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Since I’ve written this blog for almost ten years, I thought nothing would surprise me about the demographic I focused on: Ladies-of-a-certain-age.
Well, let me tell you, I was astonished by several specifics that I wrote about in each of the chapters of the just-published, Paths – A Primer for Ladies-of-a-Certain Age: A Workbook for the Road Ahead. (Available on Amazon for $12, and shipping is free (if you are a prime member.) I am sharing these excerpts with you in hopes they will help you steer on this part of the path you are now on, and I encourage you to buy this book and go through it yourself or with a group of women. I should warn you that each chapter has homework assignments, which I believe will solidify for you very important information about yourself and propel you down this road.
First, in the Forward, I wrote:
- When I was nearing retirement, there was no “primer,” if you will, for this time of life that I could get my hands on, and there was no way my parents or American society, for that matter, could have equipped me.
- Where we thought we would be at this stage of life and where we are is shocking in their differences.
In Chapter One, “Who Am I Now?” I found these facts astounding:
- The experience for those women born between 1946 through 1954 and those between 1955 and 1964 varies. Life for the second group accelerated because of the ever-increasing change in American society due to technology, medical breakthroughs, and the feminist liberation movement.
- For example, the first group of women often recalls with joy the day their family got a black and white television set. The second group has a hard time remembering black and white television shows and just having one television in the house. Likewise, the first group of women giggles when they remember the family telephone party line. The second group remembers either themselves or their lucky friends having a pink princess phone in their bedrooms.
- Both groups grew up in a very different world than their mothers. Almost every aspect of their lives was unlike their mothers, who had no way to prepare their daughters for their adult years.
Chapter Two, “What Lies Ahead,” reiterated to me, again, why I do this work:
- It is important to note that American society’s general belief is this final bit of life is when women shrivel up and fade away.
- Many women find this time in their life the most active and creative period because they do not have the responsibilities inherent in other life phases.
- When this stage of our life starts, being tired, not knowing what to do, and feeling blah are common feelings.
Chapter Three, “Dealing with Health Changes,” gave real zingers:
- You do not immediately have to consent to these options no matter how much pressure you get from healthcare professionals, your family, or friends. The big takeaway is for you to consider your choices and your healthcare and then decide what is best for you.
- This personal approach to health is likely to be awkward for the ladies-of-a-certain-age in the first group of the Boomer generation. Remember I call women born in the Boomer years Boomer Babes . . . . Taught to respect authority, or you could say, “follow orders,” the first group is unlikely to question doctors or most anyone in the medical profession since the country had just come out of the war.
- While the ladies-of-a-certain-age demographic is undoubtedly invisible to most companies in the United States, this group is the primary customer for many pharmaceutical and medical corporations with enormous advertising budgets.
Chapter Four, “Where Does Money Come Into All of This?” underscored serious facts of life:
- I wish I could sugarcoat the importance of money for ladies-of-a-certain-age, but I can’t. It would be very deceiving if I did. Frankly, ladies, this is where the rubber meets the road.
- In case you think you can skip this chapter because your partner handles the finances, the stories of these women may change your mind. Each of the four women paid dearly for not participating in marital financial affairs.
- Identify personal feelings and beliefs about money because they are the basis for all your financial decisions up until now.
Chapter Five, “A House for the Latter Third of Life,” emphasized these points for me:
- Clearly and succinctly define why you want to move.
- Now, there are a plethora of housing choices for seniors.
- The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from denying mortgages based on age. The key factor for lenders is the ability of borrowers to repay regardless of age.
Chapter Six, “Will I have a Purpose?” recapped self-care:
- But time and tender loving care are exactly what women-of-a-certain-age need as they go through numerous transitions in the latter third of their lives. Slowing down and focusing on needs is essential when one way of life ends and another begins.
- Friends become even more critical as we age and go through so many life changes and losses.
- Don’t hold back. Let your imagination and your dreams soar at this point.
Copyright – Elizabeth J. Wheeler, May 6, 2021
