Category Archives: Uncategorized

When Parents Die, Who Do They Become?

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Bob Ritzema

Ed (not his real name), who lives with me at Barnabas House, just lost his father. His mother died a few years ago.  His dad was 92 years old and under hospice care. Ed’s relationship with his dad was very … Continue reading →

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Deciding on How to Spend a Decade

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Bob Ritzema

Ten years. That’s how long I stayed with my parents to help them as they aged and became more infirm. It was something I never imagined doing. I was the child who had moved out of state when I was … Continue reading →

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Regaining Restaurants.

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Bob Ritzema

As an older adult, I was quite careful about going to restaurants for quite a while, concerned about getting ill. I got vaccinated for covid back in February, but I and my friends had gotten out of the habit of … Continue reading →

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I made My Uber Driver Cry

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Bob Ritzema

I took the Amtrak train to St. Louis last week. I arranged for an Uber ride to pick me up and take me to the station early the morning of my trip. I had had a very troubled week, so … Continue reading →

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Life Review: My Hardest Work Experience

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Bob Ritzema

I recently talked with a young adult friend about difficulties she’s having at work, and ended up telling her about the most difficult experience I had in five decades in the workplace. I’ve decided to write out the story as … Continue reading →

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“45 Years” and Past Selves

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Bob Ritzema

I caught a showing of the movie 45 Years over the weekend.  A couple–Kate (Charlotte Rampling) and Geoff (Tom Courtenay)–are preparing to celebrate 45 years of marriage when a letter related to Geoff’s past threatens to derail their relationship. The letter … Continue reading →

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Update: So you’re retired, what do you do all day? by Bob Lowry

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

Bob Lowry is one of my favorite bloggers on the topic of retirement. This is a nice recent post of his on the subject of how retirees spend their time. He challenges the notion that retirement is lived “on the … Continue reading →

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“. . . small nightmares that I hope will develop into great dreams. . .” (Mourid Barghouti)

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

Originally posted on Me, senescent:
Ali Hassanein, a 54-year-old oud maker works in Ramallah. Every day life in Palestine. (Photo MaanImages) I’m going to stop saying I’m retired except as part of my quirky attempt at a sense of humor.…

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Midlife–More Slough Than Crisis

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

Originally posted on Life Assays:
The cover story in the December, 2014 Atlantic is an article by Jonathan Rauch entitled “The Real Roots of the Midlife Crisis.” His description of midlife, though, is not so much of a crisis but…

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Olderhood.com

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

I recently became a contributing writer for olderhood.com. I’ve been following their blog for some time, and have found that their contributors offer interesting perspectives on aging and retirement. Bill Storie, the founder, is of Scottish origin but lives in Bermuda, … Continue reading →

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