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Suzanne Rowen, age 72, has been climbing mountains in the Pacific Northwest for the past 30 years. Leading self and others are cross-over skills between mountaineering and working in high stakes crisi…

Suzanne Rowen, age 7…

Suzanne Rowen, age 72, has been climbing mountains in the Pacific Northwest for the past 30 years. Leading self and others are cross-over skills between mountaineering and working in high stakes crisis communications on Wall Street, Suzanne’s earlier life on the East Coast. She finds climbing mountains to be “equally intense and marvelously expansive.” As a dedicated mountaineer, Suzanne peaked all the volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest and led numerous climbing expeditions. Now she prefers climbing solo and finds that “being in nature keeps us sane; you never outgrow it.” Suzanne me…

Wendy Cole, age 76, was 67 when she decided to live out in the world as the femaleshe was born to be. As a young person, Wendy was informed by ‘authorities’ that shewas a male with a psychological…

Wendy Cole, age 76, …

Wendy Cole, age 76, was 67 when she decided to live out in the world as the femaleshe was born to be. As a young person, Wendy was informed by ‘authorities’ that shewas a male with a psychological condition that was untreatable and uncurable; she was “a freak.” Wendy tells her story of living 45 years of repression while hiding her secret from the outside world. On the brink of suicide in 2014, Wendy learned her diagnosis had changed back in 2012. It is now treatable by Therapy, hormones, and surgeries. And people are born transgender: “Gender is between the ears, not the legs.” In…

Cynthia Bargar, 76 is the author of Sleeping in the Dead Girl’s Room (Lily PoetryReview Books), selected as a Massachusetts Book Awards 2023 Honors Poetry Book. Her poems have appeared or are forthc…

Cynthia Bargar, 76 i…

Cynthia Bargar, 76 is the author of Sleeping in the Dead Girl’s Room (Lily PoetryReview Books), selected as a Massachusetts Book Awards 2023 Honors Poetry Book. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming  in Sugar House Review, Ocean State Review, Lily Poetry Review, Verse Daily, On the Seawall, The Last Milkweed Anthology, and elsewhere. Cynthia is associate poetry editor at Pangyrus LitMag.  She lives in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Cynthia has had 3 careers. First, teaching video and photography to teens; then, she worked in fundraising for 30 years, with nonprofits focused on grassroo…

On the northshore of Chicago, there has existed a magical boutique gift store for 37 years. Its name: The Yellow Bird. Recently the shopping center where it had thrived all those years, was sold to ma…

On the northshore of…

On the northshore of Chicago, there has existed a magical boutique gift store for 37 years. Its name: The Yellow Bird. Recently the shopping center where it had thrived all those years, was sold to make room for new residential buildings and some commercial. Yellow Bird’s lease was over but Carol was not. Yellow Bird’s owner, Carol Schaner, 87, was not yet ready, however, to lock the door and walk away. She, her daughter and indispensable manager, Laura, were determined to successfully relocate. And, indeed, they did. The Yellow Bird can now be found in downtown Wilmette.Carol’s handling…

Andrea Gilats—writer, educator, artist, Yoga instructor—believes that“when one writes a memoir, one has to be oneself.” Andrea’s captivating newmemoir, Radical Endurance: Growing Old in an A…

Andrea Gilats—writ…

Andrea Gilats—writer, educator, artist, yoga instructor—believes that“when one writes a memoir, one has to be oneself.” Andrea’s captivating newmemoir, Radical Endurance: Growing Old in an Age of Longevity,reveals her journey of ‘discovery through the pitfalls and possibilities ofaging.’ She reflects on dealing with prolonged Grief following the early deathof her husband, navigating serious chronic illnesses while living alone, andlearning to recreate her identity and sense of belonging after Retirement.Now age 79, Andrea highlights the “singular pleasures of growing up again.�…

For 15 years, Karen Allen (age 73), actor and director of stage and film,and Sarah T. Schwab (age 39), writer, director and producer, have enjoyedcollaborating on theatre and film productions, notably…

For 15 years, Karen …

For 15 years, Karen Allen (age 73), actor and director of stage and film,and Sarah T. Schwab (age 39), writer, director and producer, have enjoyedcollaborating on theatre and film productions, notably addressing oft-avoideddiscussions about dying and loss. Their award-winning film, A Stage ofTwilight—written and directed by Sarah and starring Karen—is a “grass-roots awareness campaign for end-of-life care and decisions.” It raises thedifficult question: “Whose death is it—who has the right to decide when,where, how, and with whom someone dies?” Karen’s directorial debut, theawa…

Sharon A. Brangman, MD, Syracuse NY, is a geriatrician who has been a leader in the field of geriatrics for over two decades.  Her focus is directly on the phenomenon of normal cognitive aging, conce…

Sharon A. Brangman, …

Sharon A. Brangman, MD, Syracuse NY, is a geriatrician who has been a leader in the field of geriatrics for over two decades.  Her focus is directly on the phenomenon of normal cognitive aging, concentrating on prevention. Dr. Brangman serves as Chair of the Department of Geriatrics, Director of the Center for Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease and is a Distinguished Service Professor at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.  She has held leadership roles at the national level and was elected to the board of the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs in 2013 and served …

From a very young age, Pamela Rand, 81, described herself as a comic, a clown, a funny kid who liked to make people laugh. She continues today to sing, dance, speak in multiple accents and create skit…

From a very young ag…

From a very young age, Pamela Rand, 81, described herself as a comic, a clown, a funny kid who liked to make people laugh. She continues today to sing, dance, speak in multiple accents and create skits on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTock. Laughing at herself is her prime mode of comedy. In her early 20’s, Pamela went to Clown School in Paris where she journeyed within to discover her inner clown. Having lost both her mother and brother, this “school of movement, mind and theater” helped her regain her innocence- her silly side-and she learned that 20 minutes of daily laughter en…

For 50 years, Marcia Naomi Berger, 79, has experienced a journey from madness to love and meaning. Her first manic episode was at 29, when she was already a well-respected licensed clinical social wor…

For 50 years, Marcia…

For 50 years, Marcia Naomi Berger, 79, has experienced a journey from madness to love and meaning. Her first manic episode was at 29, when she was already a well-respected licensed clinical social worker - an experienced psychotherapist well-trained in cognitive-behavioral, family systems, process, and psychodynamic approaches. She draws from many treatment approaches to fit the needs of her clients. Naomi’s life changed abruptly when she experienced the first of two difficult hospitalizations. While her early upbringing was difficult and influenced her decision to become a therapist and c…

Anne Burke, age 80, retired Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, began her career as a physical Education teacher, earned her undergraduate degree as an adult student at the School for New Lea…

Anne Burke, age 80, …

Anne Burke, age 80, retired Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, began her career as a physical education teacher, earned her undergraduate degree as an adult student at the School for New Learning/DePaul University, completed a law degree while raising four children, and created the Special Olympics. Her law practice centered on helping vulnerable children and citizens. Anne served on the Illinois Supreme Court for 16 years, the last three years as chief justice, during the covid pandemic. Upon retirement, Anne returned to DePaul University as a non-degree seeking student taking cours…

Ruth Schimel, 84, has original ways to make the most of life’s possibilities. An author of over 70 published articles and seven books, she was previously a diplomat/foreign service officer at the De…

Ruth Schimel, 84, ha…

Ruth Schimel, 84, has original ways to make the most of life’s possibilities. An author of over 70 published articles and seven books, she was previously a diplomat/foreign service officer at the Department of State. She has also taught at four universities. With her mother, Ruth created the Schimel Lode to promote collaboration and Innovation in the DC area.In her 40’s, Ruth designed an inside-out approach to career and life management that transcended narrow labeling of her clients. Preferring to honor their complexity using adventure and good judgment, she continues to provide the tools…

Susan Baur, 84, has been a writer, historian and psychologist for 50 years. As a child, nothing grabbed her passion like listening to her father’s stories which seemed to describe other worlds that …

Susan Baur, 84, has …

Susan Baur, 84, has been a writer, historian and psychologist for 50 years. As a child, nothing grabbed her passion like listening to her father’s stories which seemed to describe other worlds that exist inside our own. Pursuing these other worlds ever since, the force of nature keeps pulling at her very being and led her first into an obsession with turtles and then to start removing garbage from ponds in Cape Cod, MA. This is hard work. The water is often cold, visibility poor but nevertheless she dives in and sees . . . garbage - garbage like tires, futons, bicycle wheels and tons of bee…

Karen Ross, 76, is a champion who keeps reinventing herself. Self-confident, curious and proactive, Karen never stops finding new ways to stay involved, support herself and others, and meet interestin…

Karen Ross, 76, is a…

Karen Ross, 76, is a champion who keeps reinventing herself. Self-confident, curious and proactive, Karen never stops finding new ways to stay involved, support herself and others, and meet interesting people.She thought she would be a musician and entered college intending to major in music. However, Broadway show music is what interested her and classical music was what the college preferred she study. It didn’t take long for Karen to move on and several years and careers later found herself hosting a radio show. When that show ended she moved to South Carolina. "Curiosity leads me to kee…

Elderwerks’ dynamic CEO and Founder, Jennifer Prell, understands older adults. She believes elders deserve respect and loving care. She gets worked up when talking about how difficult it often is fo…

Elderwerks’ dynami…

Elderwerks’ dynamic CEO and Founder, Jennifer Prell, understands older adults. She believes elders deserve respect and loving care. She gets worked up when talking about how difficult it often is for older people, no matter their income level, to find proper housing as they age. Adult children reach out because a parent is declining. That parent does not always recognize there is a problem and that makes it extremely difficult to help them make the transition to safer housing. Jennifer and her team are trained to ask the questions that will guide them in determining the correct paths to tak…

The hardest part of getting older is the realization that some dreams are never going to be realized. Some situations are not going to change. Jackie Greenbaum, however realistic she remains, has live…

The hardest part of …

The hardest part of getting older is the realization that some dreams are never going to be realized. Some situations are not going to change. Jackie Greenbaum, however realistic she remains, has lived her life as though dreams are meant to be followed. Discouraged from a career in law at a young age, Jackie pursued teaching, only to find it unsatisfying for the world in which she wanted to live. Soon after leaving the field of education, Jackie immersed herself in becoming a legal secretary, then a paralegal and combined those two to work in business development and human resources. A dynamic…

If we are looking for what we enjoy doing, then, logically, we’re going to be good at it. Joyful thoughts spiral upward. We are on this planet to love and be loved, to be truly authentic.Gail Sussma…

If we are looking fo…

If we are looking for what we enjoy doing, then, logically, we’re going to be good at it. Joyful thoughts spiral upward. We are on this planet to love and be loved, to be truly authentic.Gail Sussman Miller, Inspired Choice.com, believes how we think, and communicate, is a key issue for leaders of organizations. She helps them manage difficult conversations, to listen not only to respond, but to understand. You can be kind and honest. She helps people see how they need to change to achieve their desired outcomes. An expert coach, focusing on communication, Gail has been serving clients since…

Wendy Green, founder and host of Hey, Boomer,! knows about personal transformation first-hand and coaches women to “live the meaningful, purposeful life they want to live.” Wendy left the world of…

Wendy Green, founder…

Wendy Green, founder and host of Hey, Boomer,! knows about personal transformation first-hand and coaches women to “live the meaningful, purposeful life they want to live.” Wendy left the world of corporate training to focus on women’s experiences of growing older—as a coach, podcaster, show host, and blogger. Podcast guests, along with members of Boomer Banter, talk about a range of topics such as family dynamics, gray divorce, changing Relationships, feeling old, and the vital value of female friendships.  I still feel inside the younger parts of me. - Wendy GreenConnect with Wendy…

Sally Jean Fox’s 2023 book, Meeting the Muse After Midlife: A Journey to Meaning, Creativity, and Joy, tells her story of finding joy in being creative after 50, as she explored Gardening, clowning,…

Sally Jean Fox’s 2…

Sally Jean Fox’s 2023 book, Meeting the Muse After Midlife: A Journey to Meaning, Creativity, and Joy, tells her story of finding joy in being creative after 50, as she explored gardening, clowning, improv theatre, storytelling, and singing. Always keen on writing, Sally took up painting at age 69 and exhibited 30 paintings three years later. Although Sally now sees herself as an artist, she emphasizes that creativity is not just about producing art; rather, the “most creative thing we can do is design our lives, every day, to be engaging, expansive, and full of learning. As the head of En…