Is 50 the new 30?

April 9, 2009

Dear Followers: Son James is home from college, so I’ve had to take a break from the seriousness of the situation to have a few cool ones, sit in the hot tub and watch some college and pro hockey. Life can’t be all stress, can it? All work and no play makes Jack an unhappy boy, or something like that.

Anyway, I’ve been chipping away, trying to keep myself busy with reading (to prepare for the large volume of bookwork coming this summer), finishing a travel story from our incredible desert adventure last month and sending out some resumes for part-time instructor jobs. We’ll see what happens.

I just hope that the old bugaboo of ageism doesn’t rear its ugly head in my quest for a new career.

I don’t think it will, but someone in the house left an article from the local weekly newspaper on the table entitled, “Is 50 the new 30?” It goes on to say that many people over the age of 50 who find themselves disenfranchised come off as a bunch of lazy, whiny goons. Now where would the writer (whose picture makes her look like someone approaching the five decade range) get that idea? To her credit, she does go on to say that now is the time to “re-invent yourself.”

The writer, Joan Graci, says we over-50 job-seekers should identify our core strengths (check), get the skills you need (working on it), go back to school (check), identify employers who need your skills (schools – secondary and college) and show them what you’re made of (still to come). So, based on that article, I’m not doing too bad.

I would think that in academia, an energetic middle-age instructor would be a highly valued commodity. Not only does that person have book knowledge, but has rich and deep life experience to relate to students. We’ll see if that holds true around this time next year.

Most important for me right now is to keep in mind: One step at a time, one day at a time. If you let your mind race to the future, the whole scenario can get overwhelming. Just know that what needs to be done today is relatively simple.

Another subject I need to tackle is this: I’m tired of hearing working people say, “I’m trying to hang on for (fill in the number of years)."

That’s why I’m where I am today -- unemployed and trying to get back into the academic way of life. I decided after much soul searching earlier this year that I don’t want to just “hang on.” I want to do something that is rewarding and challenging. If it helps other people, especially younger ones, in a meaningful way, that’s a great bonus. A paycheck would help, too.

So my advice to the American worker is this: Stop hanging on, start making a difference. It’s much harder to leave that comfort zone and jettison the guaranteed paycheck, but in the long run, it will be well worth your while. America would be better off if people stopped "just hanging on."

Ciao.