Category Archives: Culture

Are Boomers Charitable?

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

We boomers are self-indulgent, egocentric, conceited, and . . . generous? A blog post on the AARP site reports a recent study found that, among four adult age groups, Boomers gave the largest total amount to charity.  Out of an … Continue reading →

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On Not Starting School

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

The school year has started, but not for me; I’m entering my second year of retirement from Methodist University.  Last fall, the transition from full-time employment was eased for me since I taught an online class.  This fall I’m not … Continue reading →

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Gray Divorce

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Relationships are as important in the second half of life as in the first half.  Unfortunately, relationships in mid- and late-life are not immune to struggle and even failure.  One recent phenomenon is an increase in divorces among middle aged … Continue reading →

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Social Media Might Reduce Discomfort with Death

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

NPR host Scott Simon recently attracted considerable attention when he turned what many consider a private event into a public one.  As he sat with his mother while she was dying, Simon tweeted about her last days to his 1.3 … Continue reading →

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Who Is Art For?

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

This Friday, August 23, Square Inch Community Church, which I attend, will sponsor Inchfest, a music and art festival.  Judging from photos of the crowd at last year’s festival, no more than 10% of those in attendance were middle age or … Continue reading →

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“I Wish I Didn’t Work So Hard”

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Earlier I described the list of top regrets of the dying compiled by former hospice caregiver Bronnie Ware.  In that post I considered the first such regret, namely that many dying people wish they had lived a life true to themselves … Continue reading →

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“It’s Never Too Late to Turn to a Life of Crime”

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

The above observation comes from a report in Bloomberg Businessweek about a petty crime spree among Japanese senior citizens.  Crime by those over 65 doubled over the last decade, even though the total crime in Japan declined by 17%.  According … Continue reading →

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Why Do We Attend Reunions?

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Why do we attend class reunions?  Why revisit a time in our lives when we weren’t at our best and maybe were at our worst?  Are the people with whom we went to school really so important to us that … Continue reading →

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Getting Medicare: The Boring Details

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

I am covered by Medicare insurance as of today.   Last year, I quit my full-time position as a faculty member at Methodist University, and thereby lost my health insurance.  I could have continued with the Methodist U. plan using COBRA, (The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation … Continue reading →

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Does It Matter If You Look Old?

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Our appearance changes as we age (just not much if you’re Dolly Parton).  Most of us past midlife know we look different, but haven’t entirely made our peace with our changing looks.  Some wrinkles are OK, a little graying, but … Continue reading →

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