The New Senior Man: Exploring New Horizons, New Opportunities fills a gap that is already huge –and growing. Where do men fit into the astonishing changes in both life expectancy and visibility of the aging boomers among us? Unlike women, who move into retirement years with a network of friends and intimates cultivated over decades, men, for the most part, do it alone. Changes in women’s lives and in the culture have brought changes for men who were told to “man up” since they were toddlers. Having faced that challenge throughout their lives, it’s time now to do it again: to see changes in the world around them as opportunities, to discover new strengths and passions, to make the most of the gift of time.
With perhaps a third of productive life ahead, retirement requires redefinition. Where are the role models among the men who, at this critical turning point in their lives, continue to redefine and reinvent their lives past the time of the proverbial gold watch and a set of golf clubs? As pioneers in this rapidly emerging new world, the men whose narratives appear in this book are role models for each other and those who follow. They seek more than advice about investments and improving their golf strokes. Men from all walks of life tell us, in their own words, how they see the challenges and chances that lie ahead and within themselves, and how they are taking full advantage of opportunities that re-start living.
Each chapter presents a topic relevant to this later stage of life: memory, family dynamics, sexual intimacy, loss, and independence, among others. Like a conversation among friends, the book introduces readers to new ways of looking at the present and the future, so that men may cultivate a lifestyle that not only suits them, but supports a healthy, rewarding, and enjoyable reframing of life.
