Chip Conley came up with the term "modern elder" when he became known as the "elder" at a company where virtually all of the other employees were half his age. Conley has grown that simple phrase into a movement; he started the "Modern Elder Academy" in Mexico (a resort for midlife reflection) and wrote a book titled, Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder. He also recently started distributing "a daily reminder of wisdom and its value" via Wisdom Well.

In an interview with Richard Eisenberg for NextAvenue.org, Conley says about his movement:

     "It’s pro-aging and speaks to the idea that maybe elders will make a comeback, but in a new form. It’s about creating a world with intergenerational collaboration, where older people in the workforce can be partners with younger people and both have something to bring to the table.

     "A growing number of people are using the term ‘middlescence.’ It generally happens in your fifties. It’s a time when you move from accumulating to editing. Less ego, more soul. Less interesting, more interested. Less achieving and attaining, more creating a legacy and attuning.

     "It’s what the Modern Elder Academy has been doing in many ways. It’s so clear there’s a need for this. There’s such a gap between the societal and personal narrative of aging."

I don't know if "modern elder" is the right phrase, but I consider the "mission statement" behind it as a new way to think about aging. I really like what Conley has to say in the above quote. He speaks eloquently about the need to break down ageism barriers in the workplace ("creating a world with intergenerational collaboration"). He also does a fine job of defining some of the primary aspirations of a maturing, well-grounded Boomer: "...move from accumulating to editing. ...more soul. ...more creating a legacy and attuning."

It is obvious to me why Conley was selected as a "2019 Influencer in Aging" by NextAvenue. It this kind of inspired, expansive thinking about aging that we need more of in our society.

Image: Chip Conley, Modern Elder Academy

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Among the popular movement-based phrases are "Black Lives Matter" and "#MeToo." Another one of late representing a different kind of "movement" is the phrase, "OK Boomer." As The New York Times reports:

“Ok boomer” has become Generation Z’s endlessly repeated retort to the problem of older people who just don’t get it, a rallying cry for millions of fed up kids. Teenagers use it to reply to cringey YouTube videos, Donald Trump tweets, and basically any person over 30 who says something condescending about young people — and the issues that matter to them.

OK, I get at least one of the motivations behind "OK Boomer." In the context of climate change, war, government corruption, inequality or any number of other burning issues, it seems legitimate for younger generations to scold Boomers for, well, mucking up the world we live in. It is difficult for the Boomer generation to deny its responsibility for some if not many of the world's ills. Furthermore, the notion of a younger generation ridiculing or disrespecting an older generation is something which has a certain familiarity, doesn't it? Isn't that the way we felt about our own parents as we were growing up, steeped in rebellion and protest? Now, it seems, we're getting some of the same treatment we dished out to elders during our youth.

On the other hand, when used in a pejorative sense to simply trash Boomers because they are older, "OK Boomer" may seem like a phrase that is dismissive, rude and age-bashing. It is particularly hurtful when a wildly popular sweatshirt adds something else to this phrase, as depicted in the article in The New York Times: "OK BOOMER Have a Terrible Day." So, it appears some who use the phrase in this way may deeply distrust and even dislike Boomers. Sadly, it is also indicative of the tribal warfare that has become normalized in our dealings with one another. This is a time in our history when groups of people are poised to reject others, simply because they're different, are of different generations or have different beliefs.

I'm not any more a fan of "OK Boomer" than I am of "Go back where you came from." What are your thoughts about "OK Boomer"?

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It goes without saying that retirement is a significant life change. Equally obvious is the fact that many Boomers deny the reality of retirement, working as long as they are able. But at some point, most of us realize that maintaining the same pace is an impossibility and, at the very least, we accept the need to transition to something different. That something may not look like traditional retirement at all, but chances are it doesn't look like our previous career-focused lifestyle either.

There are so many questions surrounding retirement -- the next phase, reinvention, second act, or however you define it -- that it can be bewildering just to know the right questions to ask. Writing for The Balance, senior financial planner Scott Spann seems to have identified five of the most important questions to answer:

1. What do you look forward to doing the most in retirement?
2. How long do you need your money to last?
3. How much retirement savings will you actually need?
4. How much should you be saving today?
5. How much can you afford to spend yearly once retired?

As you can see, the first question is really qualitative while the next four are quantitative. Spann offers some wise commentary about how to answer each of these questions, so the article is worth reading here: https://www.thebalance.com/five-important-retirement-questions-you-need-to-answer-4025465?

None of the questions are necessarily easy to answer; in fact, all of them probably require a great deal of thought, some serious self-reflection, conversations with your significant other, and counsel with a financial adviser. But contemplating retirement without adequately answering these questions is fraught with risk. If you've had a successful life, you know by now that planning ahead is an essential part of building a secure future. It should be no different with retirement: First ask the right questions -- and then be sure you answer them to the best of your ability.

HappilyRewired.com is a Top 75 Baby Boomer Blog.

Image: Pixabay.com

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