Growing Bolder Magazine Spring 2021

Eugene snowden Powerhouse Rhythm and Blues

Drive Time!

Explore Florida’s North-Central Coast Best Exercises to Relieve Shoulder Pain Conversations on Caregiving

dreams launched here

When the first Canyon Ranch resort opened in 1979, it was the beginning of something new. Something big. Sparked by a revolutionary vision of uniting mind, body and spirit. It has influenced the world, and inspired thousands of guests over 40 years. Begin your own lifelong journey to wellness with Canyon Ranch as we embark on our next 40 years – and beyond.

800.742.9000 | canyonranch.com/40years

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CONTENTS

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POWERHOUSE RHYTHM AND BLUES MUSICIAN EUGENE SNOWDEN

Channeling the energy of improvisation in art and life

the art of caregiving

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IT’S GOING TO GET MESSY

Why you should have the hard conversations now

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DIGNITY OF RISK

Quality of life can be negatively impacted by excessive safety

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THE CONVERSATION PROJECT

Ellen Goodman uses her personal experience to guide others

SPRING 21

in every issue

move

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NOTE FROM THE CEO

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IRON WOMAN

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CONTRIBUTORS

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GROWING BOLDER WITH

Triathlete Cherie Gruenfeld on getting better with age

Big names, bold lives

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FIT TRAIN

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GB RECIPES

A new twist, vegan ceviche with Florida citrus

What happens when you turn a food truck rig into a mobile gym?

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ORDINARY PEOPLE LIVING

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RELENTLESS FORWARD PROGRESS

EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

Married empty-nesters share a passion project

Masters sports improve more than just physical health

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TRANSLATING TECH

Best internet devices for older adults

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GB RECOMMENDS

Documentary picks from CEO Marc Middleton

heal

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THE TAKEAWAY

Tony Danza is single in the city

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THE BOTTOM LINE

Tips for peace of mind about your colorectal cancer screening

florida travel 12

TOP 5 BIRDWATCHING SPOTS IN FLORIDA

Best places to see migratory birds this spring

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DRIVE TIME!

Explore Florida’s North-Central Coast

defy 34

MIRACLE MAN

From football injury to family inspiration

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DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH

Blueberry antioxidant smoothie

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YOGA FOR SHOULDER TENSION

Simple stretches for upper body openness

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LIFE LESSONS FROM OLYMPIC SWIMMER ROWDY GAINES

How to win on dry land

connect 32

VIRTUAL REALITY

Stay engaged while staying at home

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POWER OF VISUALIZATION

Barbara Corcoran can see the future before she creates it

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CLASSIC CARS

Finding your tribe through shared interests

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THE GUITAR GUYS

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WISDOM OF THE INNER WITNESS

Locals and legends trust their guitars to these local legends

Mindfulness practice for beginners

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ONLINE DATING FOR 50+

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THE TIME IS NOW

Finding love in the age of longevity

Anything is possible if you make it a priority

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BARBARA BESKIND BREAKS BARRIERS

Silicon Valley’s oldest employee brings innovative product design to IDEO

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THE MAGIC OF MENOPAUSE

Social influencer Lorraine Miano discovers her passion for offering menopause advocacy

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ARCTIC EXPLORER SOUNDS THE ALARM

First-hand experience of global warming motivates activist Robert Swan

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NEW VISION OF SPORTS SUPERSTARS

Photographer has an eye for capturing active longevity in action

finance 28

THE LONGEVITY PARADOX

An unfolding crisis

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TIPS FOR DIY REMODELERS

Stress less with tools for planning and budgeting

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OPPORTUNITY COST OF NOT RETIRING

Reflect and consider what quality of life means beyond bank balances

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NOTE FROM THE CEO

It’s never too late Let’s be honest. The pandemic put all of us on our heels. It was unexpected, unprecedented and unequaled in terms of disrupting our lives. And that’s for the fortunate ones who didn’t lose their lives or the life of a loved one.

The pandemic is an important reminder that there are no guarantees in life.

Despite all of our best efforts, we can’t shield ourselves from the unexpected. While our inclination might be never to leave the house again, the answer is not wrapping ourselves in surplus safety and being afraid to live. Yes, we have to take precautions, but we can’t stop living life on our own terms. We can’t stop pursuing our passions. We can’t wait for the perfect time or the perfect conditions to try something new, to start a relationship, launch a business or give back to our community. We have to keep moving forward with the understanding that continual course corrections are part of an active and successful life.

Like Eugene Snowden, who is featured in this issue of “Growing Bolder,” we have to be ready and willing to pivot whenever necessary. We have to understand that not only is it never too late to make our move, it’s also never too early.

At Growing Bolder we have a human-scale “DEFY” sign wrapped around the curved wall of our circular conference room, our collaboration command center. It’s there to remind our team of the grit required, not just for successful aging but successful living. We have to learn to defy the never-ending challenges that life throws at us. It’s also there to remind us, as a business, that our success is dependent, to a large extent, on our ability not just to endure difficult times but to grow stronger and better because of them.

Life is for living boldly; and defy, in a word, sums up what Growing Bolder is about — the philosophy, the company and the stories we tell of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things.

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Maskot via Getty Images

“We have to understand that not only is it never too late to make our move, it’s also never too early. ” G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 4 5

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Volume 45 PUBLISHER Jackie Carlin EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Thompson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ashley Heafy GRAPHIC DESIGNER Katie Styles GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sarah Brown EXECUTIVE EDITOR Doris Bloodsworth PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jill Middleton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

George Diaz, Leslie Poole, Mary Shanklin Christy Wilson Delk, Kay Van Norman, Collette Haw Claudia and Sergio Lordao, Lisa Beach Amy Sweezey, Doris Bloodsworth GROWING BOLDER PRESS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Marc Middleton PRESIDENT Robert Thompson NEWSLETTERS

To sign up for Growing Bolder’s weekly newsletter, go to GrowingBolder.com/newsletter.

All subscribers also get a daily dose of inspiration curated from our most popular social media posts.

COMMENTS

Contact us via social media @GrowingBolder or email us at feedback@GrowingBolder.com ADVERTISING AND MEDIA SALES

For information about advertising and sponsorships, email Kevin Houseknecht at advertising@growingbolder.com

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GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 21

It is possible at any age to discover a lifelong desire you never knew you had.

-Robert Brault

FOR MORE DAILY MEM E S :

@GrowingBolder Westend61 via Getty Images

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CONTRIBUTORS

George Diaz

Born in Cuba and raised in South Florida, George Diaz became inspired to be a journalist while working for his school newspaper at Coral Gables High School. He is a 1978 graduate of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism. Diaz worked at the “Miami Herald” and “The Cincinnati Post” before joining the “Orlando Sentinel” sports department in 1989.

He went on to serve in a number of roles, including columnist and member of the editorial board. He took a severance package in November, 2018, and is proud of his 29-year legacy at the paper but is now looking forward to writing new chapters in his life.

Leslie Kemp Poole

Leslie Kemp Poole is an author and assistant professor of environmental studies at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Her work reflects her interest in how women, who historically had little political power, rallied together in grassroots efforts to protect the environment and preserve natural resources.

Lisa Beach

Lisa Beach is an award-winning Orlando freelance journalist, content marketing writer, and copywriter covering B2B and consumer travel, food, lifestyle, and wellness. Her work has been published in “The New York Times”, “USA Today”, “Conde Nast Traveler”, “Good Housekeeping”, “Parade”, and “Eating Well”. Plus, she’s worked with brands such as Marriott, Wyndham, Nature Made, Chick-fil-A, Tribune Content Agency, AAA, and Costco.

With 30 years at the keyboard, Lisa’s passion is crafting content that makes a positive difference in the world. Check out her writer’s website at www.LisaBeachWrites.com, and connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Christy Wilson Delk

Christy Wilson Delk is a business professor at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She is a contributing franchise industry writer and educator. She consults, leads workshops and gives presentations about how to achieve greater performance and success through the franchise business model.

Kay Van Norman

Kay Van Norman is president of Brilliant Aging and is an internationally known author, writer and thought leader in healthy aging. Her passion is uncovering hidden barriers so that people can move from intending to age well into taking actions that will help ensure that they age well.

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Mary Shanklin

Longtime journalist Mary Shanklin has written for the “Orlando Sentinel,” “USA Today,” “Architectural Record” and more. She has a master’s degree in publishing from George Washington University and is the founder of Fifth Estate Media in Winter Garden, Florida.

Claudia and Sergio Lordao

Born in Brazil, Claudia and Sergio recognized a sense of wanderlust in each other when they started dating in 1991. In 2007, they immigrated to Australia, embarking on a new life with their 9-year-old son. That itch to explore returned recently, and they’ve left their established careers to launch The Soul Explorers, a site that uses photos, videos and words to celebrate ordinary people across the world.

Collette Haw

Chef Collette Haw studied at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. After training in some of the country’s most honored restaurants, she became a personal chef for celebrities.

She launched her own business, Collette’s Clean Eats, to provide healthy, prepared meals for busy families. She is now partnering with the Winter Park Health Foundation to launch Nourish Coffee Bar + Kitchen in the new Center for Health & Wellbeing.

Amy Sweezey

Amy Sweezey is an award-winning broadcast meteorologist and mom of three. For more than 20 years, she has delivered daily forecasts on television and spoken to countless groups of children about weather. Sweezey has authored two children’s books with a third due out in late 2019. She lives in Central Florida with her family.

Doris Bloodsworth

Doris Bloodsworth, APR, is a Pulitzer-nominated writer and award-winning journalist. She is the author of several history books and is accredited nationally in public relations. She is president of Crosswords Communications and has been inducted into two Central Florida halls of fame.

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Top Birdwatching Spots in Florida Where to see migratory birds around Florida Leslie Kemp Poole

As the days grow warmer and longer, there’s no better time to get out into Florida’s natural areas and enjoy the varied birdlife that brings color to our state. Grab your binoculars and join millions of avian enthusiasts in enjoying everything from nesting eagles to graceful swallow-tailed kites to raucous gulls and terns. Birding, which brings in billions of dollars in revenue, is a booming activity and there is plenty to see at sites that vary from wildlife refuges to county parks to restored wetlands. Here are five premier year-round viewing spots where visitors might also see butterflies, alligators, and bears as well as lush inland and coastal landscapes.

Photos: Clay Henderson

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St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

A group of wading ibis preen and bask in the waters of this Panhandle refuge where more than 300 bird species have been spotted. Impoundment pools also attract many types of waterfowl. Mark your calendar now for the fall migration of Monarch butterflies on their way to Mexico—a spectacular sight.

Lake Apopka

Once considered the most polluted lake in Florida, Lake Apopka is now the focus of a major restoration project—and the hundreds of species of birds it attracts are proof it is working. Here a limpkin, known for its distinctive cries, looks for freshwater snails, its sole diet. The lake’s north shore has a one-way, 11-mile Wildlife Drive, with close views of birds and, quite often, enormous alligators.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

A century ago, roseate spoonbills were hunted near extinction so their feathers could adorn women’s hats. Today the refuge is an important rookery for spoonbills and many other varieties who use it as a permanent home and a migration flyway. Several trails and roads lead to bird nirvana in different ecosystems, including the Scrub Ridge Trail where fearless indigenous scrub jays just might land on your head.

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge on Sanibel Island is named for Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and pioneer conservationist, who championed saving this precious Gulf Coast site. Birders flock from around the planet to admire wading birds, visible by road or by water. Join a boat or tram tour or hike and kayak to find feathered treasures.

The Florida Keys

Famed artist John James Audubon found the stuff of his dreams in 1832 when he reached birding heaven: the Florida Keys. In the Dry Tortugas islands, now a national park accessible by boat or seaplane, Audubon found sooty terns that still nest by the thousands. Be sure to tour the park’s historic Fort Jefferson and snorkel along its coral reef.

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R E A L LY A DV E N T U R O U S ?

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Photos: Bruce Hunt/ Arthur Morris vis Getty Images

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Savor the Season Chef Collette Haw

People think comfort foods and healthy foods are mutually exclusive, but that’s not true! I believe comfort foods are really what make you feel good.

When people think about healthy eating, they think, “Oh, I have to eat a salad for the rest of my life.” But there are so many other nutrient-dense foods people can eat that aren’t raw kale or steamed vegetables.

Take this dish, for example. People usually associate ceviche with seafood, but I made this version using fresh, seasonal ingredients from my local farmer’s market.

Not only is it colorful to look at, thanks to the acid from the limes and grapefruit, it explodes in your mouth with fresh, bright flavors. The best part about a recipe like this is you can customize it to your tastes, or to whatever’s in season.

Experiment and enjoy!

Chef Collette Haw is a classically trained Culinary Institute of America graduate.

Chef Haw operates the Nourish Coffee Bar + Kitchen inside the Center for Health & Wellbeing in Winter Park, Florida, and approaches the Nourish menu with a unique hybrid of her comfort-food-gone-healthy and food-as-medicine philosophies. She also instructs cooking programs at the Center and online at WellbeingNetwork.org.

Want more tips? Visit WellbeingNetwork.org to watch me make some of my favorite recipes.

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Spring Farmers Market “Ceviche” Salad 10 servings INGREDIENTS 1 ½ cup fresh frozen edamame or fresh garbanzo or lima beans 2 ½ teaspoons lime zest ⅔ cup fresh lime juice ¼ cup avocado oil 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced thinly 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 2 cups fresh corn off the cob 2 grapefruit, supreme 3 Hass avocados, cubed 1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced (yellow, red, orange) 3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges ¾ cup chopped cilantro Himalayan pink salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

I N E V E R Y I S S U E : G B R EC I P E S

DIREC TIONS If you’re using fresh, frozen, whole edamame, let the edamame thaw while you’re putting the rest of the recipe together. If you’re using fresh garbanzo or lima beans, remove them from the shell, blanch in boiling, salted water for 6-9 minutes and shock in an ice bath.

(Ice bath: Fill mixing bowl with ice, cover ice with water until it’s about 50 percent water.)

Combine the lime zest, lime juice and avocado oil in a small mixing bowl. Add the scallions, jalapeno and shallot and let it marinate in the vinaigrette while preparing the rest of the salad.

In a separate mixing bowl, add the fresh corn, grapefruit, avocados, bell peppers and cilantro. Lightly toss all those ingredients together, add the vinaigrette with the scallions, jalapeno and shallot to the bowl with the heirloom tomatoes and lightly toss once more.

Season to taste, and let the salad marinate in the fridge at least an hour before serving. , and let the salad

marinate in the fridge at least an hour before serving.

N U T R I T I O N FAC T S ( P E R S E R V I N G ) :

Calories 118, Total fat 3.6g, Saturated fat .4g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 58mg, Carbohydrates 19.9g Fiber 4.4g, Total Sugar 6.1g, Protein 4.7g

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TV

New season coming to public TV this summer. Check local listings: GrowingBolder.com/TV

Podcast

New episodes each Sunday. Subscribe at GrowingBolder.com/podcast

Growing Bolder is not just media, it’s a movement.

Follow us @GrowingBolder

Radio

Check your local NPR listings or visit GrowingBolder.com/radio

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Included with your Florida Blue Medicare Advantage Plan

Live

Watch What’s Next, live on Facebook and YouTube every Friday at 10 am ET

Gaming

Twitch users 50+ are the fastest growing community on the platform. Visit our Twitch channel to find your tribe at Twitch.tv/GrowingBolder.

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Move Forward.

Give Back. ®

You’ve heard the phrase “age is just a number,” and when it comes to Growing Bolder, we know that’s true, because what the mind believes, the body can achieve. (Age is also about attitude!)

But the numbers associated with Cherie Gruenfeld’s name are so impressive, we wanted to share a few:

Cherie Gruenfeld Katy Widrick

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I R ON M A N T R I AT H L ON S

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WO R L D TITLES

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I R ON M A N 7 0 . 3 WO R L D TITLES

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I R ON M A N AG E - G R OU P R ECOR DS HELD

And the statistics go well beyond her own accomplishments.

Gruenfeld founded the Exceeding Expectations organization in 2001 to coach at-risk kids in California in the sport of triathlon and to encourage and inspire them to stay in school, set goals and believe that they, too, can Move Forward. Give Back.® Gruenfeld’s early intervention with kids is particularly interesting, since she herself grew up before federal legislation removed sex-based exclusions on educational and athletic programs (Title IX) and didn’t discover the sport until she was in her mid-40s. Even so, she was always taught that she could do and be anything she wanted:

“I used to come whining to my parents, saying ‘My brothers are out there doing it; I want to do it,’ and my parents said, ‘You want to do it? Just go out there any mix it up with the boys!’” she recollects to Growing Bolder. “I think that that taught me at a very early age that if you want to do something, just get in the game.

Just jump right in and give it a try. And so when I was 48, I saw the L.A. Marathon on TV. And I was sitting in my bed on a Sunday morning eating sticky buns and drinking coffee and I thought, ‘I want to do that!’ I knew that I could, if I just gave it a try. So that’s kind of how I’ve lived my whole life.”

Shortly after that, she saw triathlon for the first time and decided to give that a try, too. And since then, she’s been nearly unstoppable.

In the fall of 2017, Gruenfeld had a race-day collision with another cyclist that left her with four bone fractures and two months of rest and recovery on crutches. She could have given up, but in May of 2018, she was back to her sport, and even more passionate about living each day to its fullest.

“Our time in this world is limited and I intend to use every single minute of every single day doing something that makes me happy, that I think is good for me, and is productive.”

M OV E

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Florida Blue and Florida Blue Medicare are Independent Licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or gender. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-352-2583 (TTY: 1-877-955-8773). ATANSYON: Si w pale Kreyòl Ayisyen, gen sèvis èd pou lang ki disponib gratis pou ou. Rele 1-800-352-2583 (TTY: 1-800-955-8770). © 2020 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc., DBA Florida Blue.

All rights reserved.

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GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 21

Being able to breathe, is a feeling that you want to rejoice instantly.

At 70, Ed Henry lived through a double lung transplant. Today he’s back to work, in the gym, and looks forward to his morning walk at sunrise — a daily reminder of a new beginning. He thanks his donor, his surgeons, and his Florida Blue Nurse Care Manager, who helped get him liquid oxygen when he didn’t know where to turn, which kept him alive until he could get the double lung transplant.

“Florida Blue has carried me through the last year and I know they have my back.”

See more stories at floridablue.com/ storiesofstrength

— Ed Henry

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GROWING BOLDER WITH

Rosanne Cash

65 Photo: Clay Patrick McBride

Johnny Cash is one of the most iconic musicians in history, but his daughter Rosanne Cash’s successful career is the result of her own talent, hard work and grit. She’s a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter with nearly a dozen No. 1 hits and is a bestselling author. Her latest album, “She Remembers Everything,” features collaborations with artists, such as Kris Kristofferson, Elvis Costello and the Decemberists’ Colin Meloy.

Like most of her albums over the past 25 years, it’s produced by her husband and music partner John Leventhal. She says it has taken them years to learn to work together in harmony.

“John and I have worked hard at getting to a place where we don’t take everything personally when we’re in the studio. We work at bringing our best selves to each other and appreciate what the other one does well, which is really marriage in a nutshell,” she said.

Cash has never run from the shadows of her famous father and stepmother, June Carter Cash, but she’s also forged a career that is uniquely Rosanne. She says her years and experience make her feel free.

“It can take a lot of doubt and uncertainty to get to this place. I know a lot of people who are burnt out at my age, and I’m so lucky I still feel inspired. I’m still in love with my husband. I love being a mom. I love my work. And when I do feel burnt out and tired, I remind myself I’m lucky to do what I do,” Cash said.

Bill Nye

65 Photo Courtesy of Bill Nye

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Bill Nye is a science educator, mechanical engineer, best-selling author and host of the Emmy-nominated Bill Nye Saves the World on Netflix.

He’s also the CEO of the Planetary Society, co-founded by the late Carl Sagan, the esteemed astronomer and Nye’s former professor at Cornell University.

Nye is now inspiring people of all ages to open their minds to the wonders of science. He’s taking on such topics as evolution, climate change and the possibility of time travel.

He feels a sense of urgency to educate the public. “I direct my energies to work on TV to engage people to save the world,” he says. “The world will be here no matter what we do. But I want to save the world for humankind.”

Lately, Nye says he’s been thinking about thought leaders such as Thomas Jefferson and the Age of Enlightenment.

“We want people to grasp and embrace the process of science,” he says.

“We use critical thinking to understand the world. The enlightenment guys were into designing a government based on the same ideas. We’re living in a time right now when the ideas of enlightenment are being set aside. But I believe they’ll bounce back very soon, because you can’t compete economically if you deny science and the process by which we know nature and our place in it.”

Chita Rivera

88 Photo: Laura Marie Duncan

Chita Rivera is a national treasure. After more than 65 years in show business, this musical theater goddess is still going strong.

She’s a force of nature who originated some of the most iconic roles in Broadway history, including Rose in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma in Chicago, and, perhaps her most beloved role, Anita in West Side Story.

Since making her Broadway debut in 1951 at the age of 18, she’s come to represent the very best of the Great White Way. The 10-time Tony Award nominee (and two-time winner) is the first Latina to receive a Kennedy Center Honor. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Just before her 84th birthday, Rivera added another major achievement — headlining her Carnegie Hall solo debut. Says Rivera of the experience: “The old saying goes, ‘How do you get to Carnegie Hall?’ ‘You practice.’ Well, I had a lot of time to practice for my first show at Carnegie Hall!”

Rivera adds that one of the keys to her longevity is surrounding herself with people and experiences she loves. That’s why she’s still touring the world, performing songs from some of her most memorable theatrical runs.

“I’ve been so inspired by so many people,” she says. “They’ve made me what I am today. I hope I can do the same thing for young dancers and young actors. I’d also love to inspire older people who think their lives are over and that they can’t do anything anymore. Of course you can! You just have to share it, care about it and do it.”

Ernie Hudson

75 Photo Courtesy of Ernie Hudson

IN E VERY IS SUE : GROWING BOLDER WITH

Ernie Hudson rose to fame in Ghostbusters in 1984 and all these years later, he’s in greater demand than ever, with stand-out performances in hit shows like Blue Bloods and Grace and Frankie.

Hudson learned at an early age that his choices, not his circumstances, would define his future.

By 18, he was working as a janitor and had a new wife, with a baby on the way, but he still had a dream—to act.

“I never imagined not working as an actor,” he says. “I’ve always loved it. I can look at my career and I could get frustrated thinking of guys who’ve gone on to do bigger things -- but the more I focus on that, the worse I feel. I’d much rather focus on the things I have. And I have so much to be thankful for.”

Hudson says his grandmother taught him that when you make a choice to do something, the universe will support you.

“Even when you’re going through something very difficult, don’t accept it as if it’s out of your control,” he says. “As long as you know your future is in your hands and you can make another choice, the universe will make that choice with you.”

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Soul

THE

EXPLORERS Claudia and Sergio Lordao

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GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 21

Growing Bolder interviewed the Soul Explorers before COVID-19 restricted travel globally.

When our son left home three years ago, we found ourselves at a crossroads. We were both 46 at the time and knew things would never be the same.

For years, we had been successfully swimming back and forth in our “comfort zone pool.” But with an empty nest and more free time on our hands, we had started to question ourselves.

After three decades working in marketing, our jobs were no longer fulfilling. We were bored and confused; feeling super young and extremely old at the same time. Something was missing—and it wasn't just our son.

Some people call it a middle-age crisis. We call it middleage enlightenment. There was so much we wanted to do, to create and to share. Our minds were full of ideas and hopes.

Our hearts were full of passion! But how could we change our lives? At this age and time?

For two years, we discussed our options, our fears, our future.

In December 2017, we finally took a leap of faith and quit our jobs

to start an initiative called The Soul Explorers—a photographic storytelling project showcasing people from all walks of life.

It has been almost a year since The Soul Explorers hit the road. We've been to three continents, nine countries and more than 40 cities so far. We've conducted more than 250 interviews.

And when we truly connect to total strangers, and they share their personal stories with us, we feel extremely rewarded.

Some people call us crazy. Maybe we are. We’re funding the project ourselves, working a lot, travelling on a budget and making no money at all. And no, we’re not rich. We just understood what’s important to us now.

We know it's a big cliché, but life is, indeed, too short. And the older you get, the more evident that fact becomes.

Allow yourself to change, if that's what you want. Don't be afraid of trying and don't wait for the right time. There’s no such thing. No matter how old you are, make a plan and then go for it. Stop postponing. Don't let “later” become “never.”

From Australia to the world, one story at a time.

Since we started The Soul Explorers project, we've been publishing a different story every day. In our travels, we come across people from all over the world and all walks of life. We talk about their struggles and hopes, their passions and fears.

Regardless of their age, culture, language, gender or beliefs, they all want the same things: to be happy, to have a purpose in life and to be surrounded by loved ones.

Here is a selection of some of our favorite stories.

Remember, we approached all these people on the streets. We asked them to share something personal with us – and here’s how they responded.

Never Too Old We came across Marianne on a beautiful day in Noosa, a paradise on earth in Australia. She was hiking with two friends and we loved what she said about aging:

Noosa, Australia

I started hiking 20 years ago; I wish I'd started much earlier in life. I'm 76 now, and I'm making the most of it every day.

When you get older and especially when you're on your own—I'm a widow —it's very important to have friends around you and to socialize. The worst thing in the world is to sit home and do nothing and feel sorry for yourself.

We do a lot of walking. We ride our bikes, do yoga and go to the gym.

Always have a coffee stop on the way—that's very important!

Aging is so unfair! I feel like I'm in my mid-30s. But I look in the mirror and go, 'Oh, God, I'd like to be a little younger than that!’ My mind says I'm young, but my body says 'No, you're not.’ But I try to be very active and keep myself as young as I can.

As you get older, some people think you're too old to do some things.

No, you're not! You're never too old to start exercising. We can't stop aging, but we can definitely slow it down!"

I N E V E R Y I S S U E : O R D I N A R Y P EO P L E L I V I N G E X T R AO R D I N A R Y L I V E S

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The Soldier

London, England

Sid was sitting by himself at Trafalgar Square in London, waiting for his family to arrive. His story surprised us. The more we travel, the more we learn not to judge a book by its cover:

My name is Sid, and I'm 64. I was in the Army for 12 years. The rigid discipline didn't bother me at all. I was used to it, as my dad was oldfashioned and very strict. But, to be honest, when you go into a war zone, discipline goes out the window. You don't need discipline to survive.

I've been to seven war zones and been shot three times. But I'm still here -- Scottish men are hard to kill. I killed 87 people. You don't feel anything; you just go and blank your mind. You have to think it's a job. If you think about it any other way, you end up in a nuthouse.

Oporto, Portugal

The Portuguese Artist We were walking down the alleyways of the historic city of Oporto, Portugal, when we came upon an open door. Inside, a woman was working on a painting. She welcomed us in with a sincere smile. Her name was Clara and she told us her life was divided into two stages:

The first stage took place in a competitive field. When I was 40, I was at the top of my game and decided to pursue my Ph.D., in addition to my job.

Halfway through the program, my head went on a spiral. I knew if I continued, I’d follow that path forever.

In my 50s, I quit the doctorate to start the second stage of my life -- a more humanistic, emotional and pleasurable period. I began my training in the arts, and two years ago, I had my first exhibition.

It’s been a path of self-discovery. It isn’t an easy process. I would have been very comfortable in my career if I’d continued. In today's world, to quit your job and start over is very difficult. To go against what they expect of us requires a lot of energy and a lot of courage.

Sense of Purpose We were freezing when we came across Bill, who managed the Arthur's Seat Carpark in Edinburgh. He wasn't cold, like us. In fact, he said it was a beautiful summer's day in Scotland! We asked for directions and he went inside his cabin to grab a map of the area. He didn't have to do that, but he did. And we could tell how pleased he was. He clearly had a sense of purpose in his job:

I'm 65. I used to work in a call center. It wasn’t a job -- it was a nightmare. I hated it. It's been seven years that I look after this carpark, and I love it! I meet new people every day and I love helping them. I love being close to nature! Look at this incredible view! What else can I ask from life?

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Edinburgh, Scotland

Common Interests We met Benno and Jeanne in a coffee shop in Barcelona. They were sitting next to us and attracted our attention because they were wearing similar glasses. Plus, they seemed so genuinely happy together. They told us that they had three children and six grandchildren, and that they were planning a big party to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They shared a bit of their "secret recipe" for a happy marriage with us:

Barcelona - Spain

Respect each other. This is very important. And freedom. Don't make it a prison. Have some common interests, too. When you’re together, live your life together.

We see a lot of young people who have a lot of friends and busy jobs.

When do they have time for each other? What do they have together?

And always exercise. We’re very lucky to be healthy. We walk and bike a lot.

Sunshine Coast, Australia

The Dancing Guy We were at a Street Market the other day and we stopped to watch an amazing musician. The atmosphere was great, the crowd was happy, and we were all having fun. When the performer started playing his last song, a man came out of the blue and started to dance. It was so unexpected and yet so special. He was enjoying himself so much that I'm sure a lot of people were tempted to dance along with him. Once the show was over, we talked about his passion for life:

I'm John Harris, and I'm about 70. I like to dance to keep the body moving and keep it flexible so that I can live for quite a few more years.

If you stop, you seize up and the blood stops flowing.

We are what we eat, and drink and think. If you think you can't do something, you probably can't. And vice versa.

I think being out and about and talking to people keeps you happy.

We’ve got to pass a bit of happiness on, you know?

It's been a phenomenal journey for me, all over the place. I've been to Vanuatu, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore—I've done a bit of dancing everywhere. Whenever I see someone playing on the streets, I instantly dance like that. I feel free when I dance! The spirit floats off! Goes with the flow, bangs with the breeze! It's fantabulous!

Visit their website to see their gallery exhibit, buy their book or follow their project virtually at

thesoulexplorers.com

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TRANSLATING TECH Best Internet Devices for Older Adults

Thinking of upgrading your tablet or laptop but not sure where to start? Check out the official list of Senior Planet recommended devices to connect you to the world wide web.

G R OW I N G B O L D E R HAS TEAMED UP WITH S E N I O R P L A N E T TO B R I N G YO U M O R E T E C H N O LO GY C O N T E N T TO K E E P YO U ON THE CUT TING EDGE OF T H E L AT E S T I N D E V I C E S , P L AT FO R M S A N D TO O L S .

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Tablet

iPad, 2020 standard 32Gb WiFi model The iPad is the long-standing champion of tablets, offering an intuitive, touch-based interface and access to thousands of easy-to-use Apps. Some iPad models can get expensive, so we recommend the base model listed above. It has everything you need to get online and start using a variety of apps.

W H E R E TO B U Y: Apple | Best Buy

$329

Chrome Device

HP Chromebook 11 Using the Chrome OS, this laptop provides everything you need to access the internet, video chat, compose emails, watch videos, and do any other online activity you can dream of. If you’re looking for an affordable laptop, we recommend this Chromebook over traditional Windows laptops in the same price range. Cheaper Windows laptops often have performance issues and other limitations.

W H E R E TO B U Y: Target | Walmart | B&H

$200-$300

Windows Laptop Asus Zenbook Flip

If you prefer to buy a standard Windows-based computer over a tablet or Chrome device, we recommend a “2-in1” device like the Zenbook Flip. With its removable keyboard and touchscreen interface, this device can be used either as a traditional laptop or a tablet. It’s the most expensive of the options we recommend, but it does bring the best of both worlds!

I N E V E R Y I S S U E : T R A N S L AT I N G T EC H

W H E R E TO B U Y: Adorama Camera | Best Buy | B&H

$829-$900

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THE LONGEVITY PARADOX: AN UNFOLDING CRISIS Marc Middleton

Extra years of enjoyable life should be considered a major goal and one of life’s greatest blessings. but without sufficient resources to adequately fund a longer life, that additional time may be filled with heartbreak and disaster.

A major crisis is now unfolding at the intersection of rising healthcare costs and a rapidly aging, and mostly unhealthy, population.

Actuaries are now calculating what they call “longevity risk,” the very real and rising risk of outliving your money.

Longevity is the single biggest risk to your financial future.

That’s the longevity paradox: The thing that we most aspire to in the future—longevity—is, in fact, the greatest threat to that future.

Of course, part of the answer is to plan, save, invest and reduce spending. But the true solution to the longevity paradox is found in the health-wealth connection.

The single most important investment that you can make beginning today—and the one investment that will provide the greatest overall returns in the decades ahead— involves no money and is affordable to everyone. It’s PLM, or “positive lifestyle modification.”

PLM is the most powerful and cost-effective form of healthcare. It will make whatever retirement savings you now

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have or might accumulate last longer and go further by lowering your future healthcare costs.

This is critically important because healthcare costs will continue to rise and preventable, chronic illness will continue to be the single biggest driver of those costs.

That’s the longevity paradox: The thing that we most aspire to in the future—longevity—is, in fact, the greatest threat to that future.

The tragic result will be financial ruin for millions of families, and yet, we continue to live as though we’re indestructible and will have limitless resources to buy our way out of any future health crises.

You can’t improve your overall health and wellness without also improving your overall financial health. The two are inextricably linked. All the money in the world can’t buy you good health, but good health can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime.

FINANCE

MARC’S PICKS Most Saturday and Sunday mornings, I’m on the couch by 5 a.m., answering emails, organizing my calendar for the upcoming week and watching a documentary film.

The best documentaries are insightful and entertaining but can also be amusing, disturbing, inspiring, shocking or infuriating. A great documentary cannot only change the way I think about some people or issues, it can change the way I act or consume.

Documentaries are supposed to be founded in the truth, but it’s important to understand that all were written and directed by someone with a perspective and a motive. As we’ve all learned through social media and the emergence of biased “news” organizations, what’s presented as truth can be far from it.

No matter what your interest is, there’s an entire genre of documentaries about it: art, business, sports, travel, food, fashion, religion, military, health and aging. And there are an ever-increasing number of places to view them: Netflix, Amazon, HBO, ESPN, PBS, HULU, YouTube, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and many others.

My taste in documentaries is quite eclectic. If it’s well made, I can find myself totally absorbed in a film about almost anything. That said, here are a few that I’ve watched and enjoyed lately:

“Icarus” Bryan Fogel, the film’s director, who is an amateur bike racer, planned to investigate the use of performance-enhancing drugs by injecting himself and then trying to evade detection. As Fogel was shooting, his consulting expert, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, was identified as the mastermind behind Russia’s elaborate state-sponsored doping program at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Recognizing a story more compelling and sinister than the one he was shooting, Fogel wisely pivoted and began getting first-hand details about the biggest athletic scandal in sports history. The result is a tense, fascinating and stranger-than-fiction, Oscar-winning film.

“Get Me Roger Stone” Whether you like where we are politically or not, if you want to know how we got here, “Get Me Roger Stone” will provide insight. The film is a riveting and disturbing look at the self-described “Dirty Trickster” of American politics.

Stone ran smear campaigns for Richard Nixon in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he and his business partner, Paul Manafort, practically invented big-money lobbying and corporate influence, peddling access to President Ronald Reagan.

Stone proudly takes credit for all but creating negative advertising, mud slinging and the use of misinformation in political campaigns. It was Stone who first suggested Donald Trump run for president and ignited his obsession with the “birther” issue. Last year, Stone was convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s presidential campaign. Stone was set to begin a 40-month prison term when his sentence was commuted by President Trump.

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“Free Solo”

I can’t imagine the stress of watching this story unfold without knowing the outcome, because it’s mind-blowingly dramatic and unnerving when you do know the outcome. “Free Solo,” winner of the 2019 Oscar for Best Documentary, details Alex Honnold’s obsession with accomplishing the impossible — climbing the 3,200-foot sheer face of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan without the use of any rope or safety equipment. This gripping and awe-inspiring documentary from National Geographic is either a unique personal profile in courage or idiocy. You be the judge. This much is guaranteed: Alex Honnold and “Free Solo” will blow you away.

“Filthy Rich”

This four-part, true-crime docuseries from Netflix is infuriating but difficult to stop watching. The arrest and suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, the high-society financier and convicted sexual offender, was one of 2019’s biggest news stories.Director Lisa Bryant weaves together the stories of survivors revealing a horrific look at how Epstein used power, influence and wealthy connections to prey on minors and escape justice for decades.

“The Price of Everything” I love just about any documentary on art and artists. And I enjoyed “The Price of Everything,” even though it received mixed reviews. The film examines the white-hot contemporary art market, in which wealthy collectors, driven by a frenzy of speculation, buy not what they love but what they can make a profit on. The question driving the market today is, “Who’s the most undervalued artist?” with the art market becoming a de facto stock market, complete with trading, flipping and commodities futures.

With so much personal wealth in the world, prices have been driven so high that even well-funded museums can no longer compete with private collectors. The result is that many pieces of great art have disappeared into private collections, never to be seen.

“Man on Wire” After interviewing Philippe Petit for Growing Bolder radio, I had to watch “Man on Wire,” the 2008 documentary about his daring high wire stunt, which has been called “The artistic crime of the century.” In 1974, Petit and his crew eluded security overnight, lugging hundreds of pounds of equipment to the roof of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. They shot a line from one tower to the other and anchored a three-quarterinch wire across the span. When the sun came up the next morning, Petit walked along the bouncing wire with no safety net as stunned crowds gathered far below. The film, complete with stunning archival footage, is less about the stunt itself and more about following your passion. While it makes no mention of 9/11, it’s impossible to watch without feeling a deep pain for the loss the Twin Towers now represent.

I N E V E R Y I S S U E : G B R EC O M M E N D S

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Virtually Everywhere How Virtual Reality is Changing the World Around Us Robert Thompson

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vir·tu·al re·al·i·ty vrCH(w)l rēaldē noun COMPUTING the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.

It seems we hear the term “virtual reality” more and more everyday. For most of us, it conjures up images of futuristic movies where people are living in created utopian worlds, fighting evil forces or trying to save mankind. Well, as they say, truth can be stranger than fiction. Today, virtual reality really is changing the world and might actually help save mankind… or at least let us have a little more fun!

Let’s explore a few areas where virtual reality is already having an impact and how we can all benefit.

Travel

Healthcare

Conceptualization

Many of us dream of exciting, thrillinducing excursions like climbing Everest or diving with Great White sharks in South Africa. Virtual reality is now making that possible for everyone. Virtual reality systems such as Everest VR or Teleport Tahiti are giving the masses the opportunity to climb the tallest mountains on earth, listen to the waves crash on far-away beaches or zip-line through an Amazonian forest. For many people, travel is limited due to time, resources or physical limitations; virtual reality is now breaking down these barriers and opening up the world!

Virtual reality has altered the healthcare industry in a very big way. Not only are physicians using VR for training and educational purposes, but they are now utilizing it for the planning of complex surgeries. In many complicated cases, such as separating conjoined twins or fixing brain aneurysms, doctors are using MRI, CT, and ultrasound scans to create virtual models of their patients.

This allows the doctor to explore the “inside” of their patients without making a single cut. Removing the potential for surprises during the actual operation greatly improves the likelihood of a successful outcome.

Studies regularly list building a new home or an extensive remodel as one of the most stressful life events and for those of us who have gone through one or both, we agree! Fear not, virtual reality to the rescue. Many new VR systems are proliferating the homebuilding industry. Most national builders are now offering VR as a way to pick your cabinets, flooring, lighting and more, all in a virtual world. There are even VR systems available to the masses that allow you to test out different furniture, paint colors or that new piece of art—all before making the purchase.

VR is also being used to help with pain and anxiety associated with many medical procedures. Studies have proven that by immersing patients in a peaceful, happy, virtual world, they show lower anxiety levels and sometimes higher pain thresholds. This tool is particularly effective for patients undergoing chemotherapy, dialysis or even skin grafts. During minimally invasive procedures, VR is also utilized as a way to better manage pain for older patients where anesthesia is too risky.

VR conceptualization doesn’t stop with homebuilding. Urban planners are using VR to better design parks, roadways, sidewalks and other public spaces, ensuring a great user experience before the first shovel goes in the ground.

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Miracle Man From football injury to family inspiration George Diaz

His friends call Darryl Perry the Miracle Man. It’s a perfect fit, reflecting the power of perseverance.

His speech is labored. His motor skills are compromised.

He can’t see clearly.

But Darryl Perry doesn’t have time for your pity party.

He is too busy enjoying life, embracing his strong faith and constantly filling the room with loud laughter.

It’s the proud and defiant soundtrack of a man who came back from the dead.

“I had always wanted to be a motivational speaker, so I guess God said ‘I am going to give him something to talk about,’ ” Perry said.

Perry’s inspirational journey began on March 15, 2007.

After going out with his wife, Nicky, and friends for dinner, Darryl Perry began choking, gasping and foaming at the mouth.

He went into cardiac arrest, losing oxygen to the brain for seven critical minutes. At one point, the paramedics told Nicky Perry there was no hope for her husband. Darryl Perry was lifeless. His heart stopped beating, and he slipped into a condition called cerebral hypoxia.

As the paramedics were about to give up, Nicky Perry insisted they keep trying to pump life back into her husband’s body.

“Keep going!” she screamed.

Nicky Perry’s persistence would save her husband’s life.

Paramedics continued to use a defibrillator to jolt Darryl Perry’s heart until they finally detected a heartbeat. Darryl Perry was flown by helicopter to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Doctors braced Nicky Perry for the worst. Darryl Perry slipped into a coma, and there were few signs of life. But then, unexpectedly, three weeks later he woke up to a new life that would shatter the blueprint of the one that existed before the near-death experience. His weight had dropped from 250 to 146 pounds. The heart attack caused irreparable brain damage, but it did not break his soul.

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“The things that I’ve gone through and seen in him motivate me,” said longtime friend Tony Jones. “As tough as it is for him, he’s always reaching out to help and lift someone else up. He’s the Miracle Man in more ways than one.”

Now 52, Darryl Perry uses his tough-man instincts, honed on the football fields of Jones High School and the University of Florida, where he was a bruising fullback and lead blocker for star Emmitt Smith.

Step by step, word by word, Darryl Perry learned to walk and talk again. Although he still has physical limitations, Perry takes life as it comes. He rides a bus to get around town.

He cooks for himself – his specialties include salmon, stir fry veggies and crab cakes. He works out regularly at a former teammate’s gym in Longwood, methodically pounding away at the heavy bag and taking it outside to work on agility drills.

And now as a single, divorced father, he still provides a nurturing touch for his three children: two girls, one boy — all Gators, including Austin, a junior walk on.

“Anytime God gracefully wakes me up, I say, ‘OK, God, you mean I got to get in the game again today?’” Darryl Perry said. “God will say, ‘Yep.’ So I’m ready to get in.”

His ultimate game plan is to hit the road as a motivational speaker. He has quite the story to tell. His message is quick and to the point.

“Never quit on anything, find your faith and go with it.

You say I can’t do it. I say I can do it.”

Never quit on anything, find your faith and go with it. You say I can’t do it. I say I can do it.

Photos: Jacob Langston

DEFY

Florida’s Aging Connection Since 1955

ADVOCACY The Florida Council on Aging (FCOA) supports various policy and funding issues that allow older adults to age with dignity in a safe environment.

EDUCATION FCOA provides the general public with information and resources for : + older adults + caregivers + people who work with elders FCOA connects experts and peers to share new research and best practices. Together we serve Florida’s diverse aging interests.

COMMUNICATION FCOA provides timely, educational updates on issues that affect caregivers, decision makers, professional service providers and older adults.

Members receive this information through our e-newsletter, social media and health messaging posters and flyers for senior centers.

MEMBERSHIP FCOA has been Florida’s Aging Connection for 65 years, with diverse members in all 67 counties.

We help members with a wide range of business and community initiatives such as: + pilot project consultation and hosting + employment announcements + grant opportunities + forming of a task force + volunteer opportunities

JOIN THE FLORIDA COUNCIL ON AGING Share your wisdom.

Learn innovative best practices.

Make a difference.

Become a member at FCOA.org or by calling 850-222-8877.

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WE BRING YOU

Season 7 Growing Bolder will air on public broadcasting stations nationwide, so check local listings to find it in your area.

DRIVE TIME! Explore Florida’s North-Central Coast Lisa A. Beach

As a peninsula, Florida boasts 1,800 miles of coastline, which puts waving palm trees, fresh seafood and toes-inthe-sand beaches within a short drive no matter where you are in the Sunshine State. One of my favorite drives? Start with Fernandina Beach in the north and continue south down A1A to the Canaveral National Seashore in Central Florida, hitting the following key stops along the way.

F L O R I DA T R AV E L

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Amelia Island From charming, historic downtown Fernandina Beach, to sunset cruises, to horseback riding on the beach, this barrier island invites you to stay, play and unwind. Hungry? Grab a rooftop table, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, at the Salt Life for fresh-caught grouper. Visit Fort Clinch State Park, a well-preserved Civil War era fort with living history demonstrations, hiking trails and two campgrounds — one at the beach, one at the river. Need some pampering? Choose from two luxurious spas at Omni Amelia Island Resort, well-known for its clean-and-green therapies, and the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, a cavernous yet intimate setting.

Hint: Ask for the Ritz’s signature Heaven in a Hammock treatment.

Jacksonville Although the draw of downtown Jacksonville is certainly worth a pitstop, it’s the coastal communities that truly shine. With plenty of stops on the Jacksonville Ale Trail, craft beer lovers can find the perfect amber, India pale ale (IPA) or stout. Head to Green Room Brewery, Jacksonville Beach’s first microbrewery, for a pint of Diamond Blonde Ale. For the area’s best street tacos, pop into the colorful Cantina Louie. Rent a kayak and paddle your way through Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and Talbot Islands State Parks. History buffs can dig into the past of Mayport Village and Kingsley Plantation. Looking for a dog-friendly beach? Visit Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park for swimming, surfing and fishing.

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St. Augustine As the oldest U.S. city, St. Augustine boasts a walkable district, including famous St. George Street, filled with local artisans, historic buildings and the must-see Colonial Quarter for interactive history experiences. You’ll also find two of the best pizzerias in Florida — Pizzalley and Pizza Time — dishing up mouthwatering Brooklyn-style pizza. Stay the night at one of the dozens of quaint bed-and-breakfast inns dotting the area. Don’t miss the city’s focal point — Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century Spanish stone fortress with views of the St. Augustine Inlet. Cross the Bridge of Lions to explore Anastasia State Park, a protected wildlife sanctuary, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. It’s a 219-step climb but worth the spectacular panoramic view.

Daytona Beach Along popular Daytona Beach sits a family-friendly boardwalk with plenty of shops and restaurants and a bandshell with an ocean view that is home to the beloved outdoor Summer Concert series.

Birdwatchers will enjoy spotting some of the 160 species sighted in Tomoka State Park. Hikers and cyclists can meander through 33 miles of Volusia County trails, including the East Central Florida Regional Rail Trail built along an abandoned railroad. Nearby, visit world-famous Daytona International Speedway or hop in the virtual driver’s seat at the Daytona 500 Experience. Looking for a little culture? Head to Daytona’s hidden gem — the Museum of Arts and Sciences, which sits on a stunning 90-acre nature preserve.

Canaveral National Seashore Stretching for 24 captivating miles, the Canaveral National Seashore features the longest span of undeveloped public beach along Florida’s East Coast — perfect for taking a dip in the ocean or building sandcastles. At Mosquito Lagoon, reel in silver perch or fly fish for red drum. Check out Turtle Mound, one of Florida’s most famous archaeological sites, built by Native Americans who tossed their oyster shells — all 1.5 million bushels of them — onto a pile that towers at 35 feet high. The grand finale? Simply soak in the sound of waves lapping at the shore on this pristine barrier island before heading back home.

This beautiful stretch of Florida’s North-Central coast makes the perfect two- or three-day road trip anytime of year.

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The Bottom Line: GET SCREENED March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. And since I’ve lived with Crohn’s disease (a type of inflammatory bowel disease) for over 30 years, I try to find as much humor as I can when it comes to any type of bowel screening.

I’ve had at least a dozen colonoscopies over the years. And I’ve tried all the different preparations for colon cleansing.

If you are age 50 or older, call your doctor to see if you should have this important screening. If you have a friend, parent or neighbor who is age 50 or older, ask them to call their doctor, too. Colorectal cancer is serious business; there’s no joking about a cancer diagnosis. But there’s good news: Modern medicine has made tremendous advances in detecting colorectal cancer early and successfully treating it.

ANNE EBRIGHT M E D I C A R E C U S TO M E R C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

Modern medicine has made tremendous advances in detecting colorectal cancer early and successfully treating it.

Florida Blue and Florida Blue Medicare are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. For more information visit floridablue.com/ndnotice. ©️ 2021 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc., DBA Florida Blue. All rights reserved.

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HAVE PEACE OF MIND ABOUT YOUR COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING I don’t know anyone who hasn’t complained about getting a colorectal exam. Let me help you with any misunderstandings you may have about the exam and what it involves.

1

“The test is difficult or painful.” Actually, you can take some colorectal cancer tests right in your home, without any pain or discomfort.

2

“I’m too embarrassed to talk about my bowel movements with my doctor.” Believe me, your doctor has seen and heard it all. Your doctor wants you to be honest and tell them everything going on with your body.

3

“Nobody in my family has ever had colon cancer, so I’m not at risk.” I’m the first person in my family to have Crohn’s disease. Just because nobody else in your family has ever had colon cancer doesn’t mean you can’t get it.

The American Cancer Society urges all individuals at average risk to be screened for colorectal cancer.

4

“I don’t have any symptoms of colon cancer.” Screening can help detect early signs of colorectal cancer before you start to have symptoms.

5

“I don’t want to do the prep.” Clear liquids, Jell-O, broth – mmm. Your doctor can prescribe many different types of bowel cleansing preparations depending on your needs. To have accurate results, it’s important that your colon is completely empty. You don’t want to have to go through all that work to hear you need to reschedule because you weren’t “clean.”

6

“I’ve heard the test is very expensive.” Your Florida Blue Medicare health plan covers many preventive screenings, like colorectal cancer screening, at no additional cost to you. At-home tests are very affordable, but screenings like sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy and ColoGuard® are also covered as part of your benefits. For more details, simply log in to My Health Link (your member account) on floridablue.com/medicare and look up your plan information.

7

“I can’t take time off of work for the exam,” or “I have no one to drive me home.” Some tests don’t have these issues. Talk to your doctor to see which test is right for you.

For more information, search the American Cancer Society’s website for valuable information about all types of cancer screenings, including colorectal cancer screening, at cancer.org.

hisa nishiya via Getty Images

HEAL

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$15

NEW IN THE SHOP:

Live Boldly Postcard Book Our inspiring set of 20 tear-and-share postcards features original artwork and bold messages for any occasion.

BRIGHTEN A LOV E D O N E ’ S DAY WITH SOME SNAIL MAIL MERRIMENT!

To purchase, visit growingbolder.com/shop 42

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 21

It’s Going to Be

Messy And That’s OK

Amy Cameron O’Rourke

When you become a caregiver, you become an advocate. You need to fully understand your loved one’s wishes before you can help make key decisions about the kind of care and intervention he or she would want—or not want—toward the end of life.

This requires discussions that can be difficult. But it’s important such discussions begin well before there’s a health crisis. You need to fully understand and follow the values of your loved one, not your own.

That can be really hard to do.

The healthcare system is designed to treat, fix and cure.

When people are older, however, they may not be fixable, treatable or curable. It’s possible that some people in such a system might not be able to walk or eat after surgery. Perhaps they might not even survive a surgical procedure.

If your parent ends up in the hospital, slow everything down and buy some time before immediately being swept into a series of tests. Tell the doctors or nurses: “Let me take a few minutes and think about this. Let me talk to my siblings. Let me talk to my parent.”

Ask yourself and your parent: “If, as a result of these tests, we find a medical problem—are we going to do the thing they recommend we do?”

THE ART OF CAREGIVING

If you’re not, then do you really need the test? If the result is going to be an invasive surgery that your parent doesn’t want, then consider not taking the test.

There’s a common conception that when you’re caring for someone, you must do something; you must intervene.

However, most of the older people I work with don’t want the intervention.

They don’t even want to go to the hospital. The hardest thing to do is to simply let them be, and to let them ride out their remaining time in a respectful way.

These are the difficult decisions you’ll be faced with as a caregiver. Don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect; to do everything right. It’s not possible. Just be with your parent and understand that, at times, it’s going to be messy.

And that’s really ok.

Finally, if you have an aging parent, ask yourself what you need to do to have no regrets—and then do that thing.

You want to be able to lay your head on the pillow at night feeling comfortable about what you did—and what you chose not to do.

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Improv in

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Photos: Mike Dunn

The indomitable of

optimism Eugene Snowden George Diaz

Eugene Snowden is many things: Bombastic. Soulful. Hilarious. Kind. Groovy. Sexy.

Intellectual. Humble. Aggressive. Outrageous. Creative. Uncontrollable. Lovable.

Artistic. Singular.

That’s the lowdown list from his good friend, John Washburn, owner of three Imperial Wine Bars, where Snowden has played many times to deliver his blend of powerhouse rhythm and blues.

“The worst thing you can do is ask an artist to describe themselves,” Snowden said, acknowledging his friend’s colorful descriptions with a soulful laugh.

Snowden is chatting on the phone from Atlanta, where he is taking care of his elderly parents. It’s a more important gig than his regular one, which is also impressive.

Snowden has been an iconic presence in Central Florida’s music scene for decades.

He has played in all kinds of funky juke joints, from the Imperial to Will’s Pub and Lil Indies, where he regularly served up something called, “Ten Pints of Truth,” on Wednesday nights.

It’s all rather quiet now. COVID-19 has mostly silenced Snowden and all artists who rely on the connectivity of an audience to make the magic happen. But at 58, Snowden is cool with the New World Order.

“I don’t have a problem with it,” he said. “I went from five shows a week to zero.

But I’m easily adjusting. I’m in my 50s now, and every major thing I did was early in life.

Married. Divorced. Bought a house. I have since divested myself of all that stuff. So, I was prepared when the world got pulled out from under me. I set myself up to be ready.

“I know this is temporary. Actually, my stock has gone up.”

Consider it improv. Snowden is very good at that. It’s what great musicians do: Go with the flow. It happens quite a bit during his live performances. He will beckon musicians and friends to join him on stage so they can riff together. It can be wildly imperfect, but that’s the sweet spot.

F E AT U R E

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“They know me,” he said. “I can take these chances.

“The audience has no idea what’s next sometimes. For them, it’s a ride too.”

Influenced by grandfathers on both sides, Snowden has fine-tuned his craft since he began playing at 16. He was originally a drummer. After moving from New York to Orlando in 1993, Snowden found a world music/afro beat vibe and formed a group called Umoja, which means unity in Swahili.

He eventually moved in another musical direction with a group called the Legendary JC’s in 2001. It was a nine-piece jam of soul and blues who toured with B.B. King, James Brown, Bad Company and Jethro Tull, among other notable acts.

The band hit the road hard, too, touring over 200 shows a year at its height.

In 2013, when the group broke up, Snowden taught himself how to play guitar, and he played on. Admittedly a work in progress, Snowden plays with a bit of self-deprecating humor.

“As someone once told me,” he recalled with a smile, “’As a guitar player, Eugene, you are one hell of a drummer.’”

The evolutionary road has taken him into the recording studio as well. With the help of a Kickstarter campaign, in which he raised $10,472, he recently cut an album that needs a little bit of tweaking and then will be out soon.

For a snippet of his work, check out the album’s first single, “I’ll Do It,” on your favorite music streaming app or watch the music video on YouTube. It’s a 4:43-minute house party.

The best artists evolve. That’s the sweet spot, too. He describes his brand as “powerhouse rhythm and blues.”

“And if someone says R&B, I tell them go to hell,” he said.

It’s soulful, not soulful sap, in other words.

Whatever musical genre you prefer to cast him in is fine with Snowden. As he once said in a 2015 interview: “I am under no [bleeping] illusion that everybody will like what I do. I don’t expect not to be criticized, but it’s not going to break me. I take my chances and keep right on going.”

It’s best not to typecast Snowden anyway, because you never know what comes next.

“He’s such an interesting character,” said Washburn, who has known him for more than 30 years. “He could be anywhere in the world

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I went from five shows a week to zero. But I’m easily adjusting. I’m in my 50s now, and every major thing I did was early in life. Married.

Divorced. Bought a house. I have since divested myself of all that stuff. So, I was prepared when the world got pulled out from under me.

I set myself up to be ready. and he’d be awesome. Blues. Soul. Funk. All of that is part of his upbringing, and he wears it like a badge. He’s the most passionate performer in Central Florida.”

Another friend describes Snowden’s journey as a “soulful perseverance,” adding that Snowden has found his niche paying homage to the soul singer mystique reminiscent of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke.

As for Snowden’s perspective, he looks at his career like a car with high mileage. He can afford to pick and choose his gigs. He performed in Orlando at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center on Jan. 2, 2021. What comes next will largely be determined by the opportunity to play in a safe space free of pandemic concerns. But he is aware of the mileage on his musical odometer.

“When you are 58, you’ve got more past than future, so things speed up a little bit.”

The going is slow these days. The music is mostly silent. But it will be back at some point.

Eugene Snowden will be there on the front lines playing a gig somewhere.

You may want to check him out. And feel free to add your own colorful description to an already impressive resume.

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THE DIGNITY OF RISK Kay Van Norman

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The “dignity of risk” concept has been a driving force in the disability movement for decades.

The dignity of risk simply refers to the right of individuals to make choices about how they want to live their lives, how to balance personal risk with safety, regardless of age or functional challenges.

However, this concept is often overshadowed by negative expectations of aging. For example, consider what happens if a 35-year-old has a stroke. Family, friends and healthcare providers all rally with resources and encouragement to help the individual overcome challenges and get back to a full life. When a 75-year-old has a stroke, the goal is more likely focused on getting them healthy enough to return home and then making their environment safer and their world smaller to cope with challenges. These are two very different mindsets, driving dramatically different outcomes.

For young people with disabilities, the dignity of risk embedded in disability services encourages them to overcome even severe challenges and accomplish remarkable things. By contrast, in the absence of positive expectations, many older adults end up in a “safety bubble” with resources, tools and encouragement to cope with rather than overcome challenges.

Older adults who haven’t insulated themselves against aging stereotypes can easily fall victim to subconscious, negative aging scripts; and wellintentioned family members and helpers can make it difficult for someone to activate resilience.

Expectations of Others A dramatic example of this phenomenon is chronicled in a book, “Into the Blue.” It’s the story of Wayne Edsall from my town of Bozeman, Montana. Edsall, active and healthy with a passion for re-building and flying World War II airplanes, had a massive stroke in his 70s. Doctors told his family to place him in skilled nursing care. They said he would never recover.

The family rejected this diagnosis and relentlessly pushed for rehabilitation, but they were denied rehab services due to his age and severity of the stroke.

THE ART OF CAREGIVING

Undeterred, his daughters spent hours every day for months helping Edsall regain function and helping him recapture his passion for flying. Against all odds, he recovered fully and even regained his pilot's license to return to the air.

This story inspires me, but it also breaks my heart. I’m not suggesting that every person could recover as well as Edsall, but how many people are never given the chance to recover simply because of age bias from others?

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Personal Expectations Mom’s Story

Internalized expectations can also create recovery barriers. My mom survived a brain aneurysm with surprisingly few functional deficits. However, this ranch woman, who drove tractors, climbed corrals and drove her four-wheeler around the ranch with wild abandon, bitterly yet faithfully lived the aging script running in her head about what happens when you have a stroke in your 70s.

Every encouragement to re-engage in life was met with the same rebuke, “I can’t, I’ve had a stroke.” Family relationships fractured along the line of those who wanted to build a small safety bubble life, and those who wanted to help her adapt and move forward. I know many people are either living or have lived that same journey with a loved one.

Eldo’s Story

In contrast, my friend Eldo fully recovered his independence and reclaimed his love for horseback riding after falling off a haystack and breaking his back and neck at age 82. His positive belief system drove his recovery.

Eldo was also fortunate to have a doctor, a horseback rider himself, who understood that recovery is far more than physical and encouraged Eldo to live his passion for riding despite the very real risk of severe injury if he was to fall off of a horse. How different the outcome could have been if his doctor, family and friends had insisted he retreat to the safety of his recliner and had not afforded him the dignity of risk.

Harriet’s Story

When Harriet, 80, expressed interest in providing part-time childcare for my infant son, Cole, her friends and mine issued dire warnings and admonishments. What were we thinking? Her age wasn’t a factor for me; but I did express concern about her advanced osteoporosis, which included spinal kyphosis, a rounded upper spine as a result of small fractures. After making a career out of advising people to focus on possibilities, not disabilities, could I live it with so much at stake?

With equal parts amusement and determination, Harriet said, “Oh, I've had a bad back my whole life and took care of my own kids. I don't know why it would be any different now!”

Embracing the dignity of risk and adaptive strategies to prevent injury, Harriet watched Cole from the time he was 6 months old until he went to school, and she was a part of our family for the rest of her life.

She employed the dignity of risk again in her 90s and was using a walker. People pressured her to move out of her second-floor apartment with no elevator access.

“I want to see the mountains when I wake up in the morning,” Harriet said. “I’ll scoot up on my butt if I have to!” She lived at the apartment through age 100.

Start Now Both external forces and internalized expectations can support or diminish an individual’s chances of living fully in the face of challenges. Take steps every day to build internal defenses against negative expectations of aging. Guard against external forces by insisting on the dignity of risk for you or a loved one, regardless of age or challenges.

Visit kayvannorman.com for healthy aging resources and more information on building a mindset of well-being.

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Power

of Visualization

ABC Sony

How the Queen of New York Real Estate Achieves Her Dreams Emily Thompson

Barbara Corcoran believes in the power of visualization and the optimism of blind faith. Growing up, Barbara was the youngest of nine children. She struggled in school, enduring bullying when she had to read out loud to the class. Corcoran started working as a hot dog vendor as a child, finding that her customer service skills got her the positive feedback she wasn’t getting in school. She went on to have 20 jobs by the age of 23.

“I did every kind of part-time job since I was 11. I always had tons of jobs because it was the kind of performance that I could do well…and people responded well,” Corcoran said.

She credits her mother with instilling in her a sense of confidence and self-worth despite her academic challenges.

“My mother told me I was a genius, and I believed her for some reason. So, I just went out and showed people [my version of genius],” Corcoran said.

Barbara started her real-estate firm at age 23 and was managing 50 people by the time she was 25. She had already been working for a dozen years.

“I was really an old person going into business at 23,” recalled Corcoran.

Now approaching 70 years old, Barbara is the “Queen of New York Real Estate,” a best-selling author, a celebrity judge on the Emmy Award-winning show Shark Tank, a real-estate expert for the Today show and a columnist for the Daily News.Even a battle with cancer hasn’t slowed her down.

Corcoran remains resilient and optimistic even when times look tough.

“I just know it’s better right around the corner. If I go through something that’s really hard, there’s a bounce up from that, like throwing a ball against a wall. It bounces back.

And I’ve been very alert to what the opportunity is coming back up. I’ve always had my best successes on the rebound.

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I’ve learned to expect it. I have that kind of blind faith,” Corcoran said.

The power of love is at the core of success for Corcoran.

She believes anyone can make something of themselves if even one person loves them.

“I had a huge advantage in having parents who loved me and believed in me. I appreciate what kind of advantage that was. I don’t know where I’d be right now without that.

Assuming you have even one person right now to love you and build your confidence, you can learn to love yourself and achieve your dreams,” she said.

Visualization has been a powerful tool for designing her life and turning her dreams into reality.

“I never did a business plan, but I had such a clear image that I wanted to be the queen of New York real estate. It was in living color. It was in my head every day, and that motivated me. I saw what I wanted to be, and I kept it clear and I did everything in my power to reach it,” Corcoran said.

“People who are creative have to have an image of who they want to be when they grow up and just keep striving to make that dream come true. For me it’s been essential that I always had a picture of that,” she said.

Corcoran had to fight for her spot as a judge on Shark Tank.

“The reason I got Shark Tank is because I saw myself on Shark Tank, she said. “My beliefs and my own dream made me stand up and be counted when I was initially turned down. I think visualization is powerful.”

From humble beginnings to becoming one of the most respected and recognizable real-estate and investment experts in the country, Corcoran is an example of how visualizing our dreams gives us the ability to make those dreams come true.

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@GrowingBolder AJ_Watt via Getty Images

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Photo by Wundervisuals on Getty

DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH Antioxidants in a glass Chef Collette Haw

Too often, we’re told what not to eat; but I love to give people ideas of fun and tasty foods they should eat. Did you know some foods are not only better for weight management, they may even improve your overall health?

One of my favorite superfoods is the tiny but mighty blueberry. Blueberries are the kings of antioxidant foods that protect your body from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage your cells and can contribute to premature aging and diseases.

At Nourish Coffee Bar + Kitchen, at the Center for Health & Wellbeing in Winter Park, Florida, we use wild organic blueberries, or lowbush berries, which are typically smaller and richer in some antioxidants. The main antioxidant compound in blueberries belongs to a family of polyphenol antioxidants called flavonoids. Among the many benefits attributed to flavonoids are reduced risks of cancer, heart disease, asthma and stroke.

When it’s hot outside, one of my favorite ways to cool off is with a nutritious, delicious smoothie. This Wild Blueberry Smoothie is packed full of ingredients designed to keep you healthy and strong, including a fun garnish: local bee pollen. Like blueberries, bee pollen contains a powerful antioxidant punch. It’s also been shown to lower bad cholesterol and boost liver function. It contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties. These days, you can pick up some bee pollen at most health food stores or from a local beekeeper.

Wild Blueberry Smoothie Makes one 12-ounce smoothie INGREDIENTS 6 ounces of unsweetened almond milk 1 cup of organic wild blueberries, frozen 1 banana 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 1 teaspoon of hemp seeds 1 tablespoon of chia seeds Sprinkle of cinnamon 2 ounces of ice Garnish with local bee pollen

DIREC TIONS Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until you achieve the desired consistency. Garnish with the local bee pollen.

Calories 392, fat 22.6g, sodium 101mg, carbs 44.2g, fiber 7.7g, protein 7.6g

Photo: Jacob Langston

HEAL

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A Trainer, a Truck and a Dream You can buy ice cream out of a truck anywhere.

But only in Orlando can you buy personal training.

Mark Sunderland

When Lisa Snyder stepped out of the Orlando Rowing Club’s boathouse one morning, she wasn’t expecting to find a group of her 50 and 60-year-old rowing partners in the parking lot gathered around a giant step truck.

She was puzzled. One of them worked battle ropes.

Another did reps on a bench press. There were about eight of them, laboring together against medicine balls and barbells, silhouetted against the sunrise over Lake Fairview.

This is how Snyder discovered The FitTrain, and she’s been a steadfast passenger ever since. She and her friends are willing participants in an odd fitness experiment happening nowhere else in the world. One that shouldn’t work. And yet it does.

Chris Mink is the inventor and engineer of the FitTrain.

He’s an exercise physiologist with the restless heart of an inventor. He designed the truck on napkins, the preferred rough sketch medium of revolutionaries. He placed tape on his driveway to mark the footprint of the equipment he would eventually install on the sides of the 25-year-old truck.

“Some people thought I was crazy. Some thought it was the best idea ever,” Mink said. “I just wanted to do something different.”

By January, the last time 2020 was somewhat normal, the 4-cylinder diesel Chevy P30, formerly used in Frito-Lay’s snack delivery fleet, was transformed into the FitTrain.

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Perhaps it was a karmic reincarnation, a chance at redemption for a previous life spent delivering empty calories.

By February, Mink had convinced some of his old clients to train with him and his absurd traveling gym. He had even managed to pick up a few new clients, but not enough — until one day when Mink woke up in a lockdown.

By late March, every gym in town was closed. The world had stopped. But the FitTrain never did. Clients called; clients came. They fled the gym cathedrals they attended religiously for what they believed to be a safer sanctuary.

Soon afterward, Mink found himself driving his truck to homes all over Orlando. He drove to a house where three generations of family members were hunkered down. He drove to parks to train groups of friends. He parked next to lakes and rivers and beaches. He parked at hotels and resorts.

He trained military people for Officer Candidate School. He trained a youth group from an underserved part of the city.

He trained grandmothers and millennials, experts and beginners.

It’s too early to say how disruptive Mink’s mobile fitness dream is to the $828 billion physical activity market.

He’s just one guy with a truck full of exercise equipment. But you won’t find anyone among the FitTrain’s current passengers who say they are disembarking once the pandemic passes.

Photos: Jacob Langston

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My workout has also become my social hour...

We all laugh together, we walk a mile before and after; there’s a lot of conversation. For me there’s a new element to exercise now — laughter.

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Carol Posada, a 64-year-old trainer herself and a FitTrain regular, believes Mink is onto something.

“It’s not just a different gym each time,” Posada said.

“It’s a different gym at a different address.”

Wendy Davis is part of the crew that wakes up in the pre-sunrise darkness to join friends at the FitTrain.

“My workout has also become my social hour,” Davis said. “We all laugh together, we walk a mile before and after; there’s a lot of conversation. For me there’s a new element to exercise now — laughter.”

For some, the FitTrain’s appeal is in the culture.

“Every gym has its own culture,” said Marni Spence, a 55-year-old exerciser with Mink’s 50-plus group. “There are gyms where people really dress up.”

But the only mirror onboard the FitTrain is the rearview

mirror, and it would appear that none of the FitTrain’s devotees are looking back to their previous workout lives.

It’s doubtful that any of Mink’s current clients are aware that they are part of what may become the future of fitness in this new we’ll-come-to-you economy. But it is apparent to all of them that there is something special about working out with a group of friends, outdoors, in and around an old snack delivery truck.

Mink says his cancellation rate is nearly 0%, a number unheard of in the fitness industry. He attributes much of that to the sense of accountability people within his groups have to each other.

With each stop, it is apparent that there’s no stopping the FitTrain or the pandemic-produced fitness phenomenon that has captivated a large swath of Orlando’s exercising public.

Some people thought I was crazy. Some thought it was the best idea ever, I just want something different.

Photos: Jacob Langston

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Tips for Do-it-yourself Remodelers Doris Bloodsworth

Home remodeling can be rewarding. Just remember to pace yourself and build in moments to relax and spend time with friends and families. After all, a home is where we live; family and friends are what we live for.

How hard could remodeling a home be? Watch the DIY television shows, and it only takes 30 minutes. And it seems so fun!

Anyone who has tackled painting a room or repairing a roof knows it’s not quite that easy. However, older homeowners seem undeterred. According to Houzz, an online platform for home renovation and design, 55+ homeowners make up the majority of remodelers and spend nearly three times more than millennials on improvements.

The reasons for remodeling vary. Some empty-nesters remodel so they can sell their homes for a premium and downsize. Others hope to stay in their homes for many more years to come and want to make them more user-friendly.

Whatever the reason, here are tips from successful do-it-yourself remodelers.

Plan Ahead.

Help.

House renovations can tax your wallet as well as your patience. Get professional help from general contractors or home designers to estimate your costs. Large-scale projects may require loans.

These professionals also have a good sense of current trends.

Home-improvement stores are keen on helping customers. Help includes everything from cutting lumber to answering DIY questions to loading purchases in your car or truck. The last thing they want is an injury, so take advantage of the assistance.

Some stores also include free accessories, such as paper for protection under plants and sod, cord for tying large bundles and plastic flags for supplies that protrude behind your vehicle.

Hiring a Pro.

Tool Buddies.

One of the biggest challenges, especially in hot construction markets, is finding reliable, affordable help. Some of the home-improvement stores provide directories of independent contractors. There also are a slew of online directories, such as Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor. Your neighbors can be a resource through platforms such as Nextdoor, a socialnetworking service for neighborhoods. Use caution when letting any stranger into your home.

Besides the usual tools, a smart phone and a garden cart scooter are invaluable. There are tons of apps accessible through your phone such as iHandy Carpenter, BrightNest and RoomScan Pro, to name a few. The phone’s flashlight feature is helpful in dark corners. The camera and selfie features can put eyes in otherwise inaccessible places.

A rolling garden cart scooter can save your back on floor and baseboard tasks.

Discounts.

Safety First.

Every nickel counts. Big-box stores often run special savings around holidays. Home Depot and Lowe’s offer savings to veterans. Check their websites for criteria. Research online to see if the stores or paint outlets have promo codes or coupons available.

FINANCE

If you plan to do some of the remodeling yourself, always put health and safety first. Are you up to it physically? Do you have the expertise? It isn’t worth saving a few pennies if it results in a trip to the doctor. Some renovations should always be done by professionals who are licensed and are familiar with permit requirements.

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Photos: Jacob Langston

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Billy Fels & Doug Montgomery T H E G U I TA R G U Y S A M P L I F Y L I F E

Neither Billy Fels nor Doug Montgomery expected their lives to be amplified by guitars. Neither can play them; yet for 45 years, in a shop they call The Guitar Factory, they’ve been creating custom guitars of the highest quality and repairing those created elsewhere. Many of the greatest talents in the world have come to their cramped, aging building in Orlando to seek them out.

Jimmy Buffett, Sting, Nils Lofgren, Mike Rutherford, Pat Travers and Derek Trucks are just a few of the big names who have sought their expertise. Their experience, skill and attitude make them indispensable to players of all talent levels. Both approaching 70, they are the most unlikely of guitar heroes.

“We’re gray-haired old men still in the rock ‘n’ roll business,” Fels said. “But at least we’re not wearing spandex!”

Visit their shop and you’ll find that age has no relevance. Fels and Montgomery, in their bushy white beards, hold court while teens, 20- and 30-somethings watch over their shoulders as the two men do what they do best. Far more than simply build and repair guitars, they get to know each customer: how often you play, whether you play for huge crowds or just in your room, your style and genre of music, and they “tune” your instrument to your needs.

If Fels and Montgomery felt they were simply fixing guitars, they would have gotten bored long ago. They empower players by removing the obstacles blocking the way.

“Guitars you buy off the shelf can be very difficult to play; and if you don’t know any better, you think there’s something wrong with you,” Montgomery said. “We make it so you’re more likely to stick with it.”

They believe keeping your dream alive is what’s kept their dream alive.

The bond and partnership they’ve formed has been invaluable. Just don’t ask them to admit it.

We’ve found a formula that works,” Montgomery said.

“I stay in the back, he stays in the front!”

The two seldom take time off.

“The only regret I have is that Doug and I didn’t take more vacations,” Fels said. “I think we’ve each had a long weekend just three or four times in 40 years.”

Still, what they’ve accomplished is nothing short of amazing. Two lifelong friends, who started a business with nothing but determination, talent and compassion, have brightened lives for others and created extraordinary lives for themselves.

Photo: Jacob Langston

DEFY

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Restoring Memories Classic Cars

Bill Shafer

Photo: Tim Styles

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The car you drive reveals a lot about you. That’s been true ever since you turned 16 and you got that student parking pass for the high school lot. Do you remember what kind of car you pulled up in? I bet you can still picture every detail!

I drove Dad’s old ‘69 Chevy Impala. Seafoam green with a dark vinyl top. Huge backseat. Factory air and a not-sofactory FM converter for grooving out to the too-cool-forschool FM stations that played those trippy deep album cuts. Did I mention the back seat? I’ll guess you can also remember what kind of car your friends drove. Steve had an MG Midget. Scott had a VW Thing, remember those? And I’ll never forget how Celia’s long blonde hair would blow in the breeze behind the bucket seats of her bright yellow Olds Cutlass convertible.

Kids don’t seem to have that connection to their cars anymore. For us, cars meant freedom, adventure, and independence. The youth of today get that from their smartphones. Their personalities are reflected more by their Instagram page than their Honda Civic. Instead of spending hours washing and waxing, they spend hours swiping and snapping. And does anybody lift the hood to work on the engine anymore? They don’t tinker, they just Twitter.

I guess you can’t blame them. Cars today just don’t represent what they used to. They’re expensive, they don’t stand out, and those open roads of yesterday have bumperto-bumper traffic today. Instead of polish and tune, it’s easier to Uber and Lyft. There’s no place to park, and no place to go. No more drive-in theaters, drive-up diners, and the malls have vanished because we all shop online. We need our cars less and less, and the way technology is advancing, soon our cars will be driving us instead of the other way around. There is no way around it. We have lost our grip on the wheel.

If the cars of today can’t save us, maybe the cars of yesterday can. They sure saved the Smith family. After twenty years of toiling in a career in consumer finance Michael Smith was ready to follow his dream instead of his pocketbook. His son, JR Smith, who grew up fascinated by cars came up with an idea to turn their shared passion into a business and Just Toys Classic Cars was born.

It began strictly as an online business that quickly expanded to a lot, and ultimately a showroom that looks more like a car museum, only larger. Today, Just Toys Classic Cars is a 40,000 square foot indoor facility filled with 80 to 100 cars for sale, from Model T’s to Mustangs, priced from as low as $10,000 dollars to well over $100,000.

Potential buyers are not the only ones who walk through the doors. “It’s become a bit of a vacation destination,” says Michael Smith. “We get entire families who just want to come in and look.” And that’s just fine with the Smiths. “For us, this is as much a passion as it is a business,” says JR. “And our goal is to create a profound experience for everyone who walks through that door.”

CONNECT

The entire showroom is like a trip back in time. The floor is painted like a long and winding road. In addition to the cars, they feature an ever-changing collection of antiques and memorabilia from the 1930s through the 1970s. They’ve also become a popular destination for parties, swing dances and even a few weddings. “They say, ‘do what you love you'll never work a day in your life,’” explains JR. “We do work a lot but we have a ton of fun doing it.”

One memory does stand out among the rest. Michael’s wife and JR’s mom, Shirley Smith was just fifteen years old when her parents promised that if she received straight A’s on her report card they would buy her a Mustang. “She got the grades,” JR explains. “But never got the car.” She had longed for one ever since. Her family finally made that dream come true. They presented her with a mint condition, candy apple red 1965 Mustang convertible. “It was just awesome for the guys to do that for me,” says Shirley, still fighting back the tears. “Those are the kinds of feelings that you just can’t put into words.” It’s what the Smith family sees nearly every time they sell a car. “It’s not unusual for our buyers to get emotional,” says Michael. “We share a lot of tears of joy.”

Perhaps JR sums it up best, “That’s what makes this the greatest business in the world because we completely understand,” he explains. “We sell classic cars, but what we really do is restore memories.”

They say, ‘do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life. We do work a lot but we have a ton of fun doing it.

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CO-MINDFULNESS

Co-mindfulness is about bringing our attention, integrity and compassion to our relationships and into our communities to nurture more love in our life and to thrive. Co-mindfulness recognizes that our individual growth only becomes meaningful in how it lifts up the lives of others. It’s about the healing, happiness and sense of fulfillment that we can experience when practicing mindfulness together.

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THE COMINDFULNESS PROJECT Practice compassion to increase happiness for yourself and others Doro Bush Koch and Tricia Reilly Koch

THE STORY BEHIND THE CO-MINDFULNESS PROJECT

Niccoló Pontigia / EyeEm via Getty Images

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This year, we started working on a book that will feature interviews about the different ways to practice mindfulness — spending time in nature, listening to music, engaging in a creative project. The aim of the book is to help people, who might not be drawn to meditation, find ways to practice mindfulness that appeal to them to increase their happiness and sense of wellbeing.

For the book, we had the great privilege of interviewing His Holiness the Dalai Lama. When we asked him what was the best way to practice mindfulness, to our surprise, his answer was not meditation but compassion.

The Dalai Lama’s answer had us wondering if the mindfulness movement might be putting too much emphasis on our individual happiness and wellbeing and not enough on the wellbeing and happiness of others.

During this time, we also met Amma, who is known throughout the world as the hugging saint. We were deeply moved by Amma’s life of service and her message and example of unconditional love. And we definitely recommend her hugs.

What we noticed about these two great spiritual teachers was that their love and compassion for others seemed to give them an awful lot of joy. Was this the real secret of mindfulness and how to achieve happiness and a sense of wellbeing — focusing our attention and love a little less on ourselves and more on others?

As the Dalai Lama has so famously said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

Practicing compassion, as it turns out, is one of the best ways to invest in our own happiness. And so, we started asking ourselves: How can we practice mindfulness with others to cultivate more love and compassion?

That question led us to the concept of co-mindfulness, which we define as bringing our attention, integrity and compassion to our relationships to nurture more love in our lives and to thrive.

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1 DEEP LISTENING.

Deep listening is about making ourselves fully available to another person. When we listen deeply, we listen to the person’s emotions as well as their words.

Instead of responding with our own story or thoughts to what the person is telling us, we ask questions that draw the person out to forge a deeper understanding and intimacy. The more we practice deep listening with the people in our lives, the more we show them our understanding and love, the more we will be loved and understood in return.

2 PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION.

Mindfulness is about bringing our full attention to the present moment. In co-mindfulness, we bring our full attention to another person. We pay attention to the person’s body language, tone of voice, what they’re not saying. We also pay attention to our own thoughts and feelings as we engage with the person. When we pay close attention, we are essentially in meditation with another person, observing with compassion what comes up for them as well as for us.

3 LEADING WITH CURIOSITY NOT JUDGMENT.

In co-mindfulness, we reject our automatic default mode with people. Instead, we stay open and curious to everyone with whom we come into contact, even the people we know well. By leading with curiosity instead of with judgment, our relationships become creative spaces where we can be taken by surprise, learn about ourselves and others, explore new levels of intimacy and be inspired to grow.

THE 10 PRINCIPLES OF CO-MINDFULNESS:

4 LETTING GO OF EXPECTATIONS.

Often, what harms our relationships most are the expectations we have of people. And yet, mindfulness is at the heart of accepting what is, which includes accepting the people in our lives for who they are. In co-mindfulness, we strive to love the people in our lives for who they are all the while gently helping them be the best that they can be. Our expectations won’t change people, but our love might.

5 COMMITTING TO THE TRUTH.

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A mindful relationship is committed to the truth, even when the truth might be uncomfortable for us.

Don’t ignore difficult emotions you might be having with someone. Find a kind way to express, in the moment, how the person’s actions are making you feel. And remember, the truth goes both ways. Be prepared to listen, with patience and kindness, to the person’s experience of your actions.

INVITING CRITICISM.

None of us is perfect. While this shouldn’t be an excuse for bad behavior, it’s important to acknowledge that we all make mistakes. Our relationships offer us the best opportunity to learn from our mistakes and grow. So, be proactive and invite the criticism by asking, “Have I said something to hurt or offend you?” The worst that can happen is the person says yes. The best that can happen is you learn from the experience and grow closer.

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BREATHING TO AVOID REACTING.

CIRCLING BACK TO COMPASSION.

Just like we use our breath when meditating to focus our minds, we can use our breath to regulate our anxiety and other difficult emotions to be in the present moment with another person. You’re walking into a big meeting, stop for a moment and breathe. Your child is on the attack and pushing all your buttons, breathe. Let your breath keep you centered and prevent you from reacting without thinking.

We make a huge mistake when we treat our relationships as a means to an end. In co-mindfulness, our compassion drives our relationships, not our self-interest. Instead of asking ourselves, “What am I getting from this person?” we ask ourselves, “What can I give this person? What does this person need?” We do this from a place of strength, knowing that the more care and compassion we show others, the happier and more confident we become.

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MAINTAINING OUR INTEGRITY.

CONNECTING WITH LOVE.

Co-mindfulness is a deeply giving practice. However, at no point does giving generously of ourselves involve compromising our integrity or core values. If someone is mistreating you or acting in ways that don’t align with your core values, it’s important to speak up. If the person still fails to meet you, then it might be time to walk away. Remaining true to who you are is key to a mindful relationship.

We wait for the day when love will sweep us off our feet.

But we do love and ourselves a great disservice when we limit love to a romantic experience between two people.

Love isn’t something that happens to us, it’s a choice.

We don’t wait for love, we give love. Love isn’t limited to two people or even a small group of people. In co-mindfulness, we recognize love as a powerful force for change in our world and consciously choose to create sparks of love with every person we meet.

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BBR CONSULTING

BBR Consulting’s co-founders have been students of mindfulness for over 25 years. Fifteen years ago, they launched Bright, Bold & Real Consulting with the simple mission of sharing with people how best to take care of themselves through mind, body and spirit. As part of that mission, they created an annual Achieving Optimal Health Conference, which is in its ninth year. They also created the podcast, HEALTHGIG, in which they interview inspirational people about their personal journeys to health and wellness.

In the company’s Co-Mindfulness Project, people put co-mindfulness principles into practice with a relationship in their life that they would like to improve. Readers can join by simply signing up on the company’s website (www.bbrconsulting.us). Results from the project will be included in a forthcoming book about co-mindfulness.

HARVARD STUDY ON LONGEVITY AND JOY

A 75-year old study by Harvard University recently revealed that the key to a long and happy life is not money, success or fame. It is good relationships.

Having people in your life on whom you can rely helps your nervous system relax, helps your brain stay healthier and reduces emotional and physical pain. How many relationships you have is not what matters. What matters is the quality of those relationships.

DORO BUSH KOCH Doro Bush Koch is co-founder of BB&R Wellness Consulting. She has managed the demands of being the daughter and sister of two U.S. presidents by practicing mindfulness.

It has had such a positive impact on Bush’s life that she has spent the last two decades sharing the power of this ancient practice with others through her meditation CDs and at wellness conferences.

TRICIA REILLY KOCH Tricia Reilly Koch is co-founder of BB&R Wellness Consulting. She was introduced to the world of holistic health and meditation through her maternal grandmother. Driven by a lifelong passion to understand the mind-body connection, she is a certified holistic health coach, a student of ayurvedic living and a wellness entrepreneur.

WHY JOIN THE BBR CO-MINDFULNESS PROJECT?

We need to pay more attention to our relationships and increase the love and connection we have with people for our happiness and wellbeing. We also believe, as the lives of the Dalai Lama and Amma have shown us, that our individual growth only becomes meaningful in how it lifts up the lives of others.

Co-mindfulness is about the healing, happiness and sense of fulfillment that we can experience when we practice mindfulness with each other. We hope you’ll join us in this new and exciting movement.

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Yoga for Shoulder Tension

This year has been one for the record books, especially with the amount of time most of us have been spending at home.

All that time binging our favorite shows, working from the couch or connecting with loved ones digitally can take a toll, especially on our shoulders.

“Yoga can be done every day to help alleviate tension, because it’s easy on the joints and body,” says Beth Morris, group fitness instructor at the Peggy and Philip B. Crosby Wellness Center for Health & Wellbeing in Winter Park, Florida.

“It can help create more flexibility and strength,” Morris said. “I have had so many clients benefit from yoga over the years; and it’s something that no matter where you are on your fitness journey, you can do it.”

These five yoga poses will focus on your shoulders to restore the healthy posture to your upper back. Incorporating this routine regularly can help reduce the strain placed on your muscles and shoulders. Break out the yoga mat and give them a try!

Lifelong learning – good for body, mind and soul Michael Cloutier

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Eagle arms

Windmill

Stand with feet a shoulder-width apart.

Bend your elbows and cross your arms left over right, placing your right hand fingers in the palm of your left hand. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with the other side.

Stand with your feet spread apart, bend at the waist and place one hand on the ground keeping your arm straight. Take the other hand and hold it right above you, opening your chest to one side. Hold for a few seconds and switch to the other hand.

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Chest and shoulder opener Stand tall with your feet together.

Place your arms behind you while interlocking your hands. Bend your elbows and push out slightly. Angle your head slightly, looking up at the ceiling, opening your chest.

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Humble warrior Place one foot behind you angled to the side with the other out in front.

Place your arms behind you while interlocking your hands. Bend your elbows and push out slightly, similar to the chest opener. Hold for a few seconds and then bend at the waist to be parallel with the floor, holding the position for a few seconds before coming up and releasing.

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Camel pose into child’s pose You will really want the yoga mat for this one, because you will start on your knees. Look toward the sky and raise both hands at a slight angle. Hold for a few seconds before stretching your arms in front of you as you bend forward into the child’s pose. Be sure to keep your back straight and stretch out your arms as far as you can.

Photos: Jacob Langston

HEAL

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The Flip Side of

Risk Opportunity costs of not retiring Christy Wilson Delk

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I recently had dinner with a dear friend who was contemplating retirement after nearly three decades with a large utility company. Having recently retired myself, and feeling quite confident with my decision, I decided to probe a bit. You can probably imagine the conversation.

She said, (all together now) “What would I do if I’m not working?” And then, “I don’t really dislike my job.”

Being a seasoned entrepreneur, and now part-time business professor, I challenged her to reframe her perspective.

“What about the opportunity costs of not retiring?” I said. “In other words, the risk of not discovering what is next for you, the relationships you won’t make because you are working and the experiences you won’t have because you did not change?”

Because I’ve known my friend for 40 years, and I know that she has plenty of money along with several rental properties, I was comfortable saying that. For many, starting a new venture or retiring feels like a huge risk.

Reframing a risk-averse perspective

Christy Wilson Delk is a former franchise owner and business professor at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She is a contributing franchise industry writer, speaker and educator.

Her book “Adventures in Franchise Ownership” is available at christywilsondelk.com.

Next, evaluate your means. What do you have and what do you do that can help you through the transition? Do you have a brother with a truck that can help you deliver catering jobs or floral arrangements? Do you currently volunteer for an organization to which you would like to devote more time? Are you ready to spend more time with your family? Have a national park tour with your bike and kayak?

The more you write down, the less risky your changes will feel because you have a plan for the transition. The fun part is considering the newfound opportunities that are now within your sites and your grasp.

FINANCE

I have written before about finding one’s passion career and that the key to becoming comfortable with a new venture or an exit is to focus on two numbers.

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DETERMINE THE AMOUNT YO U A R E W I L L I N G TO LO S E I F YO U W E R E TO S TA R T A S M A L L PA S S I O N B U S I N E S S .

DETERMINE THE AMOUNT YO U A B S O LU T E LY M U S T H AV E TO PAY YO U R B I L L S A N D H AV E T H E L I F E S T Y L E YO U R E Q U I R E AT T H I S T I M E .

Is it $5,000 or $50,000?

Write that number down.

Write that number down.

That’s your safe harbor.

That’s your risked money.

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TRANSLATING TECH Finding love in the Age of Longevity Emily Thompson

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Love looks differently in our era of increased longevity and active aging. Many people, who married early in life, find themselves back on the market after divorce or the death of a spouse. Others who didn’t feel at liberty to openly explore same-sex relationships, because of cultural taboos, finally may feel empowered to live their truth.

While marriage is the goal for some, others want something more casual. Commitment, without the legal entanglements of marriage, may be preferable for others. There are online dating platforms for active adults that cater to all kinds of connections. Safety is a primary concern for anyone meeting strangers online, and most platforms that cater to a 55+ audience take extra precautions. Here are a few of the platforms that aim to serve the unique needs of active adults looking for love or companionship.

eHarmony

Elite Singles

Match

Silver Singles

eHarmony is designed for those looking for a serious commitment and marriage. Every user is required to fill out a lengthy personality and values questionnaire.

Afterward, eharmony will provide you with matches with the highest chances of compatibility and long term success. It’s one of the more expensive options at $54.95 for one month or a monthly rate of $18.95 for 12 months. eHarmony was founded in 2000, has a satisfaction guarantee and was responsible for 4% of all marriages in the United States in 2013.

Match is the original online dating site, founded in 1995.

They have the highest number of monthly users, at 35 million. Users create a profile, which pops up in other users’ feeds. There is no extensive personality test, and Match sends five suggested matches per day. Users are free to browse all profiles. The most popular time to join is between Dec. 26 and Feb. 14, as people look for love before Valentine’s Day, causing registrations to spike 42% during that period. Users pay a monthly rate of $23.99 for three months or $19.99 a month for a year.

For people who know exactly what they’re seeking, Elite Singles may be a fit. The site caters to professionals looking for someone with similar interests. Most users are college graduates, with 67% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. Users take an extensive personality test, and the site’s algorithm creates matches, allowing both parties to see their own results and the results of the people with whom they match. Elite Singles uses a fraud detection system to manually verify profiles. This is to help ensure that people are who they say they are and to prevent scams. Fees are on the higher side at $62.95 a month for three months or $31.95 a month for a year.

This sister site to Elite Singles is designed especially for people 60+, meaning most users have been previously married. It uses the same personality profile as Elite Singles, measuring users on five personality traits — openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. It also encourages users to be as specific as those of Elite Singles, but it’s tailored to older adults. The site sends users five matches per day, and you can’t search through a pool of people. This forces users to seriously consider the people with whom they are matched based on the personality test instead of photos and first-person bios. Safety is a primary feature, allowing users to block or report any suspicious or unwanted behavior. Three months are $57.95 a month, and one year is $31.95 a month.

S A F E T Y I S A P R I M A RY C O N C E R N FO R A N YO N E MEETING STRANGERS ONLINE , AND MOST P L AT FO R M S T H AT C AT E R TO A 5 5 + AU D I E N C E TA K E E X T R A P R E C AU T I O N S .

Illustrations: Alina Kvaratskhelia / iStock / Getty Images Plus

CONNECT

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Flashpop via Getty Images

Life is about moments of joy. Don’t wait for them, create them.

FOR MORE DAILY MEME S :

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THE TIME IS NOW Stop Waiting Until ‘Someday’ to Fulfill Your Dreams Amy Sweezey

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I always wanted to write a book. As a journalism major in college, I’d written for newspapers, magazines, radio and television. There were no blogs then since the internet didn’t even exist; but if it had, I’d have probably been a blogger.

Writing was an enjoyable, creative outlet. I was a selfproclaimed member of the grammar police and a spelling-bee champ. I loved to read. I loved words. How hard could it be? I could write a book. No problem. It would be my dream come true. Fresh out of college in my 20s with my first real job, I had lots of dreams and my whole life ahead of me.

And then, life happened.

Having an idea is almost always easier than making the idea a reality. It’s easy to dream. It’s harder to take the steps to make your dreams come true. Unlike Cinderella, we tend to let life get in the way of our dreams rather than to help us reach those dreams.

For me, I went from dating to marriage, then a new job and a big move. Next was three kids and another house. The hours at work were demanding. The mortgage was due. There’s not enough sleep, not enough time, not enough energy. When life happens, the dreams get put on hold.

I loved my family. I loved my job. I wasn’t willing to give any of it up, so I decided, “I’ll write my book later—perhaps when I retire.”

I didn’t really see it as giving up my dream. I was simply putting it on hold. I wasn’t letting go of the idea. I was simply lowering its priority.

Through the years I jotted down notes. I put ideas on paper and thoughts in files. I kept in the back of mind that “one day I’ll write a book.”

DEFY

I was several years into my 40s when a friend wrote a book. He self-published, which I didn’t even know existed. I asked a lot of questions. I researched. I Googled. I made lots and lots of lists. At some point my “ah-ha” moment came when I decided the time was now.

I could keep putting off the book until retirement, until I had more time, or I could start today. I told myself that making dreams come true could happen at any age— not just fresh out of college or at retirement.

So, I started writing. But more importantly, I started making my lists. It was about taking small steps and making my goals attainable little bits at a time. I couldn’t just put “write a book” on my bathroom mirror and stare at it every morning (I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the “dream board,” which has become quite popular).

I quickly realized that staring at pictures of book covers wasn’t going to get my book written. I had to take action.

The thing about taking action is you have to actually do the work. No one can do it for you. You have to make up your mind and then take steps. Make a list. Do the work.

Make a little progress every day.

Other people can support you. Other people can encourage you. But other people can’t do the work for you.

If you want to learn to golf, you have to take that lesson. If you want to lose 10 pounds, you have to stop eating that cookie for breakfast and walk that extra mile.

You can hire someone to clean your house. You can hire someone to cook your food. You can hire someone to help take care of your kids. But if you want to accomplish something for you, then you are the only one who can do it.

I surrounded myself with encouragers and helpers and cut out the negativity. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that I was too busy to write a book. I needed people to walk beside me and help ease the load so I could focus.

Working on my book in the middle of living my life and enjoying my family meant that the process was slower. That was my trade-off. I didn’t have the luxury of moving to France for six months to simply write (like is often portrayed in movies).

Instead I had to make my dream fit my life. “Research book genres” and “email editors for samples” started showing up on my to-do list next to “do laundry” and “pick up kids from school.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the quote, “The days are long,

but the years are short.” It was in a book. It’s in a country song. There are even versions of it in Bible verses. It resonates with so many people that it’s become a cliché. If you haven’t heard it, it likely still has meaning to you. It sure does with me.

Just watch your kids. One day they’re in diapers and the next, they’re graduating from high school. While you’re elbow-deep in messy diapers, you think it will never end.

And yet, suddenly it does.

I surrounded myself with encouragers and helpers and cut out the negativity.

Like everyone else, I’m tired. I’m busy and overwhelmed and trying desperately to stop and smell the roses along the way. I’m in the stage of life where my kids are still needy. I chauffeur and I cook. I homeschool part-time. I work parttime. I have years left on my house payment.

My husband and I are too often ships that pass in the night rather than teammates who are doing life together. It takes a concentrated effort to enjoy life and family while not letting the years fly by.

Little bits at a time, I’m making my dreams come true.

In 2015, I self-published my first children’s fiction book, It Never, Ever Snows in Florida. In 2017, my non-fiction book, Let’s Talk Weather, TV Forecasting: Behind the Scenes, hit store shelves. Then in 2020, I created two weather activity books designed for elementary students studying weather.

Instead of waiting until retirement to begin writing books, I’m taking steps to live my dreams now. It’s not always easy and often takes much longer than I’d like. But I know I can’t wait until I have the time. There’ll never be enough time. Not only did I write my book—I’ve written two!

In 2020 Amy Sweezey walked away from a 25-year broadcast meteorology career.

She has authored two award-winning children’s books about weather and is the mom of three children. She divides her time between mom duties, speaking, writing, hosting, and working as a Special Projects Producer for Growing Bolder. Amy and her husband live in Central Florida. You can find her at amysweezey.com

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QUESTIONS WITH

Silicon Valley’s Oldest Employee Jackie Carlin

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Photo: IDEO

Ba r ba r a Be skind

Barbara Beskind smashes stereotypes every time she goes to work. At 97, she is by far the oldest member of the world-famous, human-centered design team IDEO in Silicon Valley. Some of IDEO’s designs include Apple’s first mouse and the Pilates machine. Many of Beskind’s coworkers are 60 or even 70 years younger, but they’re soaking up her life experiences. Beskind’s joined the Army during World War II, and until her retirement as a major in 1966, worked in occupational therapy designing equipment for wounded and polio-stricken soldiers. She went on to open the country’s first independent occupational therapy clinic. Beskind’s joins us for our “5 Questions” feature to explain what companies are missing when they ignore the braintrust of those 65 and older.

Most people beyond a certain age are afraid of putting themselves out there. That’s not you, is it?

Oh, no. I’m always looking for new adventures. I’m 97 years old and very happy. This has been the most wonderful chapter of my life. I never could have believed I would have had this adventure, and I love it.

How did you get the job at IDEO? Silicon Valley companies are notorious for almost exclusively hiring younger employees.

I wrote a letter and told them I had skills that I thought could be of use to them. I’ve always been a very creative person. I’ve been designing since the age of 8. I just felt I could contribute to their organization, and would like to have the opportunity to meet with them. And, a little to my surprise, they took me on.

What projects have you worked on?

At IDEO, I’ve worked on a project involving Medicare delivery services. And I worked on designing contact lenses for the elderly so that they can manage them more effectively. I also worked on a project for Google to redesign the interior of the company’s two-decker buses. I have my own projects I’m designing as well. I have low vision, so I’m constantly experimenting with projects that would improve the lives of elderly people who have vision problems, like myself. One of the things I’m really anxious to design is a fall-protection device, because falling is the biggest hazard for elderly people. My idea is to create an inflatable belt that would activate at a 15-degree lurch and would cushion the body much in the same way that an airbag does during an auto crash.

DEFY

You must be having an impact on all the people in your life. You live in a retirement community.

What do the other residents at the community think about your new job? Then, everyone you work with is probably in their 20s or 30s. What do they think of you?

I think it’s been inspiring for my fellow residents just to hear about what I do, even though they can’t engage in the same way. They also enjoy hearing about my daily commute.

Our retirement community provides transportation to the train station. I take the train for about 30 minutes, then walk three-and-a-half blocks to the office. At work, everyone accepts me as an equal, which is exciting. When I walk in, everyone gives me a hug. People come and tell me about their projects. We discuss issues. I work with everyone from interns to people with Ph.D.s. Everyone is on an equal level, and it’s exciting because everyone shares one thing: a passion for creativity and problem solving.

Our society lacks role models like you. What’s the moral of your story? Do you think more people would be like you if they knew what was possible?

We have these longitudinal experiences that I bring to IDEO for projects on aging that young people can’t possibly have. When companies ignore those of us over 65, it leads to a wasteland -- and we can’t afford to waste that talent. I’ve never stopped learning. I’ve never stopped doing, designing or creating. I start thinking from the time my feet hit the floor in the morning. I value uninterrupted time to think. I have no electronic devices, except for a cell phone for emergency uses. I stay very active. I walk two to three miles a day. I engage with people of all ages, which is exciting, through my church, through my work or just by going out for walks and meeting people.

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Lorraine Miano Shares The Magic of Menopause Jess Hanebury

Social influencer Lorraine Miano discovered her passion for offering menopause advocacy, support, resources and a “whole lotta love” to women in all phases of menopause through health coaching, proper nutrition and preventive lifestyle choices. As a menopausal woman, who has experienced many symptoms, she wants women to know that they are not alone.

Miano has been able to help even more women by writing and publishing her first book, “The Magic of Menopause: A Holistic Guide to Get Your Happy Back!”

What makes menopause magical?

For many women, it is their perception that will determine their experience with menopause. If we can change how we look at menopause, from thinking of it as an ending, to embracing this time of our lives as a new beginning, we can’t help but create a magical menopause for ourselves.

What can new followers expect to get from your social feeds?

As a menopause advocate and educator, my passion is to provide resources, guidance, support and a “whole lotta love” for all of my “magical ladies.” Followers will discover holistic ways to navigate these fabulous years.

What impact do you hope to make?

Women need to know that they are not alone and that there is no need to suffer. I would love for all women to experience a menopause free from debilitating symptoms. I wish for them to love these fabulous years, rather than disdain them.

They deserve to “get their happy back” and live their best magical life! I’m here as their guide for the ride.

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Want to learn more?

Follow Lorraine @themagicofmenopause

Did you ever feel menopause wasn’t so magical? What changed your mind?

There was a time, when in the midst of my perimenopause years, I lost my best friend to pancreatic cancer. In my grief, I found my life had become consumed by anxiety and depression. I couldn’t eat or sleep. I soon discovered that by using lifestyle, diet, exercise and supplements (all the things in my health coach bag), I was able to overcome my anxiety and depression and feel like me again. I appreciated that I went through that experience so that I then knew how to help other women navigate their perimenopause journeys.

How are you growing bolder as you age?

I truly have severe FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). I want to do everything! At age 55, I became a health and menopause coach. At 58, I wrote my first book. I’m now 62 and studying to become a certified aromatherapist. I have stepped into the realm of public speaking, recently participating in several women’s health summits, podcast interviews and even being interviewed on a Texas TV station in October for World Menopause Month. I am definitely stepping outside my comfort zone and pursuing my purpose. I intend to keep going!

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The Growing Bolder

Bookstore Check out our carefully curated list of some of our favorite authors who are dedicated to providing the tools you need to rebrand aging.

E X P LO R E M O R E AT G R OW I N G B O L D E R .C O M/ B O O K S TO R E

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Relentless Forward Progress Katy Widrick

Jeremy and Claire Jungling met on Match.com in 2011—and even before meeting in person, the sparks were flying.

“I knew from his emails,” Claire recalls. “I told all my friends, ‘If he’s anything like his emails, plan on us getting married in October. Go ahead and put it on your calendar. And instead we got married in July before that, within five months.”

The two share a passion for running and inspiring and men and women of all ages and all fitness levels to get moving. In fact, Jeremy works as a full-time coach and trainer of runners, triathletes and obstacle course athletes across the U.S. He encourages them to have one goal: relentless forward progress.

More than a slogan, it’s Jeremy’s personal philosophy, a mantra that was tested just a year into the Junglings’ marriage.

Their honeymoon was barely over when Jeremy began experiencing abdominal pain and overall weakness. Claire encouraged him to get tested.

“My doctor called and said I had a mass on my colon and it had to come out immediately,” Jeremy says. “I asked my doctor a couple of times if it was cancer. I got the idea quickly she didn’t want to say those words. So, I kind of asked her in a backwards way: ‘Could it be anything but cancer?’ And she said no.

His next call was to Claire. “You feel almost guilty,” he says. “I felt like I had let her down, being relatively newly wed.”

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Jeremy was only 36 years old. Claire says the news rocked their world.

“I remember just sitting in bed and I couldn’t get up because I didn’t know how many more mornings I get to wake up with him,” she recalls. “I was so mad at God because I thought, ‘You just gave him to me.’ We were both older when we got married, and I thought, ‘Why didn’t you let us meet earlier if you’re going to take him away from me? Why now? Give me more time with him.’”

Jeremy had colon resection surgery, spending nearly two weeks in the hospital. His surgery was a success, but he still needed six months of chemotherapy. Doctors told him he couldn’t run during that period.

“I remember those exact words,” Jeremy says. “He said, ‘Forget about all that stuff.’ And I was like, ‘I’m not going to forget about all that stuff.’”

Two weeks after surgery, Jeremy took his first run: “I had just had a bunch of colon removed and it probably wasn’t the best idea, but it was glorious because I was running again.

I was alive. I was really celebrating life.”

Jeremy began to lift weights and ride his bike. As his strength returned, his short runs grew into longer runs and soon, he was running 5ks, then 10ks, half marathons, marathons and even a 50k ultramarathon. His cancer was gone, and his desire to live was stronger than ever.

“I used to always say, ‘Oh when I get older, I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that.’ Well, now I’ve actually started to do those things. And it’s kind of started a snowball effect. I’m going to live while I can live—and I’m not going to put stuff off.”

So, Jeremy and Claire signed up to join a team of 16 other cancer survivors and supporters determined to reach the frozen summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, the world’s highest freestanding mountain. Their goal? To send a message of hope to others battling a frightening diagnosis.

After six days of climbing through brutal conditions, the team took on the ultimate test—a final nine-hour climb to the summit.

“I used to always say, ‘Oh when I get older, I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that.’ Well, now I’ve actually started to do those things.”

After that grand adventure, the Junglings were ready for an even more exciting adventure: parenthood. Their son, Jett, was born in 2015. Life was starting to settle into the blissful normalcy of raising a child. But like all cancer survivors, Jeremy remained concerned about a recurrence. In 2016, cancer came back. This time, though, some spots on his arms and chest turned out to be non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Jeremy, who lives in Jackson, Miss., knows his disease is unlikely to be cured. But that hasn’t slowed down his relentless forward progress.

While searching for the best treatment options, he found his way to the James Cancer Center at Ohio State

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University. He became such a passionate believer in the work done there that he and Claire signed up for their next great adventure: the annual Pelotonia bike ride that raises money for the facility, which is known as "The James."

Headed by Doug Ulman, the former CEO of Livestrong and Jeremy and Claire’s climbing teammate from the Kilimanjaro adventure, Pelotonia has raised more than $161 million for high-risk, high-reward cancer research through its annual cycling event in Ohio.

This year, Claire and Jeremy will be among thousands of riders at the three-day event. Claire has pledged to ride 35 miles—despite the fact she’s never participated in a cycling event—and Jeremy has set his sights on the 200-mile option.

“Jeremy will live with this cancer his whole life but he will live. Not everyone is as lucky,” Claire says. “We have made it our mission to do what we can to help those living with cancer as well as those who’ll be diagnosed in the future.”

“Twice in my lifetime I've been told, ‘You have cancer,’” Jeremy says. “Chances are, you’ll either be told the same thing or someone you know will be. I'd like my son to grow up in a world where this is rare —or even non-existent. That’s why I ride, and that’s why I just keep moving forward, living my life. It’s the best thing any of us can do.”

Growing Bolder, with relentless forward progress.

Jeremy Jungling offers online coaching for athletes across America, and you can learn more by emailing him at runstrongllc@gmail.com. He’s also the host of the Relentless Forward podcast, which focuses on improvements in fitness, relationships or business through inspirational and educational content, along with fascinating stories and intriguing, inspiring guests.

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To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.

Camille Tokerud Photography Inc. via Getty Images

-Tia Walker

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FOR MORE DAILY MEME S :

@GrowingBolder

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 21

Photo by Jorge Zapata on Unsplash

The Conversation Project When to discuss end-of-life issues Katy Widrick

Growing Bolder is about seizing the opportunity of aging and making the rest of your life the best of your life. But, we are mortal beings; and decline and ultimately death are inevitable.

With 10,000 of us turning 65 every day, there’s almost a deafening silence when it comes to talking about our wishes for end-of-life care. Not having those conversations with our loved ones and caregivers can lead to difficulty, confusion, frustration, suffering and guilt. So why do we keep ignoring the inevitable?

Ellen Goodman is using a personal experience to change the world, and change the way we all approach death and dying. As her own mother deteriorated into dementia, the two women talked about absolutely everything — except what turned out to be the most important item.

“When she could no longer decide what she wanted for lunch, let alone what she wanted for healthcare, I was quite shocked to find that those decisions fell to me. And I often wished that I could have heard her voice in my ear telling me what she wanted, because it would have made life much more comfortable,” Goodman said.

After her mother’s death, Goodman began to speak with others about their experience through end-of-life with friends and loved ones. Nearly universally, those who had not had a plan ahead of time shared regret and guilt. Those who had served as a healthcare proxy, or whose family members

had shared their wishes ahead of time, expressed to Goodman that the experience was, in fact, one of the richest, most honest and positive of their lives.

Goodman co-founded The Conversation Project and today serves as the organization’s director. The team is on a mission to help all of us have open and honest discussions and then embrace the powerful opportunity to have a say in how we live in our last days.

“If you haven’t told anybody how you want to live at the end of your life — and that’s what we’re talking about, how you want to live — who is going to make those decisions for you if you can’t make them for yourself? You need to share what matters to you, not what is the matter with you,” recommends Goodman.

Goodman admits that the last thing her own mom would have wanted was to force her daughter into such a painful uncertainty about the end of her life, and eventually, her death. And because of that, she’s driven to help others avoid the same experience.

The Conversation Project offers starter kits to help families share their wishes about death and dying. It also includes guides on choosing a healthcare proxy and serving as a proxy for someone else. Plus, there are suggestions on how to speak with your doctor or medical providers about your plans, before you find yourself in a health crisis.

Illustration: hisa nishiya via Getty Images

THE ART OF CAREGIVING

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I’m Not an Eco Warrior.

I’m a Survivor.

The world’s greatest living explorer sounds an alarm.

Marc Middleton

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Robert Swan has seen the majesty of Earth’s most remote, pristine wilderness. He’s also witnessed its gradual destruction.

Swan is considered one of the greatest explorers ever after taking the longest documented hike in human history, walking 900 miles in 70 days to the South Pole. His historic trek in 1986 nearly cost him his life. “We walked for 70 days, nine hours a day, pulling sleds weighting 410 pounds each.

There was no radio communication with the outside world and we navigated using the sun, sextant and a watch,” recalls Swan. He lost 73 pounds and most of the skin on his face after prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays. The rays, burning through a hole in the ozone layer, also permanently changed color of his eyes to a pale blue.

Three years later, in 1989, he made a 66-day trek to the North Pole becoming the first and only person to walk to both the North and South Poles. On that expedition he got a terrifying look at the effects of climate change. “To walk across a melting ocean of ice, a thousand kilometers away from the safety of land is without doubt, the most frightening thing that has ever happened to me. The ice was melting and crashing down. We had to march, or die,” Swan told a rapt audience at the Environmental Conference 2018 held in Kuala Lumpur.

Now in his 60s, Swan has made it his life’s mission to preserve Antarctica by promoting recycling, renewable energy and sustainability. He founded an organization called 2041 dedicated to the preservation of the Polar Regions. The name is a reference to the year 2041 in which international treaties committing the world’s nations to the preservation of Antarctica come up for renewal. His fear is that a ban on mining and drilling on the continent could be lifted. Between now and 2014, his mission is to promote and expand renewable energy use to the extent that drilling for fossil fuels becomes financially unfeasible.

Swan and his team have leading annual expeditions to the Antarctic since 2003, taking nearly 4,000 students, youth leaders and environmentalists from all over the world on to witness the effects of climate change. “The South and North Poles are both made of ice. If you have ice sitting on your table and the room is 32 degrees, it’s going to stay there forever. But click that room one degree higher and it’s going to melt. And that is what’s happening. The ice caps are melting at both poles. There is no discussion or argument to be had. There is no room for interpretation.

Climate change is a reality. Antarctica holds 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of the world’s fresh water. If we continue to melt that, we swim.”

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It’s not only climate change that Swan is concerned about. Human pollution has reached the poles. “Even at the very ends of the world, the last great wildernesses left on earth, we find rubbish and garbage,” he says. “A lot of it is ocean borne. We’ve put all this garbage into the ocean and eventually some of it ends up in the Arctic or the Antarctic and it’s just heart wrenching to see. And rather than being negative about it we say, ok, let’s clean it up.”

And he and his teams do exactly that. It took them 8 years to remove and fully recycle 1,500 tons of steel waste left over after years of scientific research at a Russian base on King George Island. “If we can spend eight years cleaning up 1,500 tons of steel, I think you can lift up your arm, pick up that aluminum can, and put it in the recycling bin,” said Swan at a TEDGlobal 2014 Talk.

Surprisingly, Swan doesn’t consider himself an ecowarrior “I’m just a survivor, somebody who’s really good at staying alive. Why am I still alive? Because when I see something that’s going to threaten me, I do something about it. I don’t just sit there and take it. That’s what we have to do as a species. We have to get on the offensive and go on the attack. We have to take bold action. I can’t tell you how much I love the name of your company, Growing Bolder! That says it all.“

In January of 2018, Swan returned to the South Pole, this time with his 23-year-old son, Barney. Their team trekked 600 miles in 56 days in temperatures as low as negative 40 degrees to complete the first-ever expedition to the South Pole powered solely by clean energy technologies.

The 2041 Instagram page has a photo of Robert hugging Barney at the South Pole. Its caption reads, “As I stood at the pole, I handed Barney a small globe. And said, “I got you this far, now it’s yours to take forward.”’

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That, in an Instagram caption, is Robert Swan’s message to the world.

Climate change is not about politics. It’s about survival. “We need to do more than what we are doing,” he says. “Because people will look back on us and say we knew, we had all the information but we didn’t do enough. We need to look at our survival here as a species and say, things aren’t looking too good. We need to look after the only little planet that we’ve got. I don’t think we’ve got another one next door, have we?

For more information about Robert Swan and his 2041 mission, visit 2041.com

“We need to look after the only little planet that we’ve got. “ — R O B E R T S WA N

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The Life Lessons from Winning Three Olympic Gold Medals Rowdy Gaines M Y PAT H TO T H R E E O LY M P I C G O L D M E DA L S WA S A N Y T H I N G B U T E A S Y, A N D T H E T R U T H I S T H AT T H E T H R E E M E DA L S W E R E N OT T H E G R E AT E S T R E WA R D FO R A L L O F T H E E F FO R T.

1 I talk a lot about goal setting because it’s really important. You have to know where you’re going in order to get there. You need something to focus on or you’ll get lost along the way.

But don’t become so focused on the destination that you forget to enjoy the journey, because that’s what makes you who you are: how you treat others along the way, how you respond to setbacks and how you use your successes to build momentum.

My decades in competitive swimming have taught me that those who don’t enjoy the journey — the practices, the traveling, the time spent with teammates — are the ones who rarely, if ever, achieve their goals.

Those who savor the process — and realize that the journey is more important than the destination — are the ones who end up on the podium.

Set lofty goals, but make sure that you enjoy the daily grind. If you don’t enjoy it, odds are that you won’t be a success — and you’ll have wasted a great of time being miserable.

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3

The people who ultimately become good at something are those who were OK with being bad at it — at least for a while. Most of us give up too easily and quit to quickly.

Life is a series of non-stop course corrections. Being bad at something is a necessary part of the process of becoming good at it.

Those who become successful are simply those who are able to endure the frustration of failure.

They overcome early struggles because they believe in their potential.

They’re able to overcome the self-doubt and fear of failure that we all face.

It’s ironic that being bad at something is a necessary part of the process of becoming good at it. How long will it take before you become really good at something?

If you’re enjoying the process (see Life Lesson #1), it doesn’t really matter.

Success isn’t accidental. One of the most valuable life lessons I learned as an Olympic athlete is the importance and power of visualization.

I swam the 100-meter freestyle final in 1984 a thousand times in my mind before I ever climbed onto the starting blocks in Los Angeles to swim it for real.

I visualized a lightning quick reaction to the gun and an explosive start. I visualized every stroke of the race. I visualized how I would feel in the water, how I would execute my turn, how I would respond to the pressure of a close finish and how it would feel to win. And I visualized it all in vivid detail so many times that I actually programmed myself to swim the perfect race. And I did.

The mind is very powerful and very mysterious. Plant the seeds of your success by visualizing what you want to accomplish and how you’re going to accomplish it. And then your mind will go to work to help make it happen.

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LIFE IN Marc Middleton

Alex Rotas has advanced degrees in geography, special education and visual culture. She’s taught language skills to preschool-age deaf children, visual theory to university students and developed palliative-care training programs for hospice.

She’s an academic superstar who likes being the teacher but loves being the student. “I love being a beginner,” she says.

“I love being at the bottom of a steep learning curve. I keep finding that one thing leads to another.”

Rotas lives in Bristol, England, and when she retired from academia in her early 60s, she wondered, like many retirees, “What’s next?” She began looking for inspiration in the form of photographs of older people actively pursuing their passions.

“I was astonished,” she says. “Not only does our culture fail to celebrate this kind of activity, it mostly ignores it. And at the same time, I became painfully aware that most of the images in the media of people my age and older were predominantly depressing.”

Rotas failed to find the inspiration she was looking for.

That failure, however, became her inspiration: “I began thinking that this was an opportunity, and if I couldn’t find the kind of images I’d like to see, I could learn to take them myself.”

She bought a camera, found a mentor, took photography classes and fearlessly forged ahead. A former competitive tennis player, she knew how to relate to athletes, and quickly became a regular at national and world masters track and field championships. At those events, she took action photographs of many of the world’s best older competitors.

The more Rotas got to know those she photographed, the more inspired she became. She learned that even worldrecord holders aren’t genetically superior individuals, immune to the physical disabilities that we all face as we get older. In fact, the opposite is often true.

Says Rotas: “Most people would have the impression these older athletes are super human; that they don’t have

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focus the hip replacements, the knee replacements, the heart attacks or the strokes. But they do. Sometimes they have a combination of all of the above. They just don’t let these things defeat them.”

One of her favorite subjects was 37-time world-record holder Olga Kotelko, an international age-group superstar who competed in track and field until her death at age 95.

“One day I said to her, ‘Olga have you been doing track and field all of your life?’ And she said, ‘Heavens no, honey.

I only took it up when I was 77 years old,’” recalls Alex.

Kotelko, she notes, also had no idea she could write until she wrote her first book, at age 93. “Olga was still learning about herself and discovering new talents in her 90’s,” adds Rotas. “If that’s not encouraging, what is?”

Her photographs were powerful individually. But she knew they’d carry even more impact compiled in a book along with revealing inside stories about the athletes she’d befriended.

So, at age 64, she published Growing Old Competitively, which is packed with the kind of inspiring photos she couldn’t find anywhere else just a few years ago.

“People are hungry for positive stories about our increased longevity,” she says. “We endlessly hear about how we’re going to live longer, but it’s all doom and gloom.

Our culture casts a very negative light on longevity. There is an alternative narrative of joy and inspiration, and I’m grateful to be a part of spreading that.”

Rotas herself is changing the narrative around aging, not just with the pictures she takes, but with the life she lives. She has a love of adventure and no fear of failure.

That’s a powerful combination that has enabled her to create a new life in which she sees the world through the eyes of others---while sharing their passion and understanding their purpose.

“The message is, never give up and it’s never too late,” she says.

Alex Rotas has discovered the difference between growing older and Growing Bolder.

Most people would have the impression these older athletes are super human; that they don’t have the hip replacements, the knee replacements, the heart attacks or the strokes. But they do. Sometimes they have a combination of all of the above. They just don’t let these things defeat them.

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The best education in the world?

That’d be the world.

Adventures by Disney® can show you the world in ways you’ve never thought possible.

We’re a leader in guided group family travel, with active itineraries and VIP access throughout Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and the Americas.

Visit AdventuresByDisney.com or contact your local Travel Agent. facebook.com/AdventuresByDisney

Machu Picchu, Peru

Tony Danza

Photo: Charlie Roina

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THE TAKEAWAY

My advice is no matter what you do, you have to truly believe that even though you can’t do what anybody else could do, they can’t do what you can do.

Bill Shafer

Throughout his 40-year show business career, Tony Danza, 69, has done it all. The former boxer famously got his start when he was spotted in the gym by a producer, leading to his first role on Taxi. Starring roles in beloved shows and films such as Who’s the Boss? and Angels in the Outfield followed, earning him Emmy and Golden Globes nominations. He’s also starred on Broadway, hosted his own talk show and he recently returned to a starring role in the Netflix series “The Good Cop,” co-starring singer Josh Groban as his son.

Life is about taking advantage of the opportunities you’re given. Not in the hopes that they lead to success, but in the hopes they lead to happiness.

When opportunities come into my life, I don’t take them in order to succeed or for the chance that they lead to another job. I do them for the joy of the experiences. When I perform my live shows, I’m not out there to get a good review. I go up there to enjoy the gift that’s been given to me because everybody in the audience would love to be doing what I’m doing, but I’m the guy getting to do it.

This is a really exciting time in my life. I had my son when I was 19, and when you have a kid at that age, one of two things could happen: you could ruin both of your lives or grow up with the greatest relationship because you basically grow up together. Thankfully in our case, it was the latter. The real beauty of having a kid when you’re that young is that he gets to know all your relatives. He knew his great-grandmother, he lived with my mother, he knew all the uncles, all the aunts. A few years back, we sat down and tried to write this sort of memoir cookbook about our relatives and what was great was that he knew stories that I didn’t know.

Now, he has his own boys and it’s really profound to watch your son fathering his son, especially when he’s so much better at it than you are.

I was living in Los Angeles for a long time and unfortunately, my marriage broke up and I ended up moving back to New York. And I’ve got to tell you, being in New York City, single at this stage of my life is well, as you might imagine, it’s nice. I’m really enjoying life and we shot our new Netflix show here in New York City, which is one of the great privileges of all time to use New York as a canvas. I’m just really living large between the act, between this new show, between my family and grandkids, life is good.

My advice is no matter what you do, you have to truly believe that even though you can’t do what anybody else could do, they can’t do what you can do.

Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

I N E V E R Y I S S U E : T H E TA K E AWAY

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64& MEDICARE

Make Medicare an opportunity to live BOLDER.

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Go to growingbolder.com/Medicare to download your free, easy to understand guide to Medicare To to speak to a representative call 1-844-396-2579.

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