Act Your Age
By Linda S. Thompson

This morning I was listening to the radio, when the host introduced a guest by saying he had known her for many years. He said that she was an 81 year old activist, and then went on to say, "She certainly doesn't act 81." That made me stop and think of the many pictures the listeners must be seeing in their minds about just what 81 looks and acts like.

Permit me to ask you this question. "What do you think 80 looks like?" If you are 20, eighty probably seems fairly old in years - at least your grandparents' age; perhaps even your great-grandparents. But at 20, you have grown up with an entirely different view of aging than those of us who are now 60. When your grandparents were 60, chances are they were still working. At 80, they've now retired, but may still travel, dance, and socialize with their peers.

Who is Blogging Betty Boomer?
By Rosemary Horner

Blogging Betty Boomer was created by artist, Ray Horner Jr.to characterize the many blogging boomers who may not realize their full impact on the blogging world. She is so busy creating and sharing ideas that she is not fully tapping into her richness as a blogger who happens to be a boomer.

Yet many boomers do not blog because they feel it is for "young folks. They shy away from the computer and the social marketing power of the internet for their business or non-profit interests.

Tips For Passing Along Family Values
By Glenda R Logan-Glover

According to a groundbreaking study by the Allianz American Legacies Study, a true legacy is a combination of both emotional and financial components. Seventy-seven percent of Baby Boomers say it is important to receive values and life lessons from their parents and as a group prefer to preserve their parent's memories rather than receive a financial inheritance.

Legacy building is becoming increasingly popular as people show more interest in transferring values and non-financial assets from generation to generation. Preserving life's stories is especially important in light of recent events that point out the reality of life's fragility.

Boomers: The Choice is Yours --
Growth or Retirement
By Barbara Morris, R.Ph.

There are now more than 34 million retired Americans, and with the oldest of today's 76 million boomers beginning to retire, that figure that will swell to 69.4 million in 2030.

In his book, Age Power, Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., says, "Retirement is a relatively new and experimental life state that was initially envisioned to last three to five years, not 20 or 30." He cautions that the current retirement model is not realistic for the future.

The future is now and Dr. Dychtwald is right: the current retirement model is not realistic. A joint study by Washington and Cornell Universities conclude that 64 percent of retirees depend on Social Security for half or more of their income; 29 percent rely on it for 90 percent of their income; 18 percent rely on it for all their income. Researchers also say that by age 75, nearly a quarter of those elders will have experienced poverty, and the percentage rises as one ages.