We’re a community of people who are changing the paradigm of aging by challenging the stereotypes of aging by sharing TRUE stories about aging dynamically, to explore what’s possible, inspire one another and empower by example.
When I retired in 2020 at 70, I began a campaign to reach back in time to try to reconnect with people who had been important to me earlier in my life. I sent out 10 letters to people who had touched my heart but with whom I had lost contact along the way. Since we...
Retirement is one of the hardest jobs I’ve had. I’ve had a lifetime of being extremely productive and busy. My career path, starting in the 70s, was an explosive rise to the top. I made a ‘how-to’ film in college: “How to Have an Orgasm,” which was distributed to...
I still feel about 42, even though it’s been around a decade and a half since I was that age. I’ve loved every year so far, but in my 40’s I felt like I’d grown into my skin, my brain and my sense of self. I’ve always remembered an essay by Carol Shields in her...
The first time I noticed it was hard to hear was in 10th grade. Voices started sounding fuzzy, and sometimes I couldn’t understand teachers when they faced the blackboard. A screening test showed mild hearing loss, and given I had measles as a young child, the...
Like many of us, I experienced several losses at the beginning of Covid which made the isolation especially hard to deal with. Professionally, I was a Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Art Therapist in private practice for over 20 years. It wasn’t an easy...
I don’t know what the odds are of a couple to actually have a marriage that really works. My wife, Pat, and I were married for 68 years before she died earlier this year from COVID-related issues. The last three or four years were more difficult because she was...
In April 2023, two months shy of my 87th birthday, I called a friend to tell her where I was hiking and then drove to the trailhead. On a lovely spring morning, I started up a familiar trail that was covered in snow. Still, I made my way up the steep climb to the top,...
At age 63, when most of my friends were retired or actively planning to do so, I enrolled in a three-year doctoral program. It was a 25 hour-a-week gig on top of my full-time job, only worse. It was an unpaid gig and it would drain my bank account at a time when I...
If someone had suggested, even two years ago, that I would be choosing to live in the independent living portion of a senior community, I would have thought, “Well, they obviously don’t know me!” New Year’s Eve 2022 I moved into a lovely apartment on the third floor...
This year I’m celebrating 50 years as journalist and writer. That’s not to brag. It’s to underscore what those years have taught me –– that everyone has a story.
That includes you.
My experience is people who may believe their story or life isn’t interesting often have the most intriguing stories to tell.
The fact you are reading the tales in this magazine from folks about how they are dynamically aging tells me you are dynamically aging, too. You continue to be curious about other people and to hear their stories.
Really.
As you read this note and the latest batch of stories, consider dropping us a line about what you are doing. It doesn’t have to be big. Or it could be. Don’t be shy. Sending us a communique is not a commitment, it’s just to open a dialog. This magazine is yours, too.
Worried about writing skills? Stop worrying. If you have a story to tell – and remember everyone has a story – contact us and talk with an editor. I am always happy to chat. So are the other three editors.
Since we launched Dynamic Aging 4 Life Magazine more than a year ago I have been continually astonished at the things people have accomplished as we age, what we are doing and will be doing in the future. The ripple effect has been impressive as we create our Dynamic Aging community.
After I wrote my essay a few months ago that I was going to read all 50 books by author Jack London, I heard from others who thought they might take on a similar read-it-all project.
Your story might launch someone on a path they hadn’t considered.
That’s the great thing about sharing our stories. Please join us!
Happy New Year!
By Michael J. Fitzgerald
In 1980, a devastating diagnosis changed my life –– for the better. I had a physically taxing job in the photocopy industry held by few women at the time, while struggling on the home front in an emotionally exhausting relationship. When I found myself dropping...
“When I grow up, I want to be like you,” I said to my daughter, Cami. I was 80 years old. With those words, an amazing journey was set in motion that included travel, exploration, inspiration, transformation, and the creation of my first-ever business. My daughter...
For a long time, I didn’t know who I was, what I wanted to do, or where I belonged. Married for 33 years and divorced at age 70, I’m clearer now than I’ve ever been. And who am I? An author, a spiritual seeker, and a solo world traveler. No one was more surprised than...
My birthday had come and gone when I moved to Santa Fe in 2001, but the following year, a former student asked what I’d like to do for my birthday. I didn’t hesitate. “I’d like to celebrate being 66 by hiking somewhere beautiful.” “Great,” he responded...
Spot, the Wonder Dog, had been laid to rest. A marble headstone, “Spot, the Wonder Dog 2000-2016,” was erected in the back yard. My husband, DJ, and I made a pact that day. No more dogs. It just hurts too much when they are gone. All the joy of having Spot did not...