Abigail Trafford
My Time
Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life
Basic Books, 2003
Aperçu
You’re ready to retire, and you still have 30 healthy years ahead. What do you really want to do with your life?
Recommendation
Abigail Trafford’s compassionate guide to the post-retirement years is a fascinating collection of personal stories, mixed with a healthy dose of sociological and scientific findings. Her research into what she calls “the Bonus Decades” began when she found new meaning in her life after age 50. As she talked with hundreds of members of her generation, or “My Timers,” Trafford uncovered a quiet revolution in the making. These adults, who are finished with child-rearing and have reached the end of successful careers, are wondering, “now what?” as they face longer, healthier lives post-retirement. It is this generation, she predicts, that will change the structure of the workplace, reaffirm the values of family and community, and leave an enduring legacy. Trafford’s insightful comparison of the storms of adolescence to the emotional and spiritual crises of late adulthood will resonate with anyone facing retirement, a late-in-life career change or simply a growing feeling of anxiety and dissatisfaction with the norm. This is not a how-to book or a survival manual, but a reassuring travel guide to the uncharted territory of “Second Adolescence.” getAbstract recommends this book to everyone older than 50 or soon to arrive there – after all, it’s about time.
Summary
About the Author
Abigail Trafford is a columnist and former health editor at The Washington Post. She hosts “Health Talk,” an online talk show. She is the author of the bestselling Crazy Time: Surviving Divorce and Building a New Life (revised edition, 1992). She lives in Washington, D.C.
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