Retirement (by Prime Time Radio Host, Mike Cuthbert)

Every possible weekend, which this summer has meant every weekend, I drive up the highway to West Virginia and spend at least two days playing golf. I don’t play all that well, which frustrates me, but I spend a lot of time with the Men’s Golf Association where we have our summer place and I learn a lot.

Many of the men I play with live in retirement at the resort; many are like me: weekenders. Every week the question of retirement comes up and I am fascinated by the responses. About half say they are delighted to be retired, though they’re not sure about how their wives feel about it. The other half are like me, convinced that they will work until they drop.

I feel that way largely because I have never been confident that I would ever have enough money in the bank to be able to do nothing to earn more. Another reason is that, if I wake up in the morning with literally “nothing to do,” I feel strange, as if I’m ill.

On a recent show we talked with Mark Freedman about “encore” careers and it occurred to me again that there’s another way. [after August 14th, check local listings]. Freedman talks about people who get up in the morning and want something to do but they want whatever they do to have a wider impact than their first career, which was for themselves and their families. At the same time, he makes the point that volunteering is nice, but everybody takes what you do more seriously if there is some recompense. [More about Freedman on his website Civic Ventures.]

So, as I face my second total knee replacement in five years next week, I’m starting to look around for things to do to replace the golf I may not be able to play next summer. I’ve got some ideas that could help people while earning a little recompense. I wonder how many people are doing the same thing, even if they have both knees?

Retirement? I still can’t imagine it. But I’m working on some alternatives and that’s reason enough to get up in the morning.

Rosie (by Prime Time Focus Host Alyne Ellis)

I grew up with a cocker. Her name was Teetza and ever since then those drooping ears and eyes that pool with warmth and love have drawn me in like a magnet. Rosie is our fourth cocker, the others were American. She’s our first English cocker. She’s a dog with total devotion and a dog with a mind to do her own thing which she does with relish. Somehow she manages both opposites quite well, probably because she has trained us to behave.

One non-negotiable item as far as Rosie is concerned is food. I’m sure, and I don’t need an x-ray to prove it to me, that inside this little dog is a big pig. She’s got the human head motions down to demand what she wants – a jerk to the right; that means ”go get it.” We do. But when occasionally that doesn’t work, she has a mini whiny bark kind of thing she does to express displeasure. We always get going THEN and her sheltered life remains complete.

Some say cockers act like cats and Rosie definitely does. She sits on radiators, looks out windows, and climbs on the backs of sofas for a better view. We are undisciplined dog owners. What can I say, with Rosie and her buddy Tobie, a golden retriever, there’s lots of activity and you can always count on a warm greeting at any time, even when the kitchen is definitely closed for the night.

I'll be talking more about Rosie on Prime Time Focus soon. Do you have a special dog you'd like to tell me about?

Nelson Mandela and "The Elders"

Last week, former South African president Nelson Mandela announced the formation of a new organization to tackle the world's most difficult problems. Here is part of what he said:

"In today’s world, many of the problems we face are global in nature. These include climate change, pandemics such as AIDS, malaria and TB. And of course, that entirely human created affliction: violent conflict.

"The structures we have to deal with these problems are often tied down by political, economic or geographical constraints. As institutions of government grapple – often unequally – with challenges they face, the efforts of a small, dedicated group of leaders, working objectively and without any vested personal interest in the outcome, can help resolve what often seems like intractable problems.

"We have the makings of such a group...Let us call them Global Elders, not because of their age, but because of their individual and collective wisdom.

"This group derives its strength not from political, economic or military power, but from the independence and integrity of those who are here.

"They do not have careers to build, elections to win, constituencies to please. They can talk to anyone they please, and are free to follow paths they deem right, even if hugely unpopular.

"It is now several years since Richard Branson and Peter Gabriel came to me with their idea for The Elders. Since then I have watched the concept grow, gain structure and strength, and become a real, viable, and pragmatic initiative.

"I believe that, with their experience and their energies, and their profound commitment to building a better world, The Elders can become a fiercely independent and robust force for good, tackling complex and intractable issues, especially those that are not popular....

"The Elders can speak freely and boldly, working both publicly and behind the scenes on whatever actions need to be taken. They will reach out to those who most need their help. It is those who have the least and who therefore suffer the most. It is those who are rarely heard. This group of Elders can represent them and make sure they are not ignored.

"I am also certain that that they will support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict and inspire hope where there is despair....

"...I wish them well, and hope they succeed in bringing light to some of the darkness that afflicts our world, and new energy to areas where others have become weary because of the endless conflict."

Visit The Elders website for the complete speech, and much more information about this initiative.

Deferring Retirement - DC Panel Addresses Workforce Transformation

Yesterday on Capitol Hill, Senator Herb Kohl welcomed a group of experts to discuss the rapidly changing nature of midlife careers, and to explain legislation he has introduced to support the ongoing changes. The panel was hosted by AARP's Director of Workforce Issues, Deborah Russell. Here are some highlights:

Marc Freedman talked about his new book, "Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life." He predicted historic changes in the American workplace, where the time between the end of what he called "midlife careers," and the beginning of what used to be called "old age" is stretching into decades. What pathways will be created to find and train workers in that stage of life and help them find work that is meaningful to them?

Freedman talks about the book, and the issues, with Prime Time Radio host Mike Cuthbert in this extended conversation from the August 14th edition of Prime Time Radio. Listen with Real Audio.

Phyllis Segal, who's on the faculty of Harvard Law School, is a Senior Vice President of Civic Ventures, which spotlights innovative recruitment and hiring strategies targeting workers over 50. As she said, "old notions of retirement are in the rear view mirror." Because they have to, or want to, or because industry needs them, people will continue to work as they get older. She said older workers are looking for "both meaning and compensation." And this often leads them to non-profit organizations, or public agencies.

Jeri Sedlar is a senior advisor to The Conference Board. She's also the author of "Don't Retire - REWIRE!" She believes that workers over 50 want to move "from success to significance." And from "profits to passions." These desires, she says, are moving older workers into the nonprofit sector.

There was general agreement among the panelists that "debris" left over from outmoded ideas about retirement is one of the main obstacles to creating fresh opportunities. These stumbling blocks include mandatory retirement ages and the abrupt ending of work-related benefits at the time when workers "retire." Kohl's legislation would give employers a tax credit for establishing flexible work schedules that enable older employees to stay on the job without losing healthcare or pension benefits.

More on this subject in the New York Times of Sunday, July 22.

Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) Defends Himself on Senate Floor: "My Only Adversity is Age."

On June 28, West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd responded to critics who have recently suggested that he may be too old for his job.

The 89-year-old Democrat is the longest serving senator in history. Commentators had recently pointed out that Byrd seems to be growing infirm, that his signature was shaky, and his attention often wandered.

Here's part of his reponse:

Mr. President, I feel compelled to address head on the news stories in recent weeks that have pointed out the shocking discovery that I am growing older. I find it no surprise, but then I have had some time to become accustomed to the increasing distance between the year of my birth and the current date. I may not like it, but as Maurice Chevalier put it, "Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative."

A recent Associated Press story ran in West Virginia's Charleston Daily Mail. The headline read, "Dramatic change in signature shows that age is catching up with Senator Byrd." The newspaper offered as proof the signatures on my Senate financial disclosure forms from last year and this year. It is true that this year's signature looks like I signed it in a moving car. Some days, the benign essential tremor that I have had for years now is worse than on other days – just as it is for the approximately 5 million other people in the United States who suffer from similar tremors. It is annoying, but hardly evidence that I am at death's door.

Nor should it come as a surprise that I use canes to help me get around, or that I am not always as fast as I once was. I am not aware of any requirement for physical dexterity in order to hold the office of U.S. Senator. The often grueling hours that work in the Senate requires are tough on far younger Senators, and I am no longer one of the younger Senators. But to worry in print that I have missed one vote this year? Really?! Out of more than 18,000 votes in my career, to miss one or two votes every now and then is surely excusable. Even old people can be allowed a sick day or two now and then, can't they?

That is really the crux of the matter here. In this internet-savvy, media-infused culture, we have forgotten that people get older. Even, dare I say it – old. Television is full of pretty, young people. The few white-haired heads that one sees on television are made up and glamorous. Off-camera, though, most bear little resemblance to their tv persona. In a culture of botox, wrinkle cream, and hair dye, we cannot imagine that becoming older is a good thing, an experience to look forward to and a state worthy of respect. If I were 50 years old, and used canes due to some injury, or had a disease-related tremor, the news stories would be about my carrying on despite my adversities. But my only adversity is age....

Abraham Lincoln once rightly observed that "…In the end, it's not the years of your life that count. It's the life in your years." My only adversity is age. It is not a bar to my usefulness as a Senator. I still look out for West Virginia. I still zealously guard the welfare of this nation and its Constitution. I still work, every day, to move the business of this nation forward, to end this reckless adventure in Iraq, and to protect, preserve, and defend the Constitution against those who would reshape it to suit partisan agenda. And I will continue to do this work until this old body gives out. Just don't expect that to be anytime soon.

I believe that all ages and all occupations should be part of a truly representative body. I also believe that society works best when the energy and idealism of youth pairs with the experience and wisdom of age. America is the land of opportunity. I don't think our some 36 million citizens over the age of 65 are disqualified from participating in the life of the country we helped to build. Our country rejected those kinds of arbitrary barriers long ago -- and this Senator loudly and proudly rejects them now.

Read the complete speech here.