighbor. Am I alone in these uncharted senior citizen waters or are there others out there that feel the need to take ownership of the Internet? Has anyone put Creating a Blog on their Bucket List? While I am still trying to figure out what role I want this to play in my life, I feel this strong need to get prepared.