Nicholas Kristof wrote the following in an op-ed article in The New York Times, July 20, 2008:

“In July of 2008 Bill Gates starts his new full-time career as a humanitarian, leaving behind the software bugs to swat the kind that cause malaria. We often think of those trying to save the world as bright-eyed young people, but Mr. Gates is part of a booming trend: the “encore career” as a substitute for retirement. Definitions are still in flux, but an encore career typically aims to provide a dose of personal satisfaction by giving back.”

If we boomers decide to use our retirement to change the world, rather than our golf game, our dodderdom will have consequences for society every bit as profound as our youth did.

The Academy for Lifelong Learning provides a variety of opportunities for retirees to give back. The most visible way is to facilitate a course. But there are many other ways that people help out. They serve on the curriculum committee finding facilitators, assist with the mailings, spread the word to friends, greet members during the first weeks of classes, donate to the scholarship fund, and more.

If you find that you have extra time, please contact Sally Kneser, info@AcademyLL.org. She will love to hear from you!

Boomers just may be remembered more for what they did in their 60s than for what they did in the Sixties.