Tag Archives: purpose

Simplification of Status

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

This is part of a series of posts on simplification in late adulthood. For some context on the concept of simplification, consult a previous post in the series. In this post I’ll focus on simplification of status, especially on the way theologian Lewis Joseph … Continue reading →

Posted in Psyche | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Retirement Leisure and the Protestant Work Ethic

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve written before about retirement and the leisure ideal. I described how in the middle of the 20th century government and business in the U.S. wished to get older workers out of the workforce to make way for younger workers. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Holy Fool

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

I recently read Harold Fickett’s 1983 novel The Holy Fool. Haven’t heard of it? Neither had I. It addresses some interesting issues concerning midlife, though, and that captured my interest. Fickett tells the story of Ted Marsh, a Baptist pastor … Continue reading →

Posted in Psyche, Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Albert Schweitzer on Maturity

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

I recently ran across a quote about ‘maturity’ attributed to Albert Schweitzer. As he neared age 70, he reportedly wrote: “The meaning of maturity which we should develop in ourselves is that we should strive always to become simpler, kinder, … Continue reading →

Posted in Psyche | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Why Are Boomers Working Longer?

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

I recently ran across an interesting article about boomer retirement. The author, James J. Green of Summit Business Media, summarizes a report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. In 1993, 29.4% of adults 55 and older were in the workforce, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Sacred Journey

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

I recently wrote about spiritual journeys. In that context, I was interested to see a blog post on “The Quest for a Good Life” in which Andy Tix describes his life as a sacred journey. He tells a little of … Continue reading →

Posted in Spirit | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Spiritual Journeys

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Bob Ritzema

Soul Searchers: An Anthology of Spiritual Journeys (Eerdmans, 2002), complied by freelance editor Teresa de Bertodano, is a collection of biographical, autobiographical or fictional accounts of life events that convey something of who each person was or was called to be. … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Psyche, Resources, Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If We No Longer Retire, What Will We Do When We Get Old?

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve been writing about retirement and leisure.  First, I considered the fact that the majority of older workers don’t have the money to permit them to totally leave the workforce.  I then looked at the history of retirement, discovering that … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Psyche | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Could You Be Happy With ALS?

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Nancy Perry Graham of AARP wrote a few months ago about sustaining happiness in middle and late adulthood.  She asked three middle-aged or elderly friends who were clearly happy with life what each though was responsible for their positive mood.  As she … Continue reading →

Posted in Psyche, Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Day of Darkness: Bring in the Candles

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

On May 19, 1780, the sky over New England turned dark during what should have been daylight hours.  The darkness was observed as far south as New Jersey and as far north as Portland, Maine.  It took several hours for the gloom to pass; … Continue reading →

Posted in Body, Spirit | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment