March, 2008

The new year is already well in swing and I haven't updated since June, 2007.  I continue to be blessed with many opportunities and a dynamic and challenging lifestyle.  And, thankfully, I'm busy!

My interest in engaging retirees in meaningful ways (myself included) has led me to investigate some new concepts of "positive aging."  At the first annual National Positive Aging Conference (Dec 6-8), I learned that aging brains have special capabilities and they're not as limited as we've heretofore assumed (Gene Cohen).  

With more people living longer, it may become almost commonplace for people to do their best work after age 60!  Of course, throughout history we've known older people to do that.  But we've thought they were just "special."  What if being older is what's special?

Still, most people become less engaged and do less after they retire.  Not many reach for new horizons and few are encouraged to stay or become meaningfully engaged in their communities.  Therefore, not many of us can cite real  accomplishments or even say that our communities really need us.  Did anyone ever tell you that their dad died of uselessness?

Somehow, we should expect more of ourselves in retirement, perhaps even more than we did during our initial careers.  And our communities must come to expect more of us as well.

Lifelong learning institutes continue to attract large numbers of retirees to engage happily in study and building communities with one another. At the same time, the communities around them cry out for help to improve education on all levels.  So how do lifelong learning communities link up to contribute?

Meanwhile, too, the aging curve is putting more and more baby boomers "out to pasture", or, at least out of our primary careers.  Huge gaps are being created in business, government and not-for-profits because likely successors aren't in the pipeline. Yet few retirees are asked to stay on or to come back to work. Can someone explain that?

At least one organization is doing something.  As mentioned in prior updates, I've experienced a model of extremely good volunteer development and management.  Executive Service Corps of Chicago (ESC) still seems uniquely successful at providing genuine engagement for volunteer consultants, mostly retirees.  Just this past year ESC developed a practice to provide Interim Executive Directors for not-for-profits whose executive directors are retiring. Bravo!

Finally, I'm part of a group in Geneva IL (pop. 24000) studying concepts to institutionalize innovation and enterprise initiatives in our local economy. While our plans are far from developed, active retirees will be an important ingredient in the mix.  And, to troll for new ideas, I will be involved in UIC's upcoming international urban planning conference, Bridging the Divide and Celebrating the City, July 6-11, 2008 in Chicago.

Please contact me with your thoughts.  I'd love to share what I'm learning, and to hear if you disagree and have different ideas!

Sincerely,

Ernest Mahaffey