By Jim Selman | Bio
The early Boomer retirees are rewriting the book of what ‘freedom from having to earn a living’ means. Of course, there is the rush to enjoy some of the perks of our new-found freedom. But once the lustre of all that unscheduled time wears off, we’re faced with the realization that retirement can also mean the freedom to take on those issues we either didn’t have time for when we were younger or were afraid to risk what we had going at the time for. But for most,
By Jim Selman | Bio
This is one of those nights when I am up early in Madrid—still having a little ‘time zone’ fatigue. I am writing today’s blog while listening to Miles Davis play “My Funny Valentine” on my headset. Now for those who are into music and listen to it all the time, this may seem like a “so what?” But strange as it seems and even though I enjoy music when I hear it, I am not very conscious of it. Music is just background for me most of the time. The other day I was talking to a friend who also does a lot of blogging who said she couldn’t think of writing without carefully choosing the music to listen to while she is writing. So, here I am at four in the morning listening to my jazz favorites on iTunes.Valentine’s Day is coming up in a couple of days and it has me thinking about romance. I am a romantic and always have been. I think I may be getting more romantic as I get older. This has me wondering what romance is. Diana Kroll is singing “You may call it romance, but I call it love”. The fact is that romance is a lot of what I think makes life worth living. Romance isn’t just about seducing the ‘objects of our desire’. Maybe it is the recognition that the ‘other’
The AARP released a report in December 2008 entitled The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Older Americans. Key recommendations were to unblock the credit channel, extend unemployment benefits, increase nutrition benefits, prop up Medicaid and other social programs, and, most importantly, implement a streamlined form of mortgage relief. Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geitner’s press conference
Today marks the 5th Safer Internet Day. Participation in this annual event has been
steadily growing, and last year over 120
organizations in 56 countries took part in Safer Internet Day
celebrations, organising local, national and pan-European events
ranging from safety sessions in schools and competitions for young
people to public meetings and conferences.
Safer Internet Day promotes safer use of online and mobile technologies (like cell phones), especially among children and young people around
By Jim Selman | Bio
We spend a lot of time contemplating what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Some of us will die asking the question. We spend years contemplating what we want and what could or might happen and dealing with all sorts of breakdowns and problems that, once solved, would allow us to get on with what we really want to do with our lives—until one day we realize that the breakdowns are our life. How often to we try to figure out the right thing to do or to avoid the
By Jim Selman | Bio
My birthday is tomorrow. I don’t normally give much significance to these annual milestones. I don’t actually remember most of my birthdays, other than a few of the hallmarks—21st, 50th and maybe my 65th. I certainly appreciate the cards and wishes and the fact that someone cares enough to acknowledge the day. My birthday has probably been of more interest to astrologers than it has for me. This year, I am spending it alone in Madrid on a rainy day. Perhaps for this reason, I am more reflective than I might otherwise be.Sixty-seven years ago I didn’t exist, and sometime in the foreseeable future I won’t exist again. I have already been around longer than most of my ancestors, made more money than my father, had three great children, pursued three totally different careers, traveled the world, loved and been loved a lot, experienced heartbreak and pain, and (arguably) have learned more in my lifetime than was learnable a hundred years ago. I am happy, healthy and, with the grace of God and
By Jim Selman | Bio
Assuming you’ve been to the museums a couple of times and don’t speak Spanish very well, what can you do in Madrid on a cold and wet winter day except find an English-speaking film? I did, and finally caught up with everyone else and saw The Strange Case of Benjamin Button. Put me down as a fan, but the funny thing is that it is one of those films that you’re not quite sure if or why you like it.
First of all, it is about age. Brad Pitt is born ‘old’ and gets progressively
By Jim Selman | Bio
One of the more consistent maxims in life is that money doesn’t buy happiness and that happiness is the bottom line of living—otherwise, what is the point (unless you believe in one of those ascetic cults or religions that promote suffering as good for the soul)? This is actually good news, given a whole lot of people are not going to have much money for a while and maybe not a lot of opportunity to get it. We all hope that this financial crisis is going to be short-lived, but don’t hold your breath.According to an article on Harvard Business Publishing, capitalism is consuming itself and Capitalism 1.0 is being reinvented to become Capitalism 2.0. The old notion that growth is simply a function of producing and selling more stuff is being replaced by the idea that we need “smart growth”, not more of the same old growth. Said differently, if all we
Age and circumstances do not limit what is possible as we grow older. Consider the International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. In 2004, these thirteen older women gathered in upstate New York to create a global alliance. This is their commitment:
We come together
to nurture, educate and train our children. We come
together to uphold the practice of
By Jim Selman | Bio
I was sent this extraordinary video produced by the AARP communicating in a simple and straightforward way that if we don’t change the direction we’re going, we’re apt to end up there. It is one of a number of dire predictions about our common future. Yesterday, Al Gore declared climate change irreversible and challenged all of us to transcend short-term concerns and agendas and unite with the world in dealing with this looming calamity. There is so much bad news about