Wendy Green [00:00:32]:

Hello. And welcome to the Hey, Boomer! show. My name is Wendy Green, and I am your host for Hey, Boomer!. And at Hey, Boomer!, we are changing the conversation about getting older. Rather than seeing it as declining, we see it as the opening of a potentially exciting new and vibrant chapter, A time for exploration, self expression, and learning. So this Is the final episode of 2023. Wow. It's hard to believe, but It it's great, and I'm excited about it.

Wendy Green [00:01:10]:

And in this episode, I want to accomplish 3 things. I want to celebrate And recap some of the best shows of 2024 I'm sorry. Some of the best shows of 2023. And then I want to tell you about where I'm taking Hey, Boomer! in 2024. And finally, I want to talk about my word of the year for 2024 and encourage you to share your word with me once you know what it is. I also wanna thank our sponsor, Road Scholar. Road Scholar is the not for profit leader In educational travel for boomers and beyond, offering expert led adventures in all 50 states And over 100 countries. Road Scholar has been with us for the last couple of years.

Wendy Green [00:02:07]:

They're gonna be with us again in 2024, and I'm very grateful for their support. And learning with Road Scholar is one of my favorite ways to travel. So please go and check out the amazing collection of travel adventures that they offer by going to roadScholar.org/heyboomer. And please include the slash heyboomer that lets them know that you heard about it Through our show. So today, I wanna take you on a journey through our year, highlighting the wisdom and stories that have enriched our lives in 2023. And they have. They really have been wonderful learning opportunities. We've confronted ageism.

Wendy Green [00:03:02]:

We've decluttered our homes, and we've navigated delicate family dynamics. We've laughed with creatives who find joy in every facet of life, and we've explored how to live with intention and purpose. We've spoken to authors about their books that covered many different genres, And we talked about health and transition and purpose So let's dive in and celebrate the meaningful lessons shared By our inspiring guests. We've had many creatives on the show this year. Do you remember Skye Bergman? She shared the story of creating the documentary Lives Well Lived. If you haven't seen it yet, You can probably find it on most PBS stations. And in this documentary, she captured the stories of older adults Living full and meaningful lives. It started with a story about her grandmother and all that she was learning from her grandmother.

Wendy Green [00:04:11]:

And then we learned valuable lessons from all the individuals she profiled in this documentary. They talked about living purposeful lives, lives that focused on connection between generations, self care and mindfulness, And the importance of having some sense of passion about the life that you're living and continuing to learn no matter how old you are. If you happened to miss that episode, you can find it on any of the podcast apps that you use. Look for the title under Hey, Boomer!, Lives Well Lived. I know you're gonna love that episode. And then we spoke to Melissa Davey, and she told us about leaving her corporate career at 65 To follow her passion to become a documentary filmmaker. It was an amazing story because Melissa really had no experience in Making films before. But, however, a a chance encounter with M. Night Shyamalan, Which is a story in itself that you'll hear on the show.

Wendy Green [00:05:21]:

It solidified her desire to go forward. And Melissa taught us that reinvention has no age limit. She taught us that resilience and determination Got her through some of the challenges of making a film. She is now in final production of her newest film called Climbing Into Life. And it's a story about a 71 year old woman who took up rock climbing and climbed El Capitan in Yosemite with her son. So be sure to look for its release In 2024, it's called Climbing Into Life. And then go back or maybe first go back and listen to the episode she did on Hey Boomer. And that is called Silver Screens and Second Acts.

Wendy Green [00:06:15]:

And most recently, we spoke to Penny Peyser. Remember Penny? She infused humor and heart into her conversations about aging and reinvention. Penny had been an actress who kind of aged out in Hollywood of being offered, good female roles. So like Melissa, she reminded us that it is never too late to explore new parts of our creativity. And Penny wrote a book called Sonnets from Suburbia. And she spins sonnets and does kind of rap Poetry with them, and she has created a 1 woman show that shows her alter ego, Lady Penelope. And Penny writes you know, so we think about sonnets as like Shakespearean. Right? They're old and very formal.

Wendy Green [00:07:12]:

Well, Penny follows the the iambic pentameter of a sonnet, but she writes about common everyday things like Internet trials, or some of the challenges we have in our personal relationships. So that was a fun episode too. Go look for Sonnets from Suburbia with Penny Peyser. And the stories these ladies shared reminded us that humor is a powerful balm for life's pains, That creativity instills us with energy to explore new directions, and that reinvention has no age limit.

In a more sobering episode, we addressed the silent hurts of family life with Doctor Joshua Coleman. He spoke to us about parent child estrangement. He shared his insights into the modern biases of mental health professionals who sometimes Create or maybe exacerbate some of the challenges that adult children are having with their parents And vice versa. And we talked about the increasing rates of family estrangement.

Wendy Green [00:08:34]:

And we gave our listeners an intimate look At the profound changes in generational family dynamics from when we were growing up. The episode is called resolving estrangement, and it was by far the most Downloaded and listened to episode in 2023. That You know, I was glad to get those kind of numbers, and it also made me a little sad that so many of us are experiencing issues with our families' connections. And so it also told me that we need to talk about this more. So we're gonna be looking for how to do that in 2024, and I'll talk to you about that later. But in this episode, Dr. Coleman urged parents who are struggling with estrangement from their children to practice empathy and to open a different kind of conversation with their adult children. We learned that sometimes Reconciliation requires understanding and patience, while at other times, it might mean giving space and respecting boundaries. If you missed this episode, you can find it again on any of the podcast players.

Wendy Green [00:09:56]:

Look for Hey,Boomer!, And then look up Resolving Estrangement. On a more practical note, Nikki Davidson Jones taught us the value of decluttering our living spaces. I know we kind of Played with that for a month or so after that episode to share with each other how we were decluttering on our Facebook group, Hey, Boomer! -What's Next? And hopefully, you all are still on that journey. But Nikki talked about decluttering our living spaces not just for the peace of mind but as a loving gesture for those who we leave behind. And her approach is both practical and profound, Encouraging us to make our homes and lives ready for what's ahead. We called this episode The Generational Gift of the Uncluttered Home, and it truly is a generational gift. From clearing out rooms that have become time capsules of our children's past, And I, gave as a birthday present to my son this past year, a lot of the old papers from his past that I had been saving and collecting.

Wendy Green [00:11:14]:

And he enjoyed going through them, and now he can do whatever he wants with them. But they're out of my house. We also talked about the fact that our children and grandchildren may not want some of our stuff. Even though it has meaning to us, they're in a different place in life, and they may not want it. And so we reconsidered what we hold on to and why. And she helped us see that decluttering It's not just cleaning, but it's an act of consideration and compassion for the future. We had so many wonderful authors on Hey, Boomer! in 2023. Do y'all remember Rick Bleiweiss and his, mystery books, Pinon Scorbion and the Barber Shop Detectives? Or how about Philip Martin and the lessons he shared in Tales from Tibet? Rebecca Keller and her story about murder in a nursing home that she called You Should Have Known, and then Doug MacIntyre in his book Frank's Shadow.

Wendy Green [00:12:26]:

All of these books I really enjoyed. So, you know, I get the benefit of reading all of them before we, talk to these authors. So that's always fun. And one of the most popular shows was Rob Schwartz's reflections on a manuscript his father had been working on before his illness. Rob is the son of Morrie Schwartz who became known to us through Tuesdays with Morrie. And Rob turned his dad's manuscript in a new into a new book Called The Wisdom of Morrie. I loved this book. So the book offered a heartfelt look At aging joyfully and combating the stigma that some people experience as we're growing older, The Wisdom of Morrie offered us a unique blend of psychological analysis and practical tips For living a vibrant life.

Wendy Green [00:13:24]:

And we learned about the incredible empathy Morrie possessed and his vision For a unified world without strife, we can still strive for that vision. We talked about how important it is to support and connect with our aging parents, especially when they are dealing with illness as Rob did with his dad. Communication, finding common ground between the generations, and cherishing every moment Becomes essential. From my conversation with Rob, we gained a deeper appreciation For the life lessons that Morrie imparted, a testament to living well at any age. And that book again was called The Wisdom of Morrie. And finally I completed several episodes of my own I talked about several different topics but I The one I wanted to talk about today was my story of transition and the significance of allowing oneself time to be unfixed from any one course of action. Facing changes And approaching retirement, I emphasize the importance of considering a multitude of possibilities And prioritizing self reflection. My experience of transitioning many times Sought to underscore the constant presence of change and the inner growth that can follow With advice on embracing that messy middle of transitions and listening to our intuition, I hoped to embolden all of you in the Hey, Boomer! community to embrace life's uncertainties with courage And curiosity.

Wendy Green [00:15:21]:

2023 has been an amazing year. We produced 43 episodes this year, and that accounts for the time off I took to Costa Rica, To sail on the Windjammer cruise with my grandson and to attend the podcast convention in December and, of course, Christmas and New Year's. So 43 episodes in the last 12 months. And over the last three and a half years, I have focused the show On reinventing and finding meaning and purpose and learning together. And in 2024, I plan to go more deeply into topics that will provide learning opportunities and assistance for some of the challenges that we face as we age. I think turning 70 and the interest in that show about estrangement has really propelled me in this new direction. I feel that there are topics that need to be addressed And questions that need to be answered. As, you know, as we age, we do face some challenges that we Probably hadn't thought about when we were younger, and I want to explore those more deeply so that we're better prepared and and feel more empowered in ways to deal with them.

Wendy Green [00:16:52]:

So giving these topics more time will hopefully provide us With that wisdom. But here's something I'm really excited about is that we're gonna have new opening music. I've been using that same music that you heard as the show opened today for the last three and a half years, But my grandson is now a student at the North Carolina University School of the Arts. He's a percussionist And he wrote a soothing and exciting piece of music that he performs on the marimba, and he recorded that for us. And so I'm gonna use that as the opening music in 2024, and I hope you love it. I'm excited about it, and it will debut On January 8th. And you know what's fun? I just have to say this as an aside. A lot of times when you listen to podcasts, You hear at the end, and they say, this show is produced by and the sound editing by and the music by.

Wendy Green [00:17:59]:

So now I can say, This show was produced by me, and the music is provided by and my grandson. So Listen for a new closing too. Anyway, we're gonna kick off January talking about family dynamics and connections. As I mentioned, the most listened to show of 2023 was the show about parent child estrangement, And that told me that a lot of us are struggling with family challenges and are looking for ways to resolve them. So one of the 1st shows or the 1st show, which is gonna be on January 8th, We're gonna talk about sibling estrangement. Journalist Fern Schumer Chapman Wrote a book called Brothers, Sisters, Strangers, which tells the story of her estrangement from her brother and their reconciliation. In this book, she also explores stories that others, that she interviewed share with her And insights from therapists and researchers in the field. Sibling estrangement can be devastating in families, and it's not Something that we commonly talk about just like we don't commonly talk about parent child estrangement.

Wendy Green [00:19:21]:

But sibling estrangement can be devastating to the sibling who feels the most rejected because our siblings are our earliest relatives, And we formed bonds with them very early, and we experienced the family dynamics that we grew up in, even though we probably interpret them differently, we still had similar family experiences. So the sibling estrangement can feel very uncomfortable and odd. And it can also cause problems When the parents die because now the estrangement there's no way to communicate Or effectively communicate if there's any kinds of arguments over inheritance. So that's gonna be January 8th. January 15th, I'm really excited about, and I'll tell you how this came about. I was thinking, you know, what else can we talk about in this area of family dynamics? And I thought about, you know, the political feuds that are going on among families, and the the word feud Came to mind, and I thought Hatfields and McCoys. Right? So I started looking that up, and we're gonna meet A best selling author of the book called The Feud, his name is Dean King, and he is the author of 10 nonfiction books, The Feud being one of them. He relishes the adventures involved in making history come to life.

Wendy Green [00:21:02]:

While at the same time, He diligently searches out the truth to turn up new historical details. So as I said, The Feud is the story of the Hatfields and McCoys. And while he was re researching the story, he was actually shot at in Appalachia. But in this episode of Hey Boomer, we'll not only talk about the history of the Hatfields and McCoys, but we're also going to try to bring the discussion into the Present day family feuds. And are there lessons to be learned from the Hatfields and McCoys that can be applied today? Hopefully, none of you have Feuds as intense as they had, but it should be interesting. January 22nd, we're going to speak with therapist Janet Steinkamp about communication skills and how they can help us gain understanding and possibly resolve some tensions in our families. Janet also works with families that are estranged, but she uses an instrument called DISC, d I s c. Some of you may be familiar with this.

Wendy Green [00:22:13]:

It profiles, it it gives us a profile about self knowledge and communication. So understanding our style of communicating and the style of others we're trying to communicate with can help us find ways to communicate more effectively. And then we'll wrap up January with a story of what happens when friends fall out of favor. Margie Zable Fisher is a freelance writer, journalist, and author, And I read an article she wrote titled, How to Prevent Being Estranged From a Friend, and I knew I wanted her on the show. I mean, we've all experienced friendships that dwindled away or the pain of a toxic friendship or, you know, we know that, Oh, it's gosh. It's been months or maybe years since we connected with somebody, and now we're embarrassed. We don't know how to get back in touch. And In our generation, many of us are starting to lose friends to, you know, death, illnesses, and whatever.

Wendy Green [00:23:23]:

And so the feelings of loneliness of being estranged from the friends of our past are Growing. So we're gonna talk about the importance of friendships and how we might heal those long ago wounds. So I hope you all are feeling excited about some of what's coming up in 2024. Some of the other Themes I'm considering, and I and I really want your feedback on this. Right? So leave it in the chat. Leave a message When you're listening to the podcast, you know, let me know if these themes sound of interest to you and what other things you might want me to dive into. What some of the things I'm thinking about for 2024 are caregiving, caregivers, And what happens when caregiving ends? Grey divorce, new relationships, As for, you know, older adults and building new romantic or loving relationships and then blended families and all that's involved in that, A big issue that many of us may have already faced with our parents and may face with ourselves one day is transportation. When is it time to turn in the keys? And then what options do we have? So I think that's that's gonna be an important topic.

Wendy Green [00:24:48]:

Of course, health and wellness, financial concerns. What about aging at home or downsizing and moving into Assisted living or some kind of retirement community. Certainly, loneliness could be a topic. Many illnesses that are related to aging, like arthritis or high blood pressure or diabetes or, you know, on and on and on. So I'm really eager to go deep on these topics and learn all that we can, and I would love to hear from you. One other new addition for 2024 that I'm really excited to introduce today will be the exclusive Boomer Believer group. So members of Boomer Believers are going to be able to gather once a month with one of our guests. All Boomer Believers will be invited to a Zoom meeting where they can talk with the guest and have their questions answered.

Wendy Green [00:25:58]:

So the 1st Boomer Believer meeting will be on Tuesday, January 30th at 6:30 in the evening EST time, and Dean King, the author of The Feud, has agreed to be our special guest. So very excited about that. This is an amazing opportunity to have an intimate conversation with one of the Hey, Boomer! monthly guests. And you will want to take advantage of this offering before it's too late and you miss that January 30th date. And here's how you do it. You go to buymeacoffee.com/heyboomer0413. On that page, you will see both The Boomer Banter and the Boomer Believers. This is the Boomer Believers.

Wendy Green [00:26:52]:

It's $25 a month, and you get to speak with a guest On a Zoom meeting, live, in person, and, ask all the questions you want and learn all you want from them. Alright. So my word for the year. Y'all ready? Not gonna tell you yet. Okay. So here's why I do this. I've been selecting a word for my year for many years. I used to set New Year's resolutions, And I suspect, like you, many of the resolutions that we set were soon abandoned once we failed to meet our expectations of what we needed to do to keep that resolution.

Wendy Green [00:27:38]:

So think about it. Like, I'm gonna join the gym and really start working out, and then, You know, you just stop going. Whatever. Things come up. Didn't work. I'm gonna lose weight. This is the year I'm gonna lose weight. Oh, but there's a party and then, oh, that That dark chocolate's really calling my name and darn it.

Wendy Green [00:28:04]:

Failed again. So, you know, we set these goals, these resolutions, and then we mess up. And we think, well, you know, I've already messed up, so I failed, and we beat ourselves up with that negative self talk. And we tell ourselves things like, I'm no good at Setting resolutions or I'm too lazy to get back into shape or you know? I'm I'm just never gonna lose that weight that I wanna lose. It's just part of being older. And the truth is you feel like you failed, and Maybe there's no reason that you feel or motivation to try again. But with a word for the year, You can't fail. You may not get it right all the time, but you still have the rest of the year to live your word.

Wendy Green [00:29:00]:

And by keeping your word present in your mind, you become more aware of your behaviors. You're learning new things about yourself, and you're making progress. So my word for last year, for 2023, Actually, for this year, for 2023 was connection. And this was the year that I was gonna connect with more podcasters. I was going to focus on friendships and the importance of those connections. I wanted to connect with nature more by getting out into the The woods, the natural environment, and of course I'm always looking for ways to connect with my family. And I looking back in the year, I feel pretty good about how I stayed focused on connecting this past year. I truly pushed out of my comfort zone by going to the podcast convention, and I made Some wonderful connections with other podcasters while I was there.

Wendy Green [00:30:01]:

I even had a couple of them on my show as guests, and I guested on their shows. I have made it a point to get together with friends at least twice a month, if not more, And I have a standing wine date on Friday nights with my mom and stepdad. I did connect with nature on my trips both to Costa Rica and on the windjammer cruise to Maine, but I did not get in all the outdoor hikes I wanted this year. So there were times I didn't always fulfill my connection ideals. Had this been my new year's resolution, I would have failed the 1st time I told one of my friends, I'm just too busy. I can't make it tonight. But I didn't fail because I had another chance to connect with them. I would have failed the 1st time I chose work over a hike.

Wendy Green [00:31:00]:

I hate when I do that, but it happens. But I didn't fail because I am gonna continue to try and get out more because I know how good nature is for me. And that's the power of having a word for the year rather than a resolution. You don't fail. You remember why you chose your word, and you recommit to it. With that said, I'm ready to reveal my word for 2024. Drumroll, please. Okay.

Wendy Green [00:31:35]:

This year, I have chosen the word confidence. Okay. I know. Many of you think I am confident, And in many ways, I am. Telling you I am working on confidence for 2024 Feels kind of vulnerable. Being the host of Hey, Boomer!, I sometimes feel like I have to show confidence All the time, but the truth is that I'm not always confident. I work on it, And this year, I'm going to focus on particular areas of confidence that I believe will take my work To the next level. The things I want to work on are 3.

Wendy Green [00:32:29]:

I am going to be confident about asking well known people to be guests on the show Like Dean King, the author of The Feud. But I'm only gonna ask them if their wisdom and knowledge will enhance What we are trying to learn on a particular episode. So what's the worst they can say? No? Okay. They weren't on in the first place. So if they say no, nothing has changed. Right? And there are many other experts that I can reach out to to help us learn about the topic that we are studying at at that particular time. I also will be confident about finding sponsors that want to support the work we are doing, like Road Scholar who signed up for another year, as I mentioned. This is consistent revenue that I can depend on, And it is so challenging for me to sell myself, so I'm changing my mindset around this.

Wendy Green [00:33:36]:

It's not that I'm selling myself. I'm selling the benefits of Hey, Boomer!, which is for all of you. So the right sponsors will be happy to support this work. Watch me be confident about that, and I will be confident when I start to experience self Doubt in whatever areas of my life it shows up, and it does. So my confidence this year, This is my outcome. My confidence this year will help me generate more revenue to sustain me and the Hey, Boomer! Show. It will also help me grow the Hey, Boomer! audience to reach more people who would benefit from the things that we talk about. I always recommend that you get creative and make a picture or create an image with your word that you can post.

Wendy Green [00:34:27]:

Mine is on my bulletin board in my office, and I'm gonna post a picture of it on social media. I'm really happy with how it came out this year. Okay. So I always ask my guests for 2 or 3 takeaways before they leave, and so I'm gonna give you 2 or 3 takeaways before I finish this episode. 1, embrace reinvention and creativity at any age. The power of reinvention and creativity later in life was the was a big theme in 2023. The guests like Melissa Davey and Skye Bergman and Penny Peyser and some of the authors that we had on, showcase that it's never too late to explore new passions and talents. Their stories highlight the importance of pursuing creativity and finding joy In various forms of expression, whatever expression works for you, and proving that age is not a barrier To discovering new facets of ourselves.

Wendy Green [00:35:36]:

Another takeaway for the for this Past years that aging joyfully and with purpose was a big part of what we talked about in 2023. And Rob Schwartz's book, The Wisdom of Morrie, shared so many powerful lessons about Morrie's work around finding purpose, sharing empathy, and maintaining connections even through his illness. And finally, of course, the power of choosing a word for the year. I love the practice of choosing a word for the year instead of setting traditional New Year resolutions. I find the transformative impact of a chosen word can guide your actions and mindset throughout the year. It does take time to pick a word. And if you have not Received the word of the year generator? Then just drop me an email at wendy@heyboomer.biz, And I'll send it to you because it guides you through the process of of developing your word and why, your why for that word, And what you will get out of it if you continue to keep that word in your awareness. And before you go today, I want you to sign up for the Boomer Believer.

Wendy Green [00:37:00]:

Let's see. Where is that? Go to buymeacoffee.com/heyboomer0413 and become a Boomer bBeliever. $25 a month. January 30th, you're going to meet with Dean King. Have a 1 on 1 well, a 1 on many, hopefully, Group in the Zoom meeting. Conversation with Dean. Get your questions answered. Hear his thoughts.

Wendy Green [00:37:27]:

And I think this is gonna be an amazing Addition to hearing the guests on the show where you can't really talk to them, this is gonna give you an opportunity to have conversations with them. So go to buymeacoffee.com/heyboomer0413. And remember, our sponsor, We love Road Scholar, so go to, roadscholar.org/heyboomer, And plan your next adventure. I'm gonna be taking a couple of weeks Off to rest and enjoy the holidays, and I wish you peace and happiness and love For the remainder of this year and into 2024, the world can certainly use more of all of that. And I love when I hear from you. I love the comments when you're listening live. I love the comments, when you listen to the podcasts. And if you rate and review, It helps other people find us, so thank you for that.

Wendy Green [00:38:32]:

And continue to embrace this time of your life with exploration, self expression, and learning. My name is Wendy Green. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. Happy whatever other holidays you're celebrating. And this has been Hey Boomer.