In the second of two episodes, we continue our discussion of modern retirement with Steve Lopez, a longtime columnist for the LA Times. Steve is also a four-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and a bestselling New York Times author. His latest book, Independence Day, documents his year-long search for the answer to the question confronting many senior citizens. When is the best time to retire? In his journey to answer the question for himself, he interviewed retirees and people in their golden years who chose not to retire. He discovered that boomers are reinventing retirement to have it both ways. They continue to work or volunteer in areas that are stimulating and fulfilling yet retain the flexibility to relax and enjoy life. Steve received some of his best counsel from Mel Brooks, definitely a non-retiree at age 96. Norman Lear also weighed in with his own philosophy on staying busy and engaged at age 100.
Join us next week when we put on our movie critic hats and suggest a few “movies for seniors”.
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Hi guys, this may be more of an idea for a session than a comment, but I was struck during the Lopez segments of the “white guy” nature of the podcast. Then I realized I shouldn’t be surprised. According to the US Census, racial minorities makes up only a quarter of the population over 65. The most common age for whites is 58… it is 11 for Hispanics. (source: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/30/most-common-age-among-us-racial-ethnic-groups/). Less than half the population under 15 is white. In my state of California, less than 1/4 under 15 is white.
So, what to make of this? As we age, we will see more and more of the Brown taking care of the Gray. You have steered clear of politics, which is good. But maybe this says something about the growing need of older Whites for younger Browns.
Roger–
Thanks for your comment, and thanks for pointing out the “old white guy” nature of the podcast. We are interested in reaching out to a broader audience. So, if you have a suggestion for a future guest who is female and/or non-white, please let us know!