I’m usually put off by attempts to euphemize the “oldness” of aging with references to elders instead of old people, advancing years instead of getting old, saging instead of aging. I find such attempts to ease the pain of aging disingenuous, if not downright dishonest, though certainly true to the spirit of a world in which insurance sales types are now financial planners, auto mechanics are service technicians and phone clerks are customer care representatives. But I picked up a book recently that may have changed my mind about all that, at least for now.
“Claiming Your Place at the Fire” makes a case for living second half of your life on purpose, with intention and deliberation. I might have stopped at the mention of life’s second half, had it not been for the author’s rationale for doing so. With 40 as the long-standing point commonly considered the start of “middle age,” and the average lifespan now nearing 80, a second half of life seems an appropriate consideration for what we’ve done and what remains.
The authors of “Claiming . . . “ had major best-seller with “Repacking a Your Bags” and “Whistle While You Work” a few years ago, demonstrating they know something about life’s transitions and helping us through them. Their latest effort carries on in that vein, exhorting readers to claim a place among other “vital elders” in the glow of life’s circle of energy, vitality and renewal.
The book, as one advocate says, challenges us to think beyond the familiar notion of baby-boomers being the rat in the python, and to become nothing less than the python itself. I like this, and take to heart their suggestions for creating not just a continuation of the lives we’ve lived, but one that complements our first halves and may in fact have new themes, plots and characters.
It all starts with questions, but nothing as simple as, what do I want to do or become now. Instead, the writers encourage us to explore such fundamental questions as, who am I and how do I use the wisdom of my first half to serve those I encounter in my second half.
Where do I belong? is not the same as where to live on less that periodicals regularly throw our way as the main consideration when choosing a destination for our dotage. And while not pooh-poohing cost of living as an indicator of where we may find happiness, other more important considerations include finding creative pursuits that stoke your fires, and recreational opportunities that encourage healthful activity.
The book uses stories of those who have claimed their place at the fire, and how they did it, to inspire those of us still grappling with the challenge of not wasting the second half of our lives. It’s an easy, inspiring read, which offers enough substance and practical advice to a curmudgeon like me to almost, but not quite, think of myself as a sage rather than an old coot.
“Claiming Your Place at the Fire” makes a case for living second half of your life on purpose, with intention and deliberation. I might have stopped at the mention of life’s second half, had it not been for the author’s rationale for doing so. With 40 as the long-standing point commonly considered the start of “middle age,” and the average lifespan now nearing 80, a second half of life seems an appropriate consideration for what we’ve done and what remains.
The authors of “Claiming . . . “ had major best-seller with “Repacking a Your Bags” and “Whistle While You Work” a few years ago, demonstrating they know something about life’s transitions and helping us through them. Their latest effort carries on in that vein, exhorting readers to claim a place among other “vital elders” in the glow of life’s circle of energy, vitality and renewal.
The book, as one advocate says, challenges us to think beyond the familiar notion of baby-boomers being the rat in the python, and to become nothing less than the python itself. I like this, and take to heart their suggestions for creating not just a continuation of the lives we’ve lived, but one that complements our first halves and may in fact have new themes, plots and characters.
It all starts with questions, but nothing as simple as, what do I want to do or become now. Instead, the writers encourage us to explore such fundamental questions as, who am I and how do I use the wisdom of my first half to serve those I encounter in my second half.
Where do I belong? is not the same as where to live on less that periodicals regularly throw our way as the main consideration when choosing a destination for our dotage. And while not pooh-poohing cost of living as an indicator of where we may find happiness, other more important considerations include finding creative pursuits that stoke your fires, and recreational opportunities that encourage healthful activity.
The book uses stories of those who have claimed their place at the fire, and how they did it, to inspire those of us still grappling with the challenge of not wasting the second half of our lives. It’s an easy, inspiring read, which offers enough substance and practical advice to a curmudgeon like me to almost, but not quite, think of myself as a sage rather than an old coot.
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