Monthly Archives: December 2010

The Best Anti Aging Tip

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The world in which we live has long worshiped youth. Movies starring young and vital actors and actresses, incredibly fit and beautiful, represent everything that we want to be. On the TV we are bombarded with 20ish women carefully treating their skin to fight the effects of aging (as if 20ish year old skin has even BEGUN to age). And advertising in general is built around beautiful, youthful, still-wet-behind-the-ears individuals with perfect white teeth and convincing smiles.

It is no wonder that there is an incredibly receptive market for anti-aging offerings. Everything from salves and ointments to pills and poultices offer the promise of delaying the appearance of aging and extending our youthfulness. Some of the things we willingly put onto our faces and bodies would cause a sane person to wrinkle their nose and head for the door! But we want to look younger than we really are and will try almost anything. And you can bet that these “solutions” are not cheap with anti-aging products ranging from $100 to thousands of dollars. Is it money well spent?

Watching a recent Dr Oz show which focused on anti-aging solutions, the topic of facial masks came up and various options were evaluated. In the end, we learned that Milk of Magnesia has all of the working ingredients that provide the best results and at a cost of about $6 per bottle. Makes you think a bit…

As the old ad used to say, “a little dab will do you” and if using these potions makes us feel better and we can afford them, what is the real harm? Is there anything wrong with our obsession to look young?

I think the answer is yes. I believe that the real harm is fostering the current perception that young is cool and old not so much. Aging is not about wrinkles in our skin, it is about our growth as individuals, our life experiences, our contributions to the world in which we live, and raising families to be proud of who will ultimately take us into the future. With age comes wisdom and through the myriad of life’s experiences, we learn what to do and most importantly what not to do again. This experience is incredibly valuable to ourselves and our personal growth but even more so to those around us who are “too young” to know better. None of this growth happens quickly or easily – all require time and effort, trial and error, success and failure. And guess what – aging is one universal that applies across EVERYONE no matter what race or color or creed. We need to accept this fact and truly make the best of it. Avoidance is not an option, acceptance is the way. It is time to be proud of our wrinkles, our character lines as mom always said. At our age, we have earned every one of them!

James Hillman in his book “The force of character and the lasting life” addresses what he calls the force of the face, claiming that “older faces are marked by character, that their beauty reveals character, and that their lasting power as images of intelligence, authority, tragedy, courage, and depth of soul is due to character. The absence of these qualities in contemporary society and its public figures is due to the falsification of the older face on public view.”

One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them ~ Virginia Wolfe

Appreciate Your Aging – Stay Young on the Inside

There are no magic elixirs to return those youthful rosy cheeks and tight chins, but that does not mean we should not live retirement to the most. Our outside is not what we are about but instead, just like an Oreo cookie, the best is inside. And the reality is that if we feel good on the inside, we will look good on the outside. People respond to positive vibes so tune up and turn it on.

Attitude – it is essential for our sanity to accept the fact that aging is a part of life. Over the years, our bodies are being used and used up and the results cannot be disguised indefinitely. When we look in the mirror and see that face that is so unfamiliar compared to memories of our earlier years, accept it. This is my face – some people will like it and some will not but it is my face and I will live with it! I have earned these wrinkles and I will wear them proudly. Woe to you of youthful smooth faces who have not yet earned such distinguished badges of courage.

Participate versus observe – live life rather than watch life go by – how many times have you heard that age is a state of mind? I have seen 80 year old women in Switzerland heading up steep mountains for their daily activity. They may not look as spritely as they did at 25 but I would not want to try to keep up with them and their mountain-climbing-pace. We read regularly stories of amazing physical feats performed by the elderly. I believe that with medical advancements extending average lifetimes and seniors living more active retirement lives, what was perceived as “amazing” twenty years ago is going to become common place. This is our time to do as Mr. Spock said, “live long and prosper”.

Make a positive impact – no one has time or is interested in humoring an old grouch. Complaining and finding the negative in everything is not how senior citizens want to be characterized. Do not fall into the trap of negativity. A smile on our face goes much farther than a growl. Active involvement in discussions brings us closer to those around us. We all WANT to be with intelligent, engaged, positive people no matter what their age. Who would not prefer hanging around someone who makes them laugh versus someone who makes them cry?

Exercise and diet always play an important role in how we look and feel. Regular, safe, interesting activity is a must. And we know what we should be eating to make ourselves healthy inside and out.

Appreciate aging and be thankful for all that we have become over our extended years. The smooth-skinned crowd have a long road ahead and changes along the way may not all be to their liking. We however have arrived safely and intact. If the price of the journey is a few wrinkles, don’t you think it a fair exchange?

A Christmas Wish

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2010 has been a difficult year for many with financial turmoil, employment challenges, natural disasters, and our own personal events that we have all had to deal with. And as is applicable to this retirement blog, we have all gotten one year older for better or worse! There are many of us who will only too happily look at 2010 in their rear view mirror, glad to take a chance on what 2011 will have to offer.

Looking back over my first year blogging, I would say my journey has been educational, interesting, sometimes frustrating, inspirational, challenging, and overall a very positive experience. I have met some wonderful people and discovered a bunch of helpful and interesting blogs focusing on retirement and planning for retirement. I have scratched the surface of social media with its amazing ability to foster communication and inspire interaction. And I hope I have shared useful information and brought a smile to a face or two on occasion.

I want to share a few thoughts as we prepare to exit another year, just some bits and pieces, odds and ends, a little of this and that.

  • I have learned that retirement is a journey not a destination – it is up to each of us to live the best most satisfying life that we can all along the way. Retirement does not begin on a specific date but is a state of mind, a preparation and planning, a way of life.
  • Health is fleeting so do not take for granted one single day. Our physical and mental state can change in an instant so do not overlook what we have today. And true appreciation means getting up off the couch and experiencing the world around us.
  • Accepting Aging is an important piece to the retirement puzzle. As we get older, we can expect changes galore and unfortunately not all positive. But it is part of the journey and we are not making it alone. Just ask 75 million baby boomers who are on the same train with us!
  • It is not all about money – we need enough money to live comfortably, safely, without fear and able to pay our bills. We do not need a fortune to be happy. And the real cost of building a fortune is lost time with those we love, stress and no time to spend taking care of ourselves. Enough is enough.
  • Retirement is our time to do what we want to do – whatever that may be. For some it will be working in some way for others it will be as far from work as possible. But whatever it is, if we are doing what we want to do, it is a good thing.
  • We must take the initiative to stay busy, active and engaged in retirement – physically and mentally, we need to get out there. The options are MANY but it is up to each of us to step up to the plate.
  • Fight the fight – each day I ask God to give me the strength to deal with whatever the world will throw my way.
  • We can never love friends and family too much – but we can keep trying.

Congratulations to us all for having survived 2010.

Have a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year.

Dave

Senior Citizens Debate Renovation vs Relocation

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For many senior citizens, the dream has been upon retirement to move away from their current digs and relocate to that retirement Shangri La where they will happily live out the rest of their lives. With no job or child raising responsibilities to tie seniors to any specific locale, we wistfully imagine a life beyond the snow and away from the traffic and mayhem that we have had to deal with. This is our chance to escape from what is into what can be.

But moving and relocating is a big endeavor and not something to be undertaken lightly. Before senior citizens can move, you need to sell your current home and ideally get what it is worth – no guarantee of that these days. In “Renovate, not relocate, is new trend for baby boomers” (I wish I had thought of that title first!) a realtor notes that declining prices in suburbs “appears to be keeping a lot of aging boomers from selling and moving to something befitting their changed lifestyle.”

Then you have to find that perfect place to relocate to but there is no guarantee that your vision of what life will be like at your new destination will in fact be reality. The only way to know what your new life will be is to live it and by that time, you are kinda committed.

And finally, with a move retirees leave behind friends and family that you know and love, hoping to re-establish quality relationships in your new neighborhood but again, no guarantee.

What if instead of moving from your familiar neighborhood and friends and coffee shops and restaurants where everybody knows your name you instead make some changes, some renovations to your current domicile? If you were to implement the improvements that you may have considered over the years, would you be happy where you are? Maybe where you live today can with some changes morph into that Shangri La you envision.

What would you change?

If you choose to go down the path of renovation instead of relocation, you are in luck. This time you get to do what you WANT to do! You don’t have to evaluate each and every potential improvement in terms of how it will impact your resale value – you are not worried about selling. The focus instead is on creating the perfect surroundings for your retirement years so you can go for it. With that in mind, what renovations would you most likely go for?

Universal Design considerations – this is a house built for a retirement couple so any changes you make should include elements that will allow you to retire in place for as long as possible. Little things like lower counters, fewer steps, easy-to-open door handles, and in general well thought out architectural design that facilitates the needs of senior citizens. You will not regret for site here.

Game room – I have always had an issue with the garage. In general, we are talking about the biggest room in the house, probably 400 square feet for a standard two-car configuration. There is SO MUCH we could do with that room if we did not need to park cars there. And in our retirement, the likelihood is that we will share a single car so there is even more wasted space.

So in my retirement Shangri La, the garage becomes the pool room! A nice pool table centrally located with enough space to shoot any shot that comes along during the course of the game. I would also have a dart board off to one side and maybe even a foosball table for those so inclined. A quick bit of insulation for cold nights, some dry walling, a dash of paint, some carpeting on the floor is you want and there you have it. There will be never a dull moment with your spacious entertainment room always ready for action.

Bathroom – have you always wanted a big tub to crawl into at the end of the day, a few candles sputtering on the counter top, with a nice glass of zinfandel in your hand? Options are many for tubs and jacuzzi and shower appliances and you-name-it so spend some time searching and find exactly what you are looking for. If you cannot afford to bring out the big guns and add a Jacuzzi tub, look into refinishing your existing tub and/or shower. Without spending too much, you can have a good-as-new hideaway. Remember, this is the house you are retiring to so don’t be conservative if you want a splash or red or yellow or even pink – just do it! And may I recommend nice plastic wine glasses to cap the experience.

Kitchen – if you like to cook, there are many choices for kitchen improvements from gourmet stoves to super-efficient dishwashers to unending options in the small appliance arena. Kitchen remodeling can be an expensive undertaking but you can definitely improve the workability of your cooking space with various gadgets, helpful devices and thoughtful arrangements. Investigate the kitchen supply areas in your major stores or if you want to step up, Sur La Table or William Sonoma will not do you wrong. And remember that convenience, ease of use and ease of cleaning will become more important over the years so plan ahead.

Some just-plain-cool extras

  • Heated tiles on the kitchen floor welcome your bare feet
  • “Touch lamps” that are turned on by tapping any part of the lamp rather than searching for the on/off switch
  • Heated towel racks in the bathroom are nice touch
  • Remote control fire places that with the press of a button “fire-up” and allow you to adjust the temperature as well as fan speed to quickly heat any room
  • Did you know that they actually make heated toilet seats these days!

The attraction of moving to a small beach community for your retirement home may be what ultimately sends you on your way. Something new can be exciting although a bit risky, so you need to weigh your personal desires and those of your spouse and make the best decision. Cost, weather, distance from family, local amenities, and a host of other variables need to be considered. But I believe it does provide some small peace of mind when you have options. To move or not to move, that is the question. And each of us will need to answer according to our individual tastes, loves, desires, and budget.