When I was in college in the early 1980s I had a second mother, so did my 40 sorority sisters at the Tri Sigma house at Northern Illinois University. Her name was Doris Streepy, a widow who patiently managed the sorority and tended to the daily dramas … Continue reading
Why would a 70-year-old divorced woman with a house in a beautiful beach area close to her daughter and year-old grandson start a new life as a comedian? It’s just doing what comes naturally for Stephanie Bass. “Grandmothers who have nothing to do but … Continue reading
The terrific podcast, “Second Act Stories With Andy Levine,” is out with another episode worth hearing. It’s called “Never Too Old to Rock N’ Roll: Meet Tom ‘The Suit’ Forst” and is all about a corporate VP who decided to chuck it all to pursue his lif… Continue reading
(Editor’s Note: This story is part of a partnership between Chasing the Dream and Next Avenue.) Bryant Walker, of Los Angeles, started driving a truck at an age when many veteran truckers think about calling it quits. In 2016, Walker (then 51), retired… Continue reading
While the idea of creating a second act in life is nothing new, it traditionally referred to retired people shaping their next life stage. Professionals in the prime of their careers weren’t expected to launch them. But many fields — like magazines, w… Continue reading
Are you looking for a second act in a growth field? Consider the longevity market — services and products targeting people over 50. The opportunity is enormous. According to AARP, the economic activity of Americans 50+ is the equivalent of the third la… Continue reading
As one of the 76 million people comprising the boomer generation, I find myself luxuriating in time I never had before. I am also proud to report I hold another title, that of a newly retired person of which we are nearly 42.5 million people, growing s… Continue reading
In 2010, after a 29-year career as an editor and technical director at ABC News in Washington, D.C., Mike Kravinsky, 65, took a buyout offer and began making preparations for his second act. “At that point, I did exactly what you aren’t supposed to do … Continue reading
Tone deaf? Turned off by a blank canvas? Two left feet? The arts enhance the lives of older adults, but even if you have no desire to sing, play an instrument, paint a picture or take up the tango, many other options for expressing creativity exist. Th… Continue reading
The cliché of becoming stuck in your ways as you age was never true with me. I’ve been like that since birth. Boundaries were my friend, the narrower, the better — no improv for me, thank you. Just give me my well-worn script to follow. Why take a chan… Continue reading