By Caroline Paul Reviewed By Victoria Starr Marshall I’m a downhill skier. At 67, I ski stronger and better than at any time in my life. Same goes for my husband, David. He’s 71. We spend a good portion of the winter at our condo in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, and I have to say it’s the best retirement community ever. Our ski friends range in age from their mid-50s to mid-80s, and from what aging stereotypes would have you believe, none of us act our age. Most days we spend hours playing outside together. Once or twice a week we get together for après ski—enjoying drinks, homemade “appys,” an ..read more

The futility of trying to figure out what lies ahead. By STEPHEN SINCLAIR When I was nine or 10 years old my mother was ill and my father was having a hard time keeping our dairy farm going. It was a Saturday afternoon and I was alone in the barn doing chores. As always, I had the barn radio turned to a station that broadcast music so I could have company while I worked. I didn’t really listen to the songs but rather used the sound to keep my fear and anxiety at bay. I remember I had just finished sweeping the walkway when I heard these lyrics being sung by a female singer: “Que sera, sera. Wh ..read more

By HOWIE SILVER There is an old saying: “You don’t stop learning when you get old; you only get old when you stop learning.” A few years back, I found myself aging (mentally) from a decline in learning and intellectual activity. As a young man, I went to college and graduate school. After that, I became of professor of mathematics. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed teaching and learning. But after retirement, I slowly began to lose my edge—my learning instinct. I still read library books and the newspaper, but it wasn’t the same. Perhaps my mind was aging from my lack of intellectual stimul ..read more

By SCOTT SCHILL You know how when you are shopping for a new car you start seeing the same make and model everywhere? There is a name for that, it’s called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. Your brain is subconsciously looking for the car, and as a result, you start noticing it more. I experienced the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, but it wasn’t about a silver Volvo, it was about my mom and retirement in America. Call it retirement interrupted. Retirement Interrupted JoJo was vivacious and youthful in appearance and spirit. She was also hyper-flexible, and a lifetime of aerobics had left her in need ..read more

A Fictional Story. (Or Is It?) By MICHAEL C. PATTERSON On a bright November day in the year 2038, the family gathers to celebrate Bobby Fitzgerald’s 95th birthday. The temperature is in the upper 80s and the air quality is bad, so they gather in Bobby and Jasmine’s climate-controlled living room. Bobby’s son, Josh (70), and daughter Liz (75), “the kids,” are clearly excited as Bobby opens his gift card from them. As he carefully breaks the seal and pulls out the enclosed card a shimmering, rainbow-colored message emerges. A female voice says, “Congratulations, Bobby! This is your ticket to imm ..read more

By JOHN OWEN “Exercise is the most important thing you can do to maintain your cognitive health.” —Dr. Sharon Inouye, Director of Harvard University Medical School/Aging Brain Center Identical twins we’ll call Sarah and Susan posed a real mystery to researchers in England a few years ago. When exhaustive biometric measurements were taken, the sisters were discovered to be exactly the same in all respects. During their years in the study, however, Susan’s brain became smaller and unhealthy compared to Sarah’s. Susan’s smaller brain led, unsurprisingly, to reduced cognition and function, whereas ..read more

Having more of these specialized physicians is the best way to ensure the future health of all older adults. By JEANETTE LEARDI According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in January the world’s population surpassed 8 billion. Because of improvements in public health and advanced treatments for chronic disease, there are more people everywhere and they are living longer. In this century—and for the first time in human history—our planet is inhabited by more people over the age of 60 than under the age of five. And while this trend is good news for us older adults, it also poses some challenges, mainl ..read more

By MARGOT KRAVETTE I’d never been to the (Seattle) Arboretum this early in the year, but it was worth a try. What I found was like the earth giving birth everywhere I turned. I’m not sure if this was coincidental or an act of a higher force, but the day I visited the Arboretum was the same day my daughter gave birth to my newest grandchild.  —Margot Kravette, “Looking for Spring in the Arboretum” (March 20, 2021) Spring is glorious in Western Washington. Days are longer. The temperature is not too cold or too warm. Hints of color start whispering through leaves and grass after a seas ..read more

The SMARRT Study’s Revelations Are Just Smart Aging By DR. ERIC B. LARSON In 1978, as I completed my residency and fellowship training and joined the University of Washington faculty, I had a dizzying array of interests. Aging, and especially the aging brain and dementia, piqued my curiosity, although dementia research and care were not then in the mainstream. Demographic forces portended we would need a lot more research to understand aging processes. The predicted growth of many persons living to advanced old age is now a fact of life. But in the late 1970s, dementia occupied the backwaters ..read more

By LUCINDA JACKSON Seven years ago, I wore a black suit and pearls and rushed off to my hectic, demanding job in corporate America. I relished the contributions I felt I was making around the world as an environmental scientist—and life was good—but I was ready for a change. I’ve never liked Webster’s definition of “retire”—retreat, recede, or my least favorite, go to bed. I knew I didn’t want to do any of that! Instead, I adopted the term “next act” since it had the ring of unlimited options, action, and third, fourth, fifth, and many next acts to come. As a scientist, I’ve always been method ..read more