Agewell: Baby Boomer's Thoughts on Ageing

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By Mike Milstein

David Philips left England, travelled widely and lived in other countries before settling in the Nelson area 12 years ago. He is in a good place in life: "I have a great partner with whom I have built a beautiful home on a 10 acre shore front. My chosen work, acupuncture, is challenging and intellectually stimulating. To top it off, I have recently been able to consolidate my work week into four days, leaving three days to pursue other interests."

As he puts it, he leads a 'balanced life,' which includes maintaining and improving his home environment and, in the process, staying physically active. He has discovered what makes him feel positive and healthy and he focuses on making that his daily reality. Being self employed he is able to 'do' his life as he prefers. All it takes, he says, is to decide what level of income he and his partner truly require: "I'm not concerned about amassing a fortune. I live my values." Still, at the age of 56 he has reached an important financial milestone: "This is the first year we are debt free. Psychologically, this is very freeing."

While his major focus is on enjoying life today, David is aware that change is always just around the corner. In fact, he realizes that he is already transitioning into another stage. Recently his father died unexpectedly and this has caused him to think about where his own life may be heading. His father was 76 and in pretty good health when he died, after working at the same job for 40 years and retiring at 65. David says "I can't see myself doing that. I never saw working as happening in a separate category. I think of it as happening for the rest of my life. However, as I've gotten into my 50s I have found I have a bit less energy. It isn't either work or retirement, but adapting to what is right. No cut-off date, just constant review."

Like many baby boomers, David came of age in the 1960s, which was a time when it became a positive value to ask questions. In fact, he says it spawned a generation that has done things differently than his father's generation. For example, he and many other Baby Boomers have moved into their fifties with an attitude that chronological age is irrelevant. He counts amongst his friends people who are as much as twenty years younger and twenty years older than himself. Having such intergenerational friendships has helped him to reflect on his own life's story. In fact, many of his friends are interested in talking about their ageing experiences. "Just talking about it brings it into the daylight. Of course, a glass of wine can turn the conversation into something more profound."

His advice? "Recognize that the stage we are in is not the stage we'll be at in the future." In the past I haven't been afraid of changing directions, turning things on their head. I know I can do that and I will do so in the future if it is what I feel I need to do."

Note: This article was published in The Leader, Nelson, NZ. It summarizes an interview aired on Nelson’s Fresh FM that was conducted by Annie Henry for the Conscious Ageing Network (CAN), which is sponsored by Age Concern, Nelson. If you want to share your thoughts with CAN or wish to know when interviews will be aired, send an email to agewell@xtra.co.nz.

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