Boomer Living | Boomer 55+ Places to Live and Retire

Boomer Points To Ponder For A Purpose

A few months ago I was struggling with finding my purpose in life. I stood in faith. I continued on with my journey in life. I dreamed the dream of my boomer retirement years. Consistently, I looked at Mr. Robert Fowler’s sites, Retirement Media and 55communityguide.com along with his retirement face book pages. I read many inspiring things written by Dr. Wayne Dyer, Maya Angelou and Simon T. Bailey. Most important of all I never lost my faith nor did I quit because I wanted to know my purpose for living my life. I wanted to find a way to help others. In my introduction boomerplaces.com I said that if I could help one person smile, laugh, be encouraged, or enhance an other’s life in any way then my day was a success.

I was contacted by Mr. Fowler asking if I would help him out with a few of his face book pages actually doing what I was already doing by commenting. After taking two days to meditate about this I agreed . In my heart I felt this would be a way to help others. Money was not my motivator. My desire was to post things that I thought would help others. I made it clear to Mr. Fowler that I needed to always be honest and share from my heart. I needed to reach other boomers and maybe just help one. Today I write using my favorite words Live, Laugh, Love and Learn.

To show my gratitude for this opportunity as Valentines Day is near, I want to write just a few points for all of us to ponder on Live, Laugh, Love and Learn as it flows from my heart into this writing.

Live

Don’t waste a moment of life. It is too short. It is precious. It is an adventure. It is a gift. It is a time to help others. It is a time to take action. It is a time to be enjoyed. It is a time to create. It is a time to inspire. It is a time to accomplish. It is a time to meet challenges. It is a time to shift as quoted by Simon Bailey. It is never to late to spread your wings and fly. It is a time to seek your purpose.

Laugh

Smile and give your smile to someone else because it is contagious. Laugh because it is good for your health. Share laughter with others because it brings joy into their lives. Develop a sense of humor because it will help you get through the hard times. A sense of humor will allow you to deal better with life’s problems as each day passes. Try to maintain a positive attitude. What good does it do to live in fear or negativity?

Love

Love because it has the power to change the world. Love because it brings peace and contentment to your heart. Love because it replaces hate. Love because it brings about forgiveness. Love because it is what every human being needs and wants. Love because it shows compassion and kindness. Love has the ability to heal a broken heart. Love because that is what your children need, the elderly need, the neighbor needs, the stranger needs, the homeless need, your family needs, your friends need. Love is what people of all ages, origins, backgrounds, and people of the world need to experience for a life of happiness.

Learn

Learn to improve yourself. Learn to be tolerant. Learn to contribute to life. Learn to be fulfilled. Learn in order to share with others. Learn to be a success. Learn to develop new skills. Learn by studying history to understand today and tomorrow. Learn to understand how to be the best person that you can be. Learn how to give. Learn how to receive. Learn and just keep on learning so that you will always stay open to new and creative ideas. Learn to stay young at heart.

No, I am not Simon T. Bailey, Maya Angleu, Dr. Wayne Dyer or any other well known person that you may have heard of in this life. I do share a common bond with each one of them though. I am a boomer with a purpose. I know in my heart that each one of you have a purpose. Each one of you have a gift. It is just all about finding it and putting it into action. So I leave you with this writing today with a few points to ponder as you seek your purpose in life. I leave you with love and a small piece of my heart!

As quoted by Simon T. Bailey, Confidence makes the Brain grow. Worry, stress, and fear cause your brain to slow down. Be Bold, Be confident, Be Brilliant! It is never to late!

Originally posted 2011-02-09 16:50:26.

Baby Boomers Needs and Wants

Working Boomer remembers a few things that she would like to do again, but is grateful she has all she needs. Boomer Boomers Needs and Wants

Yes, I am 62. Do I like it? NO! Since I can’t change it, I will start by listing a few things that I want. This will be fun!

Do you remember Chubby Checker and his song, Do The Twist? Just for today I would like to hear that song and twist again like we did last summer. Yes, twist and take it ALL AWAY DOWN. I want to take it to the ground without loosing by breath but the pain from arthritis will not allow that.
Then I want to get the hula hoop and swing it around my waist; take it all away up my arm, back down to my waist and down to the ankles. Without loosing a beat, I want to bring it right back up to the waist and swing it baby, swing it! Since my hips and upper portion will not cooperate, forget that for today! The pretty pink hula hoop can be donated to my great grand kids.
I want to listen to Elvis Presley sing, Love Me Tender and Jail House Rock. When I sweat, I want to sweat for the reason that I did when I was Sweet 16 as I watched Elvis move HIS body and sing only to me on the big screen. Now I sweat just getting from my air conditioned car and walking to the Cinema.
Oh my, how I remember screaming when Tom Jones came on stage. I would love to feel and scream like that again. I dare not scream that loud or my lungs might collapse.
My childhood friends and I use to see who could do the best back bend. I want to do that again too. Now I know I must be dreaming on that one. It is a chore just to bend forward and touch my toes.

Now I am going to list a few things that might be possible if I keep a positive attitude.

Since I work, I would love to take a vacation to one of the small towns that I saw on smalltownretirement.com and DO ABSOLUTELY nothing! You got it! I am tired. We boomers need a break today!
If at all possible, I would like to be able to save enough money to live in one of those over 55 communities. I need socialization NOT isolation at my age.
Being single brings on another thought. Do I age in place or check out some skilled nursing facilities. At least I don’t have to do that today. I am NOT THERE YET! As I have said before though, I have to get busy looking into long term care insurance since Medicare does not fully cover skilled nursing in certain situations.
With a little planning it might just be possible to work nine months a year. Then I could write more blogs because I really like doing this. It is fun!

This is today, not yesterday or tomorrow so here is how it really is.

I am grateful for the health that I have. My sense of humor gets me through some tough times.
My children and grandchildren make me proud.
I have a wonderful employer.
Each day is different. Nothing is all bad or all good. It is just how it is.
I still have the ability to choose the type of person that I want to be.

Just for today, I may not have ALL that I want, but I have what I need. Tomorrow is a new day. There are many people out there in the world just like me. It is what is in our hearts that sets us Free! Remember the Love Boomers spoke of back in the day. We still have IT. We are still free to be!

Originally posted 2011-04-20 20:49:17.

Boomers Turn Age 70

We baby boomers are turning age 70!! Can you believe it?

Boomers have never been this old. How do you act when you are 70? I submit, just like we did in our 60’s. No, not the 1960’s, even though I think that would be fun. Nothing has really changed by turning 70, right?

Well yes, a few things are changing. Not over night, but there are signs.

If you have delayed taking your social security, now finally you get to take your full social security check that has been growing. We thought this day would never come. Wow, that is going to be nice and well needed for many of us.

Also at age 70 1/2 we must take our RMD, required minimum distributions from our IRA’s.

So we start drawing our social security benefit and we must start taking annual distributions from our IRAs almost at the same time. Well I think most of us at age 70 are ready for both and have no disagreements with those requirements.

Many boomers vowed never to retire or they couldn’t retire. Guess what, many were forced into retirement because of health reasons or maybe a job layoff.

If you retired in your 60s, then most likely you are now comfortable with your retirement. You have a comfortable routine and do the things you would like to do with your time. Many boomers that are retired, love spending time with their grand children. Some even move across the country to be closer to them.

Around this time (age 70) we or our spouses are dealing with some critical illnesses of some sort, be it diabetes, a stroke, heart attack, mobility problems etc. and we are most likely making room on our schedules for doctor visits.

Most likely a few of our friends have dementia problems starting or maybe advanced. We have two close friends in that boat.

A friend or two most likely has already lost their long time spouse to death.

More than a few of our high school or college school mates have died.

We spend some time on our medicare insurance don’t we. Donut holes and open enrollments we know well.

Having been involved in recent years with a senior center and now living in a Del Webb Active Adult Community, I have a lot of friends that are in their 70s, thus are older than us older boomers. Encouragingly lots of them are active, like to travel, have sharp minds and love to socialize.

We will be travelling through out our 70’s and dare I say 80’s. If we have the means, we don’t mind spending it on travel.

Some take up senior games and become senior athletes.

I have noticed now we don’t even mind being called a senior, even though we still don’t refer to ourselves with that title. We don’t mind the senior discounts, do we.

So another chapter in our lives is unfolding and for the most part we seem to be adjusting quite well.

So we have a lot to look forward to. Some of us are moving to active adult communities, or small towns or even to the city for retirement.

The future is not bleak as long as you have a positive attitude, your health and get out and participate in some activities with folks you like.

Even when you have some health problems, a can do positive attitude sure can go a long ways overcoming those obstacles.

They say at age 70 we only have 15 more years to live, on average. Let’s make the most of it.

Originally posted 2016-12-13 21:34:18.

An Age to Be Grateful Not Just On Thanksgiving

I have noticed some of my friends in the ages around the late 50s to early 60s talking more about being grateful. In my own life I am doing the same. There must be something about being more grateful as we age.

An Age To Be Grateful Not Just on Thanksgiving

I have noticed some of my friends in the ages around the late 50s to early 70s talking more about being grateful. In my own life I am doing the same. There must be something about being more grateful as we age.

It could be we are reflecting more on all the people we have known, the places we have been and the accomplishments and events in our lives. What a life each of us has had up to this point in time!

There are many people we can be thankful for in our lives. Think of the people who were your friends at work who you shared lunch time with. Your colleagues who shared with you, instructed you, who volunteered their time for association meetings as maybe you did too.

Think of your parents who fed and took care of you and sacrificed so your life would be better than theirs. Think back about other family members like brothers and sisters we shared so much of our lives with, aunts and uncles who gave us presents and cared about us. Some of these family members are no longer with us. We probably didn’t tell them at the time but we are now grateful for them.

Think of all the places you have been in your life and all the things you have been fortunate enough to experience. Some of us have traveled to other countries, other states, the nation’s capital, the great Western US, or our National Parks. Maybe you had the experience of attending a World Series, the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby, the Olympics, Indy 500, a Broadway Play, or the Petit LeMans. I am sure you will remember any of those great events and be grateful you made that part of your life. Maybe it was attending a play at your local high school, your church meetings, or volunteering. Then maybe you now recognize that life is a journey and simple things like sitting under a shade tree, sitting by a stream, people watching, or visiting the senior center are all things to be grateful for.

Think of all the things you have accomplished in your life and how grateful you are for them. These may include raising a family, a happy marriage, your education, sports or music, a career, a trade or skill you learned really well. This list could go on but I am betting if you really think about it you are grateful for the opportunity you had to participate in each of these accomplishments.

Now in our everyday life we are becoming more grateful for people we run into like the cashier who smiles and chats with us, the friend who calls and invites us to lunch, a spouse who stays by our side, service workers who wait on our table, clean the hospital and keep this world going. We can show our appreciation by saying thank you, tipping, holding the door open for people and generally recognizing and showing respect to everyone.

My Thanksgiving challenge to you is As we go through life from this point forward we shall live in the present and recognize every experience, person and place we come across in our lives is something to be grateful for. All things big and small is to be appreciated. Showing gratitude helps too. This in turn will make us happier and our lives more fulfilled.

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving take some time to think back on all the things you are grateful for. Maybe this post will jog your memory.

Originally posted 2018-11-21 11:33:18.

10 Opportunities for Socialization

Socialization is important to your quality of you life, especially as we age. Here are 10 tips for socialization and new friendships for baby boomers.

10 Opportunities for Socialization

Socialization is important to your quality of life, especially as we age. Some studies say it’s important in our length of life as well as quality of life. Socialization is important to your physical and mental well being.

We are not only talking about singles meeting people but couples also need socialization and outside friendships. It is healthy for the marriage. You don’t have to be retired either to benefit from these socialization tips.

So you see the need for socialization, but how do you do it, especially if you are not in the workplace anymore, the usual source of many friendships.

So I researched some ideas and then asked my Facebook friends to add to the list. Below is our group sourced list of socialization opportunities.

10 Socialization Opportunities

1. Churches – Phil, Betty Jane and a number of people mentioned church. Churches are a main source of socialization opportunities throughout life. Many churches have senior and single group activities like pot luck dinners and field trips. Betty Jane says: Bible Study Fellowship is a worldwide organization with classes that encourage discussions and participation.

2. Volunteering – my wife volunteers at the hospital and she has become friends with both the employees and other volunteers. She joined the auxiliary committee and they started having lunch meetings to discuss activities and then continued with social lunches. Now she frequently has lunch with another lady volunteer she has become friends with. Randy says: A lot of nonprofits and charities need all kinds of help. You can help out and make friends too. Kathy suggests volunteering too. Resources: AARP Volunteer and VolunteerMatch are good places to start. Or your local hospital or senior center needs volunteers.

3. Senior Centers – They are absolutely great for socialization with all the programs and activities with friendly people. There are a huge selection of activities for seniors that you can enjoy with others. For the more active, try to find an “active adult” center. Resources: See activities at senior centers.

4. Hobbies – Whatever hobby you have or want to start, there is usually a local group of people who have a passion for the same hobby. Attend local meetings, shows and conventions. The group will need members to help with activities and this a great way to meet people.

5. Clubs – Donna says: Check to see if there is a club for your favorite activity in the area. You’ll automatically have something in common with the other members. Book clubs are popular. Dance Clubs – Every larger metro area has people who like to dance. Take dance lessons and you will meet others who like dancing. Attend the dances and enjoy meeting the friendly people and you may turn into a regular dance club member. We are members of a dance club that meets every Saturday at 7pm. Resources: Meetup.com, just Goggle for your city + activity + club.

6. Sports

A. Sports events – A group of us have attended the Petit LeMans Race at Road Atlanta every year for the last 5 years. We look forward to this very much and start talking about it a few months before, buying tickets, checking out web sites, discussing etc. This could be a football, basketball, soccer or other games.
B. Gym / Health Club – Phil says he has a group of regulars that he sees and visits with at the health club. A health club can be a social event as much as an exercise opportunity.
C. Sports team participation – Join a bowling team, bocce ball team, golf team, walking club, even Wii-games.

The senior games or senior Olympics are great because they have something for everyone and will assign you to a team if needed. I participated last year and went to the awards banquet. We had so much fun getting our gold medal for bocce ball in the beginners level.

7. Move to a Retirement Community – New friendships can easily be made at retirement communities which have programs and activities to encourage socializing, especially at active adult communities.

8. Life long learning – classes of any type stimulate your mind as well as having interaction with fellow students and teachers. Betty Jane says continuing ed classes at your local college. Also I have taken classes at the senior center.

9. Breakfast meetings – senior groups meet at McDonalds or other local restaurants, even some grocery store cafes and other places. Larry attends the morning meetings of regulars at McDonalds.

10. YMCA – Kaye suggest this. I think your local YMCA is worth a visit and tour what’s available. These days the YMCA is very modern and resourceful.

Bonus tip: Part time jobs – work has always been the number one provider of friendships and part time work can too.

If you have any additional socialization tips, please note in the comment section below.

Thanks to Facebook friends for their suggestions for this list: Donna Hull, Kathy Woods, Randy Mitchell, Betty Jane West Reese, Kaye Swain, Phil Miller, Ann Hearn, Robin Murray, Duane Lane Smith, Larry Wehunt

Originally posted 2014-01-05 16:48:12.

A History of Active Adult Communities in USA

AV Homes sent over this interesting graphic about Active Adult Communities. AV Homes is a nationally respected builder of award winning homes and 55+ communities. Founded in in 1970, AC Homes has built over 7,500 homes across the United States. You can find out more about the brand on their website: avhomesinc.com

It points out the Active Adult Community concept is 61 years old but a new generation of Active Adult Living has arrived. That would be for us, fellow baby boomers.

I live in an Active Adult Community and can attest to the great activities and lifestyle that is available. Don’t think you know Active Adult Communities until you go visit and check out firsthand for yourself.

For more information: AV Homes

Originally posted 2016-02-01 18:25:31.