Article by Paula Marie Usrey
Greetings from the West Coast to our 50+ friends in the Coming of Age community. From coast to coast, those of us 50+ represent more than a third of the population in the United States and we’re continuing to grow!
Sharing from Coast to Coast
I just learned about your collective efforts to address ageism and focus on positive aging; I’ll be sharing information about your efforts and some of your resources on our website, BoomerBestU.com. I’d also like to invite you to visit our site and access our free resources that support positive aging.
A Portrait of Positive Aging
Before describing some of our resources, I’d like to share a brief story about my neighbor, Doreen; she embraces the essence of what we believe is a commitment to a positive aging lifestyle.
I visited Doreen after she returned home from a stay at the hospital. She was in good spirits, but did mention that it was hard to be away from her computer for so long; she likes to get on the Internet each day to learn something new. She also mentioned that she missed her daily exercises. When I asked her what kind of exercise she did, she stood up and demonstrated some leg-lifts and squats. My neighbor is 98-years-old.
I asked Doreen what her secret was for a long and satisfying life. She said eating right, exercising, continuing to learn, helping others, and keeping a positive attitude were all important. But then she paused and said, “Sometimes I have to just pick myself back up to keep positive.” She mentioned that there were people who discounted her or treated her as though she was senile simply because of her age. Doreen doesn’t appreciate ageist attitudes.
Our Mission and Free Resources
Our mission at Boomer Best U is to provide information, tools and resources to help all of us live our best lives now and in the future. Like Doreen, we support positive aging and finding ways to address ageism. Some of our free resources include a 15-page nonfinancial planning guide for retirement, health calculators, links to current research, links to discounts for individuals 55 and over, and short videos and articles related to positive aging and dealing with ageism.
Because we believe that our attitudes about aging do not occur in a vacuum, we also provide information for employers, advertisers, and businesses about positive aging. Because collectively, we represent an impressive segment of the general population, it is in the best interests of these groups to proactively address ageism along with us.
An Invitation
From coast to coast, we are a significant and growing force. Together, we can help each other live our best lives now and in the future. We can also start changing the outdated narrative that would have people believe we’re basically finished being relevant at fifty. Drop by and visit us on the West Coast by checking out BoomerBestU.com