Shows
2018-11-1327 min
2018-10-0909 min
2018-10-0942 min
Retiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Ageism: Its Effect on Older Adults’ Health and What We Can All Do About ItThen take a deeper dive into the corrosive effects of ageism with Betsy Abramson, Executive director of the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging. Betsy sees ageism as a full-fledged health crisis, and has the research to back that claim. And she has solutions, ways you can fight back against stereotypical comments and behaviors.
2018-09-0526 min
Retiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Role of Intimacy for Healthy AgingTalk by Michael Lee Smith, a featured speaker at the 2018 Healthy Aging Summit presented by the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging. Michael holds the view that sexually active “olders” are healthier and happier. But adds, that doesn’t necessarily mean sex, that intimacy is the real key. Lee Smith shares stories of his early research days at the Kinsey Institute, his grandmother's “new man,” and ways to reframe and redefine a healthy sexuality as we age.
2018-08-0742 min
Retiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!2018 Healthy Aging Summit: Emerging Interventions in Healthy AgingFOR MORE INFORMATION on the programs Carol talked about, listen to this panel discussion from the 2018 Healthy Aging Summit: Emerging Interventions in Healthy Aging.
2018-07-0138 min
Retiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What the Scary Statistics Don't Tell YouLions and Tigers and Bears! The statistics on seniors’ health issues are frightening! In the US, it’s estimated that every second of every day an older adult falls, leading to disability and even death. BUT the numbers aren’t the whole story. In fact, there’s good news to share, new strategies that will help us stay upright and healthier as we age.
2018-07-0107 min
2018-01-3005 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Life is a Daring Adventure and I'm Not Done Yet!“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” These words from Winnie the Pooh came to me as I considered how I should say goodbye to you. I will be leaving Retiree Rebels and concentrating on my life as a coach and speaker and workshop presenter. My passions of being a life coach, a midwife for midlife and beyond, or speaking on living life as daring adventure and setting up my dream camp retreats will fill my future days. Would love to hear from you at lifesadaringadventure@gmail.com
2017-11-2103 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Practicing What We PreachPracticing What We Preach Over the last 2 years, Mary Helen and Carol have talked a lot about following your dreams, your curiosity and your ambitions. Time for us to follow our own advice. So, for the next 6 months RetireeRebels.com will be on hiatus, while Carol collects suggestions and ideas from you for the next reincarnation of the website.
2017-11-2103 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Military Memories: Veterans & RetirementRetirement can be an especially difficult life change for those who have served in the military. Of the 22 veterans per day who commit suicide, most are over age 55. After retiring, “the lid can come off” a veteran's memories, according to Navy Master Chief Dennis Behr (Ret.). Denny sat down with Mary Helen and Carol to talk about issues specific to retiring veterans, and what vets and their families can do to help ease the transition.
2017-11-1324 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!A Future Without Senior CentersThat’s the dream of one senior center director. Paula Schutt envisions a day when today’s senior centers are transformed into intergenerational community centers, attractive to everyone who wants to learn and exercise and make new friends. Paula Schutt of Beloit, WI sat down at the Kitchen Table with Mary Helen and Carol to talk about how many senior centers are already making that transition, and looking to new retirees to change the stereotype and status quo of centers everywhere.
2017-11-0525 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Look what can happen when you say 'yes'!Look What Can Happen! We may think we know what retirement is like, but the strangest things can happen! Like when two women sit down for coffee and a new idea starts to percolate. Two years ago --after that cup of coffee-- Mary Helen and Carol started the Retiree Rebels podcast, and offer their own story as an example of the wonderful things that can happen when you let the magic in.
2017-10-3029 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!How did I get here? And I'm not done yet!How did I get here? Mary Helen answers that question as the Retiree Rebels celebrate their second anniversary. Looking back she reviews how she ended up being a podcaster. She offers tips on how you too can review your past to discover what your future may hold in your retirement days.You just might discover that you're not done yet either.
2017-10-2209 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!How in the World Did I End Up Here?The milestones in our lives —such as anniversaries-- are great times to reflect on "How In The World Did I End Up Here?” After marking 2 years of producing podcasts, Carol Larson looks back at the revelations in her life and retirement that helped bring about the birth of RetireeRebels.com
2017-10-1505 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Advice for the Newly Retired: 10 Things 'Thank Goodness somebody told me!"'On her last day at work, and the last show of her career as Wisconsin Public Radio's morning show host, Joy Cardin asked the Retiree Rebels to share advice for her new life as a retiree. On this podcast, Mary Helen and Carol talk Joy through the top ten things all new retirees should know when entering this new and unscripted phase of life. A thank you to Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2017, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
2017-10-1038 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Happy RetirementThe tables were turned and Mary Helen was interviewed on the Insights with Dick Goldberg podcast. Having enough money and good health is not a guarantee for a happy retirement. A life of meaning, fulfillment and connection must also be achieved. Mary Helen shares her 15 tips from "No More Alarm Clocks" to "Leaving a Legacy". She shares tips beyond health and money to live a wonderful, meaningful and happy retirement to become a true Retiree Rebel.
2017-10-0332 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Courage We Need - Step by StepTHE COURAGE WE NEED - Step by Step Life can throw us some real curveballs, and that doesn’t change with retirement. In fact, growing older often throws us tough situations that require a lot of courage. In this week’s podcast, Mary Helen and Carol discuss how age and retirement require courage to move forward, adapting to change, loss and rebellious aims.
2017-09-2526 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Big Leap: That First Year of RetirementThe Big Leap New retirees have high expectations. Free from work and the daily grind, many believe life will immediately be wonderful! But often, it’s not. In today’s podcast, Carol talks about how those high expectations can sometimes clash with the reality of this huge life transition.
2017-09-1804 min
Retiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Ageism and Health: What do you believe?What Do You Believe? Scientists love to measure things, and lately they’ve been researching how much ageist stereotypes affect our health. The answer is “a lot.” In this podcast, Carol Larson reflects on a few of the latest studies about how our attitudes toward age can determine the length and quality of our lives.
2017-08-2804 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Mattering: Do I matter after retirement?Do you wake up in the morning feeling like you have an important role to play in the grand scheme of things? During those early months of retirement, folks often try to figure out what their purpose is now that they're not working. They wonder if they matter. Mary Helen views mattering through the lens of popular culture and the literature of transitions. She even shares a recipe on mattering you just might want to try.
2017-08-2110 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Retirement is NOT for sissiesThe quote is from the 1940s, said by the incomparable Bette Davis, and she was right, “Growing Older is NOT for Sissies.” But nowadays it’s true of retirement as well. In this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Helen and Carol talk about the stress and tensions that come with retirement today, and how acknowledging the difficulties and planning for them can make us stronger.
2017-08-1429 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!How Boredom And Ageism Affects RetireesJoy Cardin, host of the Wisconsin Public Radio Ideas Network program, The Joy Cardin Show interviewed the Retiree Rebels co-founders August 7, 2017. Retirement may be a time for taking it easy after a lot of hard work during the career. However, instead of enjoying leisure, some may find themselves bored. We talk with guests from the podcast, RetireeRebels.com, about the effects of boredom. Thanks to: Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2017, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
2017-08-0748 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Wonder of Yoga - The Wonder of EllenAt age 74, Ellen Millar thought her life was over. Her physical problems had stolen her energy, her mobility, and her quality of life. Then she took her first yoga class. At age 78, Ellen is now a yoga teacher instructing other students in “The Wonder of Yoga,” the name of her new business. She teaches at Perennial Yoga Studio in Fitchburg, WI as well as traveling around in her “yoga-mobile” to area senior facilities sharing the practice that turned her life around and changed her perspective on aging.
2017-07-3113 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Ditch the Bucket List - Be CuriousFor the nearly and newly retired, you don't need another to-do-list hanging over your head. You're retired. Mary Helen proposes that instead of that bucket list of things to do before you die, you change your mindset and become curious. She offers five great tips on keeping your mindset flexible and being as curious as a 5-year old. Change that old adage about curiosity killing the cat into curiosity keeps retirement amazing.
2017-07-2410 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!A Reinvention Story: 55, Healthy one Minute, a Stroke the Next, Now What?What do you do when your life and all your plans for the future explode? Any number of things can happen, an accident, a death in the family, job loss or retirement. For Jerry Huffman, it was a stroke. At age 55, Jerry was forced to reinvent who he was and how to make a living. Now six years later, he sat down with Mary Helen and Carol to talk about the terror as well as the surprising gifts of this unplanned and dramatic pivot in his life.
2017-07-1730 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Time Well Spent How do you define time well spent? It is an individual judgement call for each of us. As Mary Helen and Carol discovered, how we define “time well spent” can be a great help in figuring out what we want to do during our bonus years. When we know what activities are satisfying, and feel like time well spent, then we have a measuring cup for what makes us happy.
2017-07-1121 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!4th of July Picnics remind me to rememberMary Helen talks of the remembering we need to do in retirement to help ourselves and our families continue to understand the legacy we will leave. Using her favorite holiday of July 4th she shows how remembering can make our past take focus in telling our stories.
2017-07-0307 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What? Not Again!Retirees learn early that reinventing yourself is part of this new stage of life, transitioning from what you once were to who you are now, incorporating all the latest changes. But over and over again? Unfortunately, yes. As Carol Larson recently found out –much to her disappointment.
2017-06-2606 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Keep Stepping: 5 Steps into Retirement and Your LifeRetirement is really a transition. Mary Helen reviews her five tips that help to create your exit strategy from the workplace and lead to stepping into your life. From planning to reinvention each of the five steps provides you options for reaching the position as CEO of your life.
2017-06-2013 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Adult Children and Parents Talk about Aging: Turning the picnic table upside downMary Helen has been asked by many clients this year about the affect retirement and aging have on adult children. Just as retirement has changed for the baby boomers so has how to have parents aging changed for children. The picnic table has been turned upside down as children start seeing that their parents aren't getting any younger. Join in the conversation whichever side of the table you're on.
2017-06-1209 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Best Time to RetireThe best time to retire is when you're ready. Absolutely! Mary Helen also thinks the best time just might be summer as well. Making friends, getting out and enjoying nature are three keys to a successful retirement. She proposes some great ways to do just that. Wait till you hear her summer games to retire with joy and fun.
2017-06-0609 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Legacy on the Page: 5 Outrageous Tips for Writing Your MemoirThis Memorial Day week Mary Helen remembers those veterans that have lost their lives in service to our country. It reminds her that many of the nearly and newly retired also want to remember their lives by writing a memoir. She presents 5 outrageous tips for those who wish to begin the process of writing their story, their life legacy.
2017-05-2910 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Be Seen, Be Heard and Show UP #AgingOutLoudWith nearly 46 million adults over the age of 65, what began in 1963 as a month to celebrate the "Older American", has become a celebration of the Retiree Rebel spirit. Mary Helen chats about three ways seniors can engage in their own plan to celebrate this year's theme, Aging Out Loud. Mary Helen encourages each of us to Be Seen, to Be Heard and to Show Up in our lives, especially in our bonus years. Hope you'll join the hashtag #AgingOutLoud and share your ideas.
2017-05-2309 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Sometimes a Poem Can Just Say it Better: The Rhythm and Cadence of LifeRetirement is meshing our outside life choices with our inside emotions. Poets communicate that process so much better than we can. Carol and Mary Helen in this episode of Kitchen Table Talks celebrate National Poetry Month and pick some of their favorite poems to share. Celebrating ourselves, becoming existential, realizing retirement is a journey, and giggling at Grooks helps to discover the wide variety of poetry and what it can tell us about this new phase of our life.
2017-05-0222 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Can We Talk?: A Key to RetirementWith a nod to comedian Joan Rivers, Retiree Rebels ask, Can We Talk? Because talking about your retirement is important. Talking can even save lives. In this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Helen and Carol talk about talking, and how hard it is for retirees to speak the truth about their lives, especially if they don’t fit the stereotype of the blissful carefree retiree.
2017-04-2522 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!How does your garden grow? Have a change spurt this springSpring suggests growth and being able to SEE and HEAR around you are keys to creating your bonus years' spurts. Mary Helen talks about how honing your senses, dealing with new people, and as we age being seen for the fabulous people we are. How will your garden grow this spring?
2017-04-1709 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Retiree Rebels meet Joy Cardin - Wisconsin Public Radio Exploring The Struggles - And Successes - Of Retirement Joy Cardin, host of the Wisconsin Public Radio Ideas Network program, The Joy Cardin Show interviewed the Retiree Rebels co-founders April 10, 2017. Carol Larson and Mary Helen Conroy discussed the issues surrounding retirement for this amazing group of new baby boomers. Joy lead the discussion on how retirement is the beginning of a new phase of life full of struggles and successes. A thank you to Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2017, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
2017-04-1048 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Writing, Creativity & Aging - It's Time to Write! Ever thought about writing your memoirs? Or do have a rip-snorting thriller in you? But do you think -or have been told- you’re too old to start on such a big creative project? Hogwash! Three Madison authors presented their best arguments for writing at any age. Well-known author Jerry Apps, mystery author Peggy Williams, and new memoir author RJ McKnight offered a gathering at the Fitchburg Senior Center their opinions ranging from the importance of telling your stories, confronting ageism, feeding the creative impulse and silencing your inner critique.
2017-04-0358 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Do You Need an Input Adjustment?'Garbage in, Garbage out’ is the saying about how computers operate, but it’s also true of your brain. If you believe it when people say you’re old and done, you will be. In this edition of Ask Mary Helen, she talks about changing the “input" to your brain, and how it's the first step to changing your attitude about aging, and what you personally can do with your bonus years.
2017-03-2810 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What's with the tattoos and piercings? Understanding the Generation Gap Boomers are on the other end of the generation gap now, often scratching their collective heads about the behaviors of young people. Writer and speaker, Sarah Gibson travels the world helping employers and elders work with the Gen-Xers and Millennials. In this Kitchen Table Talk, she sat down with Mary Helen and Carol to explain how Retiree Rebels can help bridge the widening gap between the generations, whether at work or across the dinner table.
2017-03-1928 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? It’s time to ask that question again. What are your goals for the next 10, 20 or 30 years? Without a goal, how will you know what steps to take in the future? In this edition of Kitchen Table Talks, Mary Helen and Carol talk about how dreaming new dreams now is both different and the same as when you were young, but still absolutely necessary.
2017-03-1325 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What's Your Adrenaline Drug? It just might cure your Retirement PTSDWhat about your work did you enjoy the most? Knowing exactly what gave you an adrenaline charge may help you manage those first rocky months of retirement. In this edition of Ask Mary Helen, she introduces us to four personality types and what about those different working styles could help you decide what to do with yourself after the retirement party is over.
2017-03-0609 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Boredom can kill youBored to Death? You spent all this time and effort getting to retirement, just to take it easy for a change. Suddenly you realize you're bored. How'd that happen? Maybe the old model of retirement doesn't suit you because it's BORING. Worse yet, that old model can make you sick, even kill you.
2017-02-2707 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Worst Time to RetireKnow someone who just retired? It might be time to check in and find out how they're coping. January may be a logical time to retire, but it can also be the worst time. For that reason, we combined 4 podcasts for newbies to inform them of the new realities of retirement, both the lows and the unexpected potential. So pass on this link if you know a new retiree, or if you could also use a lift during these dark winter days. Go Rebels!
2017-01-3050 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!65 is only a number. Then why does it mean "old"?Mary Helen has hit the big age milestone of 65! Time to wish her the best.. or is it? Birthdays can be fraught with emotional overtones and societal expectations. In this Ask Mary Helen essay, our Retiree Rebel co-founder ruminates on the meaning of 65 ("No, I'm not dead yet") and how to turn societal expectations of her imminent demise on their head.
2017-01-2307 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Power of Three: A Rule for Setting BoundariesEven people who research and plan out their retirements --like our guest Barbara Boustead-- can be surprised by the reality of their new life. To deal with the unexpected demands made on her time and energy, Barbara devised The Power of Three, a rule for setting boundaries. She shares her new found philosophy with Mary Helen and Carol on this edition of Kitchen Table Talks.
2017-01-1727 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Got Confidence? Maybe notGot Confidence? Maybe not. Any big life transition can undermine a person's confidence in themselves and in their path in life. Dolores Kokinos of The Empowerment Cafe has studied confidence, and divided that essential trait into five building blocks: Belonging, Acceptance, Respect, Purpose and Security. In this KTT, Dolores talks with Mary Helen and Carol about how retirees on a new unscripted path of life can regain their footing and move forward with confidence.
2017-01-0827 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Good News for 2017What the psychologist Carl Jung called “The Afternoon of Our Lives” (retirement) is finally being recognized by the American media as a new active stage of life. Wow! In this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Helen and Carol review news reports from 2016 to discuss hopeful trends for retirees in 2017, ranging from the many people learning music to finding new housing options to discovering new meaning in life.
2017-01-0227 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!This Holiday: Don't act your age...act your shoe size!It’s that time of year, isn’t it? A time to remember, and so I do. But this year, my approach to the holidays is to remember not to act my age as a grown up, with all the rules of the holiday, but to act my shoe size and remember what the holiday is about. What will you remember with your shoe size holiday? Try this ‘game’ with the folks you’ll share your own holiday with and see what they would do if they remembered their shoe size.
2016-12-0506 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Born Survivor: A Retiree Rebel Interview with Hana Berger MoranRetired research scientist Hana Berger Moran expected to spend her next years living quietly at her home in California. But [as she explained to Carol in this interview] the publication of an English author's book changed the direction of her life. "Born Survivors" shared with the world the story of Hana's mother --and Hana's birth-- in a Nazi concentration camp. The result placed Hana a new path in life that has taken her across the globe, and given her a new purpose; to remind the world of the important lessons of the Holocaust.
2016-11-2912 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Gratitude is its own giftCan you be grateful for the bad things that happen in life? It often takes times and the perspective of years to see the good things that the bad thing actually conjured out of your life. In this Kitchen Table Talk, recorded for Thanksgiving, Mary Helen and Carol talk about "what a long strange trip it's been" to be grateful for the ups and downs of life. We're grateful for each of our listeners and wish you a holiday of amazing gratitude. Thank you!
2016-11-2125 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Can You See Me Now?One of the reasons retirees feel “invisible” in the world is because the commercial marketplace ignores us. Product ads and media programs reflect American values, and people of age are (generally) not valued. Which is illogical to the max! In this essay Carol Larson talks about the enormous opportunity (and the profits) marketers miss by not appealing to boomers.
2016-11-1507 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Encore Entrepreneurship - Michael Kennedy"Too old to hire, too young to retire." Many of the nearly and newly retired are finding this to be true. Michael Kennedy, a life coach studying later-in-life business entrepreneurs says that the best way to face a post career life is to be your own boss. Become an encore entrepreneur. Interviewed via Skype and in front of an audience at the Fitchburg, Wisconsin Senior Center, Kennedy talked with Mary Helen and Carol about why older entrepreneurs are the most successful.
2016-11-0125 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Just Say Yes! Retiree RebelsDespite her own self-doubts, ten years ago Dyan Kopitzke said yes to taking an art class. Now she’s selling her work and traveling the world to paint. In this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Helen and Carol talk with Dyan about how in retirement she lost her identity, but found herself on a journey to a new life, all by saying yes to the opportunities offered.
2016-10-2424 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!A Trip to Dream Camp: What do you want when you grow up?What do you want to be when you grow up? What dreams do you still have for your life? When was the last time someone asked you what your dreams are? Mary Helen Conroy discusses the finding of dreams as important work for the nearly and newly retired. Would you like to go to Dream Camp? Hear how that is possible. You just might find some dreams you never thought you had.
2016-10-1010 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Ashton Applewhite: "Old Person in Training"Ashton Applewhite considers herself an Old Person in Training. At age 64 the author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism says the measure of our aging should not be how much we’re like our younger selves, but how much we’ve embraced the benefits of our years. Interviewed via Skype, Applewhite talks with Mary Helen and Carol about how we can fight ageist stereotypes in society and within ourselves, both of which can sabotage our futures. Thanks to The City of Fitchburg Community Media Services for technical support.
2016-10-0232 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Finding the Real You - The Authentic Retiree RebelOn the one year anniversary of Retiree Rebels, Carol Larson takes a look back at life since her retirement. The biggest surprise was who she found hiding inside herself. One of the major benefits of aging --and of retirement-- is searching out the real person underneath a lifetime of different roles and obligations
2016-09-2708 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Making it up as we go alongWe admit it, when we created Retiree Rebels one year ago we just followed our instincts as to the right direction to go. Which is what most new retirees have to do during this new unscripted stage of life. For their first anniversary, Mary Helen Conroy and Carol Larson look back at what they’ve learned, and how these new understandings have raised their hopes for the future. Special thanks to the Minions for serenading us on the first Anniversary of RetireeRebels.com
2016-09-2023 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What does it mean to contribute as a Retiree Rebel?Gail Nordheim finds it as surprising as anyone that she is spending her retirement years working with the people of Vietnam. But in reviewing her life, her past work and what she wanted to continue doing, an international adventure emerged. In this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Helen and Carol talk with Gail about her amazing work and her thoughts on finding your way to contribute to the world.
2016-09-0522 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What gets in your way to happiness?Finding happiness is not the same at the point of retirement as it was at age 5 or 6. There’s a lifetime of stumbles that often get in our way. Mary Helen and Carol in this edition of Kitchen Table Talks discuss figuring out what happiness means to us now, and what might be getting in our way of finding it.
2016-08-3022 min
Retiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!I AM NOT ADORABLE!When did this start? Younger people calling older people “adorable”? Carol Larson examines why this disturbing description was recent thrown in her direction. (Hint: It has to do with sex!)
2016-08-2306 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Rules of the Road: Traffic Signs for LifeDo you have a driver's license? Do you know the rules of the road? Mary Helen reflects on renewing her driver's license and what the rules say to her now in her bonus years. Safe driving, Retiree Rebels as the traffic signals become metaphors for helping us on the road to retirement. "Blinking yellow lights when you're about to do something stupid.Stop signs in front of people who could hurt you.Green lights shining when you're doing the right thing.It would make the whole experience easier.” The whole experience is lif...
2016-08-0706 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!On AARP, Ageism & Authenticity Helen Marks Dicks advocates for Wisconsin’s office of the American Association of Retired People (AARP), pushing for legislation serving seniors. But she also advocates for all of us to become as eccentric as possible. Helen lives her philosophy, and sat down with Mary Helen and Carol to discuss ageism, AARP issues, and pursuing authenticity in our “bonus years.”
2016-08-0127 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Having FUN: "Blame it on the Ukulele"Blame It On The Ukulele! More than a song lyric, the charm of Hawaiian strings has lately spiked the Uke's popularity across the US. One of the many new Uke groups is in Carol Larson’s neighborhood, and she interviewed members to understand the growing appeal of the Ukulele, especially among retirees. Many thanks to: Judy Christie, Carol Tyler, Dennis Carberry, Vicki Fondrk and the other members of the Fitchburg Ukulele Network (FUN)
2016-07-2410 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What's Your Brand? Finding paid work, again.What’s Your Brand? Are you job hunting? You already know today’s market is a lot different than when we were young. Career Strategist Donna Beestman says older workers have to put more than their history on a resume. She sat down with Mary Helen and Carol to explain how developing a "personal brand” can help you in a job search.
2016-07-1124 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Don't Forget to Remember! Our legacy of memories.Mary Helen talks of the remembering we need to do in retirement to help ourselves and our families continue to understand the legacy we will leave. Using her favorite holiday of July 4th she shows how remembering can make our past take focus in telling our stories.
2016-07-0407 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!It Takes a Village to Help RetireesSeniors Helping Seniors The idea has turned into a movement called Village to Village. In Madison, WI one of the founding associations of a senior run and senior targeted “villages” is called SAIL (Supporting Active Independent Lives). Executive Director Ann Albert talks with Mary Helen and Carol about the growth of a national movement.
2016-06-2628 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!How Pickleball Saved My LifeSummer is the time for fun. Do you remember how to have fun? Carol Larson talks about how retirement can actually be hazardous to your health, and how she found her way to a happier life through the new sport of PickleBall.
2016-06-2007 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!"Johnny V" The American BoomeR and his quest for joy!Is it time for you to be selfish? It may be the means to finding your next steps in retirement. John Vardallas, publisher of Today’s BoomeR, ditched the rocking chair early, and tells Mary Helen and Carol his personal quest for joy helped him craft a business he’s still enjoying today.
2016-06-1424 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Watch Your Language: Language, Mindsets and 3 words to empower your retirement right now!Mary Helen suggests that in our retirement watching our language can create a vibrant life. Keeping a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset will provide a way to view your retirement plans. Make sure to listen till the end for the 3 words that help you to create this growth mindset.
2016-06-0609 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Your House and Home - Adjusting for RetirementDoes your present home suit your new retired life? Does the real estate decision you made 10 or 20 years ago no longer fit your circumstances? Ruth Domack, Certified Senior Housing Professional, says things change and you may need to adjust according to your new needs and wishes. Ruth also advises Mary Helen and Carol on the emotional strain of making those changes, especially the dreaded process of downsizing.
2016-05-3129 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Hidden Grief of Retirement Do you sometimes feel unexplainably sad? Former grief counselor Mary Lou Payer Martino says that can be a normal reaction to any major life change, including retirement. In this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Lou joins Mary Helen and Carol to talk about how the loss of who you once were, along with all the benefits and status of your working life, can cause unexpected problems in retirement.
2016-05-1623 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!My Mother, the Quiet Rebel For this Mothers Day, Carol Larson reflects on how --beneath her mother’s quiet exterior-- beat the heart of a rebel.
2016-05-0807 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Search for Balance: Does it change in retirement?Having trouble finding a new balance in your retiredlife? Too many things to do? Not enough? You’renotalone. In this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Helen Conroy and CarolLarsondiscuss the difficulty of finding what’s right for eachperson, andhow the very definition of balance changes inretirement.
2016-05-0224 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Take the Yellow Brick Road to your retirement: Use your Brains, Heart and CourageUsing the tool of review, Mary Helen revisited her favorite
movie from the past, the Wizard of Oz. Listen to how the
Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion can bring you through the
twister to Oz. All we need are our brains, heart and courage.
2016-04-2606 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!I Hear VoicesDo you hear voices? You know the ones in your head that say you’re "over the hill." Ever try shouting back?At the first gathering hosted by Retiree Rebels, we heard how society's negative view of age can deter people from pursuing their dreams. And we gained inspiration from people making their own voice stronger.
2016-04-1206 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Road Less TraveledIs there a poem that resonates with your retirement? Does being a Retiree Rebel mean you’re taking The Road Less Traveled? Mary Helen and Carol find they are being drawn to poetry now that age and experience puts greater meaning behind the words, and they bring that appreciation to this Kitchen Table Talk (it is National Poetry Month).
2016-04-0421 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Dick and Jane Retire: Gender Issues and 'Grey Divorce'Retirement can be hazardous to your relationship. Financial issues, different expectations, and divorce all present major challenges to living 'till death do us part'. Mary Helen discusses the staggering statistics on money and divorce in this week's podcast. Listen for tips on how both Dick and Jane can adjust their partnership to better fit their retirement.
2016-03-2807 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Time and Energy - Priority setting in retirement
Time and Energy, the two non-renewable resources in our lives. In this Kitchen Table Talk, Carol Larson and Mary Helen Conroy hash over how to pare down the list of what we do with our days so we can finally focus on our personal priorities.
Retirement offers a tsunami of choices. Conserving time and energy may help us discover our bliss. It's all about the choices we make.
2016-03-2123 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!What's your retirement learning project? Freedom in retirement to learnWhen was the last time you were so engrossed in learning something, the time flew by? The luxury of allowing yourself not to scan a piece of information, but truly fit the pieces of learning together in your head, just for you.
Sounds like something out of a fairy tale, no it’s a freedom - the freedom in retirement to learn.
In this episode's "Ask Mary Helen" she answers a question she hears a lot from retirees. What do I do with my time? Time is the one non-renewable resource in our retirement and so...
2016-03-1409 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!How to Love DownsizingIf the time has come for you to downsize, forget the rules about tossing out unused dishes or out-of-style furniture.You can’t take it with you, and your kids probably don’t want most of it, so downsize. Carol Larson says the only rule you need in culling your stuff is, “love it or leave it.”
2016-03-0706 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Rebels Interview - Tim Forbes - Fun and Games
You’ve still got game! Author Tim Forbes says retirement is a great time to rekindle your sense of play through recreational sports. But which sport is right for you? Something traditional, or maybe one of the newly invented games (think Pickle Ball or Foot Golf) now attracting seniors? Either way, indulging in Fun and Games can mean a healthier and happier retirement.
2016-02-2910 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Patience is a virtue. NOT!Find yourself becoming more impatient as you get older? Less interested in doing battle with unreasonable people? You’re not the only one.
Carol Larson takes a sword to the myth that says we gain patience as we get older.
2016-02-1607 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Rebels Interview - Dr. Jerry Apps - All My Life's a CircleDr. Jerry Apps discusses the importance of creativity throughout one's life. He uses the motto taken from Harry Chapin's song, All My Life's a Circle to spur all adults to find the passions to keep your life alive.
That which we were introduced to when we were young, will return in our lives after full time work. Be of some worth. As you provide for others, you're doing for yourself. Tell your story!
Farmer, educator, writer, do what you love. Listen to Jerry Apps, storyteller, and lover of every life's passion.
The Chapin...
2016-02-0917 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Is Ageism like Sexism?Is Ageism Like Sexism? It feels the same. Being told you can't do certain things, not because of your individual abilities, but because you belong to a group society thinks is less capable.In this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Helen Conroy and Carol Larson explore the similarities between the sexism they experienced in the 1960s & 1970s, to what is happening to seniors today. And they make a plea for your help in coming up with language to help articulate the new social struggle for age equity and fair treatment
2016-02-0218 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Ya Gotta Have Friends - How to make friends when you're over 50Research tells us that 1 in 5 adults over the age of 50 are lonely. Research also tells us that being able to make our 'work buddies' into 'play buddies' allows us to live healthier and happier lives.
But, how do we make friends as an older adult. Mary Helen Conroy discusses the seven tips on making friends. As Bette Midler said, 'ya gotta have friends'.
2016-01-2508 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Divorcing Your JobIn this week's episode, Divorcing Your Job, Carol Larson uses the metaphor of divorce in viewing the changes inherent in retirement.Listen as she discusses the similarities of these two major changes on a person's life, from property settlements, alimony and how both change how you define yourself. Also, she cautions how both situations can cause a person to feel "untethered," often taking years to reinvent yourself.
2016-01-1906 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Changes are THE PITS, Transitions test our new identitiesThere is really a difference between a change and a transition. Carol Larson and Mary Helen Conroy talk about how we deal with the turbulent times retirement brings. How we can adapt to this transitional time in our nearly and newly retired times is critical to making a change that creates a new you. Change things up...new information creates new lives.
2016-01-1127 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Retiree Rebels Reject LonelinessRetirement, a time of joy and relaxation. True! A time of loneliness and depression. True. The statistics on loneliness and retirement are dismal. However, Mary Helen Conroy, life coach and change strategist discusses a variety of ways that retirees can rebel against loneliness and engage with new ideas and people.
2016-01-0512 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Retiree EntrepreneursIt's time to do our own thing! After years of working for someone else, retirement allows folks to choose what they might want to "do".
According to the Small Business Administration, more than five million Americans age 55 and older run their own businesses.
Carol Larson discusses businesses that were started by retirees. No sitting in the rocking chair for these amazing folks. Whether it's selling electric bikes, life coaching, or helping the elderly keep their financial house in order, these entrepreneurs are living their passions.
2015-12-0806 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Time on Our Hands: 168 hours-What do you do?How do you feel about having 168 hours of free time?
For this Kitchen Table Talk, Mary Helen Conroy and Carol Larson discuss having more time on your hands than you're used to, which can be both a blessing and a curse.
So you're retired and you've had your first cup of coffee after you left the office. Now the 168 hours of the week are yours.
What happens to us as retirees is that we're off the drug of adrenaline, the drug that had kept us going each day at work.
Investigate...
2015-12-0118 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Tool of Reinvention in RetirementRetirement requires new tools in our life tool box. Having talked about the tools of review and retreat, Mary Helen Conroy now adds the tool of reinvention. Some folks term this time, reintegration as we piece together our likes, our desires and blend something new. Listen to how you can reinvent yourself as this new transition in your life begins.
2015-11-2407 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Part-Time Jobs: Not just for kids anymore!Part-time jobs are not just for kids anymore. More and more retirees need to continue working after their "retirement" to supplement their income. Some just need to get out of the house. But regardless of the reason, it's hard to find a job. Ageism is rampant. Carol Larson discusses the realities of part-time employment.Do you want fries with that?
2015-11-1706 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Dr. Cheryl WoodsonGenerating JOY is a prescription Dr. Cheryl Woodson of Chicago, Illinois applies to herself as well as her patients. She is a physician, wife and mother, author of several books on caring for the aged and now mystery book author under her nom de plume, Teria Robens! Listen to Cheryl chat with us "grown folks" about her frank and candid advice as a Retiree Rebel.
2015-11-1014 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The First Year of RetirementAh, Retirement, the waking up each day and happily sighing that life is good and all is well.
Maybe for some.
Carol Larson and Mary Helen Conroy discuss the important topic of what the first year of retirement is really like. The bliss might be dampened by depression, loneliness and even the 'shakes'. Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to the first year.
2015-11-0321 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!The Tool of Retreat in Retirement ReinventionThe second tool of reinvention is Retreat. Corporations spend millions of dollars on retreats. Times and places that encourage employees to strategize and create. Our second tool of retreat does the same for us as we begin to reinvent ourselves during retirement. It urges us to spend some time alone to allow the possibilities of our future to unfold.
2015-10-2707 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!We're Not Done Yet!Just because you're retired, doesn't mean you're dead. Carol Larson talks about how retirees need to move away from the ageist stereotypes of being old, doddering or near death....because you're not done yet!
2015-10-1804 min
Retiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Sonny KnightCarol Larson interviews Sonny Knight, the 66 year old ex-trucker who's living his dream as lead singer in Sonny Knight and the Lakers. Listen to his story and his music, amazing!
2015-10-1710 minRetiree Rebels: Ditch the Rocking Chair!Sleep, Glorious Sleep - and maybe a nap too!Carol Larson, Emmy award winning journalist and writer discusses the newly and nearly retired's need for sleep. Exhausted, we need sleep. Sleep, sleep, perhaps to dream!
2015-10-1104 min