The Senior Scene

By Kayla Hopkins

We all have regrets. But when it comes to reflecting on their life and professional career, no collective of people may have better insight than retirees. A quarter of retired Americans say they have regrets now that they’ve retired, which can be a learning lesson for younger Americans who still have many professional working years left.

In a new study by MedicareFAQ, a Medicare learning resource center hosted by Elite Insurance Partners, more than 560 retired Americans were surveyed to understand those regrets better and to see what advice they can offer to younger generations.

One of the biggest considerations in retirement is finances. Even once you’ve retired, there’s no guarantee you’ll feel financially secure. In fact, 59 percent of retirees have financial concerns about their retirement, and 46 percent have saved enough money for a comfortable retirement. Eighty-six percent wish they had saved more before retiring, and 60 percent didn’t start investing in their retirement funds early enough. That’s a clear indication that it’s never too early to start saving for retirement, and for most retirees, that’s their biggest piece of advice.

Other advice regarding retirement includes prioritizing experiences over material possessions and finding a fulfilling work-life balance.

Some retirees regret not prioritizing their health. That can look different depending on one’s situation. For some, it means staying active, following a fad diet, or reducing the amount of unhealthy food you eat. For others, it means prioritizing your healthcare. After you retire, healthcare becomes an even more essential part of your daily routine.

Not having a good work-life balance, not traveling enough, and not spending enough time with friends and family are major regrets throughout retirement.

One-tenth of retirees delayed their retirement because they simply enjoyed working. Other reasons included not having enough money saved or a delayed Social Security payout.

Nearly 1 in 4 retirees struggle to find purpose and fulfillment in retirement. The transition from working full-time to being retired can be tough, and 22 percent say this transition was harder than they anticipated.

One thing that may help with the transition, and also help those struggling to find a purpose, may be volunteering or working a part-time job. Currently, 18 percent of retirees volunteer, and 1 in 4 plan to continue working. The vast majority (93 percent) of retirees say retirement has given them the ability to enjoy things they didn’t have time for while working full-time, like new hobbies.

Although they may have regretted not keeping health top of mind when they were younger, retirees are cooking healthier meals, going to the doctor when they think they need to, reviewing their health coverage during enrollment periods, dedicating time to exercise, and more active in general.

Reflecting upon careers, family, travels

In their careers, 38 percent have regrets and 35 percent wish they’d achieved better work-life balance.

One in 10 say they’ve had a “second-act” career, which is a major career change that occurs after retirement.

When it comes to family, 56 percent say they’re able to spend more quality time with their loved ones now that they’ve retired.

Of retired Americans who don’t have children, about 1 in 4 wish they had.

Travel isn’t a luxury everyone can afford, but according 89 percent of retirees, it’s an important part of life. 58 percent wish they’d traveled more when they were younger.

What advice would retirees give to themselves? The biggest thing is to prioritize financial planning and savings. Other self-advice includes taking health seriously, traveling more, focusing on personal growth and happiness, and not living too far beyond your financial means.

When it comes to the age at which they were happiest, retirees say the magic year was 41. Sixty-two percent say age doesn’t limit new life experiences. And 72 percent feel younger than their current age.

Source: MedicareFAQ.com

By Jeff Hoyt

With Joe Biden and Donald Trump poised for an electoral rematch that would produce the oldest U.S. president in history, many believe both candidates are too elderly for the job. Attention focused on the candidates’ ages raises concerns, especially considering that nearly half of older Americans have faced age discrimination in their own professional lives.

The debate surrounding seniority in federal offices brings forth advantages, such as experience and wisdom, and disadvantages, like potential mental decline or difficulties relating to younger voters. To understand voters’ sentiments on these matters and explore possible solutions, Seniorliving.org conducted a survey of over 1,100 American adults of all ages. Here are a few key takeaways:

• 59 percent of Americans feel Trump is too old to retake office, and 69 percent agree Biden is too old for re-election.
• Respondents over 60 were less likely than younger adults to say Biden and Trump are too old for re-election. This could be partly due to their own experiences, as 47 percent of older Americans have experienced age discrimination on the job.
• The vast majority believed that the ideal presidential candidates would be in their 50s or 60s.
• 72 percent support imposing a maximum age limit on the presidency and on Congress. And 44 percent of those in favor of upper limits felt he maximum age for the president should be between 70 and 79.
• Though many expressed interest in upper age limits, 36 percent admitted those restrictions could be discriminatory, and that term limits could be fairer alternatives.

As the median ages of American legislators have consistently escalated, some have labeled the federal government a gerontocracy needing age limits or term restrictions. But would such restrictions be ageist?

With an election featuring two frontrunners born in the 1940s, Seniorliving.org asked respondents their feelings regarding the ages of Biden and Trump. On inauguration day in 2025, Trump will be 78, and Biden will be 82.

The age of the respondents appeared to affect their opinions. About 70 percent of Americans under 45 thought both candidates were too old to be elected. However, people 60 or older were least likely to feel the current officeholder and his predecessor are too old for the job of president. As many older Americans have been personally impacted by age discrimination, they may not want to judge Trump or Biden based on their ages alone.

Even Trump has been cautious about remarking on Biden’s age as a disqualifying factor. In April 2023, he told conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that plenty of people in their 80s and 90s, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, remain sharp.

However, even among the oldest respondents, Biden’s age was more concerning than Trump’s. Trump’s acceptance by older Americans may be more ideological than analytical – the Silent Generation (those born before 1946) was the only age group that overwhelmingly supported the Republican in the 2020 election.

Notably, in a time of great political divide, voters across the political spectrum agreed Trump and Biden will be too old for office in 2025.

Survey participants tended to support their party’s candidates more. Only about one-third of Republicans believed Trump was too old to be president, while three-quarters of Democrats thought so. As for Biden, most Democrats agreed he was too old to serve again. Among independents, about two-thirds felt that both candidates were too old for the office.

Seniorliving.org then asked voters about their overall views on age and the presidency to get opinions free from political biases. Specifically, what’s the ideal age for a U.S. president?

The U.S. Constitution states a president must be at least 35 years old, but there is no maximum age limit. Trump was the first president to start his term past age 70, and Biden is the first to serve in his 80s.

The average age of past presidents has been 55, much younger than Biden and Trump at the time of the next election. Historical and modern preferences align: Most people prefer presidents to take office in their 50s or 60s, and 85 percent agreed that a president should ideally be younger than 70.

More than two in three Americans would prefer the president to be in their 50s or 60s–old enough to have amassed knowledge and experience, yet considerably younger than Biden or Trump. That opinion was consistent among respondents across age groups, but varied by political party.

Most citizens are comfortable with the current constitutional minimum age for the presidency – nearly 60 percent feel it should remain at 35 years. Interestingly, nearly twice as many voters would eliminate the age minimum as would choose to raise it.

However, nearly three-quarters of Americans would amend the Constitution to add an upper age limit on presidential qualifications. Seventy-five percent of Republicans favored a maximum presidential age, compared to 69 percent of Democrats. In the U.S., few roles have specific age restrictions. The jobs that do tend to have rigorous physical demands, such as law enforcement officers or air traffic controllers.

Opinions varied regarding what the maximum age should be for president. Nearly 10 percent believe presidents shouldn’t be older than 60, while 20 percent would allow private-sector executives to serve into their 80s.

Those on the left tended to prefer a lower age limit than those on the right. Forty-two percent of Democrats would prohibit 70-year-olds from holding office. Three-quarters of Republicans would choose an upper limit of 71 or higher, with one-quarter content to set the age ceiling in the 80s. This makes sense given the demographics of each party. Republicans tend to be older adults, and many younger voters are Democrats.

What about Congress?

Age concerns for the American government aren’t limited to the executive branch. Despite a handful of young, new representatives, the current Congress is one of the oldest in history. The median age of representatives is 57 years old, while the senators’ median age is 65.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who died last October at the age of 90, and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who’s 90, arguably typify age issues. Feinstein suffered medical problems and reported cognitive challenges undermining her ability to serve. Grassley recently won a new six-year term and has already filed for re-election in 2028, potentially putting him in office past the age of 100.

Most Americans are okay with the current minimum ages for Congress (age 25 for the House and 30 for the Senate). However, over a quarter of Americans would prefer to remove these requirements and allow even younger citizens to run for federal office.

Most Americans want to restrict older legislators, with nearly three-quarters supporting a maximum age for the House and Senate. Republicans showed slightly more support for an upper age limit than Democrats. Americans generally agreed that the upper age for Congress members should be between 70 and 79, the same as for president.

Almost half of the people polled felt senior politicians are out of touch with modern issues like technology and climate change, making them unable to represent younger generations. Notably, younger Americans were nearly three times more likely to say older legislators make government worse instead of better. Among those under 45, this ratio increased to four-to-one.

While many Americans want to limit the age of congressional members, a significant portion is hesitant to set specific age restrictions. About 48 percent believe age isn’t crucial as long as politicians can serve the public interest. Additionally, 36 percent view age restrictions as discriminatory and prefer that the ballots reflect their confidence in individual candidates’ competence.

Unlike age limits, term limits offer a fair way to promote legislative turnover without discriminating based on age. They would stop long-serving incumbents from staying in office for many decades. Currently, 16 states have term limits for statewide offices, which Americans prefer over age limits by a margin of more than four to one.

Out of the 45 presidents before Trump and Biden, all were younger than 70 when they took office. Now the nation has had consecutive presidents in their 70s, and, likely, the next one will also be in their 80s during their term.

Some believe the electoral system favors long-term politicians, resulting in overrepresentation of elderly individuals and reduced government responsiveness. Around 70 percent of Americans support setting a maximum age for federal elected officials, and many also favor term limits for congressional leaders. Currently, the 22nd Amendment places a term limit on the presidency.

Campaign finances, voter turnout, and incumbency advantage have driven the aging of Congress. But is this an issue that needs to be addressed? After all, senior leaders can stabilize the nation, preserve knowledge, and temper youthful ideas. As life expectancy increases, politicians’ ages will also rise naturally. If ineffective leadership persists, Americans always have the option to head to the ballot box to vote in leaders with fresh perspectives at any age.

Source: Seniorliving.org, an online directory of information and topics for older adults, surveyed 1,113 adults in 2023 for this report. Twenty-one were 18 to 29 years old, 27 percent were between 30 and 44, 28 percent were 45 to 60, and 24 percent were 60 or older. Thirty-five percent were Democrats, 29 percent were Republicans, 25 percent were independents, and 11 percent didn’t align with any of those three groups.

Naval museums, some of them on retired ships, eagerly await and welcome visitors. Not to mention any and all support that helps keep floating history shipshape.

Roughly 120 Navy vessels are official historic landmarks in the United States. And naval ship museums, some of them housed in retired warships and submarines, are helping preserve that maritime and military heritage.

Two such places are a relatively short drive or a ferry ride to the Kitsap Peninsula, where Puget Sound Navy Museum in Bremerton and Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport are doing their part to educate current and future generations by bringing to life the historic roles of vessels above and below the waves.

Maintaining and operating naval museums often falls to veterans’ or community groups with minimal or no government funding. The museums rely on the generosity and support of their members and the public.

In return, visitors get thoroughly indoctrinated in floating history such as the USS Turner Joy, anchored at Bremerton’s waterfront near the Puget Sound Navy Museum (PSNM). The 66-year-old destroyer, decommissioned by the Navy in 1982, was involved in the Navy’s first sea battle in the Vietnam War in 1964. It now is a Navy museum ship. (Information about tours is at ussturnerjoy.org and 360-792-2457.) Recent temporary exhibits included one about patrol boats that were used in Puget Sound to chase alcohol smugglers during the prohibition and for guarding coastlines, ports, and rescues.

PSNM opened in 1954 in a different Bremerton than the 6,049 square-feet building it now occupies near Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and a state ferry terminal.

Naval Undersea Museum, a few miles north in Keyport and affiliated with PSNM, sits next to a branch of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, a research, testing and engineering arm of the Navy. Museum artifacts and exhibits include torpedoes (“Torpedo Town” is a nickname for Keyport), a simulated submarine control room, a hulking portion of an actual former sub’s hull, and a deepwater rescue submersible that was used in the movie “The Hunt for Red October.”  It’s all backed by a non-profit foundation and its members who provide financial and organizational support .

Floating-ship museums, such as the Turner Joy, include famous ships like the USS Midway and USS Enterprise. Others are lesser-known but still storied. One is the USS Red Oak. Moored in Richmond, Calif., 16 miles north of San Francisco, it’s one of the last surviving World War II Victory Ships that were built on an emergency basis to carry vital supplies and troops to all theaters of war.

Well-known or not, all floating-ship and land-based naval museums “have a responsibility to future generations to preserve historic ships and to raise awareness,” said Fred Klink, who heads a committee running the Red Oak.

While naval museums need financial backing from individuals, organizations and corporations, Klink and other advocates note there are some simple ways virtually anyone can support the museums. One of the easiest ways is to visit them, buying a ticket if admission is charged (PSNM and Naval Undersea are free) and affirming their important roles in preserving history.

Another way is to volunteer for leading tours or other assistance such as working in museum stores.

Source: Brandpoint contributed to this report.

A Northwest rock music legend is relived with theatrical release of film

They pounded their way out of Tacoma and to the top of Northwest rock bands in the 1960s with a music style that eventually earned them legendary status as pioneers of the much-later punk rock movement. 

They were The Sonics, named for the booming noise of jets out of then-McChord Air Force Base and known for a hard-edged sound that gained fans nationally (despite never having a number 1 hit song in the U.S.) and worldwide.

Unlike other garage-bands of their era, the group avoided fading into total obscurity. Helping preserve their legacy, and possibly growing it, is the theatrical release this year of a film that chronicles the band’s rise and tells some of its untold story.

“Boom,” by Whidbey Island filmmaker Jordan Albertsen, is scheduled for a limited release in theaters across North America in 20 market areas in the first quarter of 2024, following gala premieres in Seattle and Los Angeles. The latter will be accompanied by tribute performances of The Sonics’ music, promoters said.

The distribution is being managed by The Forge, an agency headed by Mark Sayre, a producer and director of the annual Vashon Island Film Festival.

Sayre said Albertsen “put painstaking effort” into making the 78-minute film “an engaged, participatory audience experience” that includes interviews with the members of famed Northwest rock bands Pearl Jam, Heart, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, and has been featured in film festivals from Tacoma to Bremen, Norway, and Greece.

The Sonics’ saga is one of a raw band that went from playing modest gigs at roller rinks and teenage dances at places like Curtis High School in University Place, to headlining major Seattle-area venues such as the Spanish Castle Ballroom and opening for major touring acts at the Seattle Coliseum.

The Sonics’ original songs included “The Witch,” the lynchpin in winning a record-label contract for the band, and “Have Love Will Travel,” which Land Rover licensed in 2004 for a car commercial on television.

British author Vernon Joynson once wrote that The Sonics “exuded a surly demeanor and created one of the rawest, toughest garage sounds.” He also noted the Kinks and the Sex Pistols “have acknowledged The Sonics’ influence on their own music.”

With a caustic sound that limited radio airplay of its songs, The Sonics nevertheless experienced on-and-off longevity after forming in 1960. They released their debut album in 1965 and broke up in the late ‘60s, only to reunite briefly in 1972 and then again in 2007-08, this time longer-term for performances and recording that led to an international concert tour in England Spain, Norway and Belgium, as well as New York and Seattle.

The band’s breakups were fueled by life turns for the members—Larry Parya, Andy Parypa, Rob Lind, Bobby Bennett, and Jerry Roslie. There were returns to college in an effort to avoid the Vietnam War draft, non-music jobs such as commercial pilot, insurance sales, school teacher, and asphalt paving, time spent playing with other bands, and health issues.

Albertsen said he hopes his film’s circuit this year will generate new notoriety for the band, making making “2024 the year of The Sonics.”