This Article appeared in Money Magazine (Dec 2006) by Pat Regnier, Senior Editor
Boomers and retirement: Trouble ahead!
Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research has surveyed employers, and they predict that half of their Boomer workers won’t be financially ready to retire at the traditional age. Not surprisingly, many of the employers also say that a big chunk of those Boomers will want to keep on working.
Working after the age of 65 can make a lot of financial sense. If you can do it, that is. I wrote a fairly upbeat article about delayed retirement a year ago, but the more I reflect on it–and the more reporting I do on this beat–the more skeptical I am that employers will happily welcome older workers as more Boomers hit their 60s. Management gurus and HR consultants often warn of a coming labor shortage, but of course it’s their job to scare employers into thinking they’ll need help finding good workers. As I wrote last year: “Peter Cappelli, an economist at Wharton, does think more older workers will stay on the job. But, he notes, hiring them won’t be the only option for employers. Just behind the busters [the smaller group of workers born after the Baby Boom] is a huge group of new workers: the boomers’ own kids. And taking on older folks is just one way for companies to deal with a tight labor market; they might invest more in technology or ship jobs to Bangalore.”
Beyond the macroeconomics, there’s the human factor. I’ve talked to lots of laid-off professionals in their 50s and 60s, and they complain that its hard to get younger managers to take them seriously. This is particularly tough on the most accomplished people, such as those who have run departments or even entire companies. There are only so many positions near the top of the pyramid, and once you get knocked off it’s hard to climb back on. Meanwhile, you’ve spent the past 15 or 20 years focusing on management tasks, so your technical skills (which you’ll need to find work lower down on the pyramid) might have grown stale. And even if they haven’t, age discrimination is common enough that you won’t get the credit you deserve for what you can do.
The growing importance of technology at work, and the breathtaking pace of technological change, may only make this worse. I’m just 35 and relatively tech-savvy–hey, kids, I’m blogging!–but I often feel like there’s a huge gap between myself and people in their 20s. I struggle to get my head around new Web applications such as social networking, and I’m sort of amazed and often a bit disgusted by the ability of the young’uns to multitask. Not long ago, and to my mild shame, I lost my temper with someone who, on the phone, sounded youngish, and clearly was both reading emails and finishing up a conversation with someone else on a cell phone. (In my day, phones connected to walls and we had to talk to one person at a time… and we liked it!) So how am I going to do fifteen years from now, when all of the kids coming out of college have communication chips implanted in their skulls and nobody gets my Dana Carvey references anymore?
Wait… that last part has already happened!!!!
The Boomer Blogger
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Two Week Hiatus - Moving from Talking to Doing
The last two weeks I have been involved in pulling together information which will be a part of a grant proposal......
Between going to a Foundation Center seminar and searching through 97,000 possible organizations trying to find those grantmakers who might be persuaded to honor our proposal and grant us the funds to help us "Re-Fire" the boomers who are finishing their first careers.
The time has come to stop talking and begin doing.
Will keep you posted.
The Boomer Blogger
Between going to a Foundation Center seminar and searching through 97,000 possible organizations trying to find those grantmakers who might be persuaded to honor our proposal and grant us the funds to help us "Re-Fire" the boomers who are finishing their first careers.
The time has come to stop talking and begin doing.
Will keep you posted.
The Boomer Blogger
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Never Write Anyone Off
As Good As It Gets
Directed by James L. Brooks
Columbia TriStar 12/97 DVD/VHS Feature Film
Melvin (Jack Nicholson in an Academy Award-winning performance) is a successful Manhattan romance novelist who prefers to keep people at a distance. He verbally assaults neighbors and strangers and suffers from an obsessive-compulsive disorder that compels him to jump down the street in order to avoid cracks in the sidewalk. The only person who isn't frightened or appalled by him is Carol (Helen Hunt in an Academy Award-winning performance), a patient waitress at the restaurant he frequents.
In this hilarious drama about personal transformation, writer and director James L. Brooks pulls out all the stops. A little dog softens Melvin's heart and opens him up to the joys of generosity. Carol, whose son has chronic life-threatening asthma, is the lucky recipient of his largesse.
When Melvin's neighbor Simon (Greg Kinnear) falls on hard times after he's robbed and severely beaten, the romance writer takes him in with great and warm hospitality. After demonstrating multiple kindnesses, Melvin is ready for the biggest challenge of all — learning to express his love for Carol.
As Good As It Gets is a shaggy dog romantic comedy. All its messages are worth taking to heart. Don't judge people too quickly. Never write anyone off. Even the weirdest and most irritating people are full of surprises. Everyone is capable of love.
Reviews and database
by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
The Boomer Blogger
Directed by James L. Brooks
Columbia TriStar 12/97 DVD/VHS Feature Film
Melvin (Jack Nicholson in an Academy Award-winning performance) is a successful Manhattan romance novelist who prefers to keep people at a distance. He verbally assaults neighbors and strangers and suffers from an obsessive-compulsive disorder that compels him to jump down the street in order to avoid cracks in the sidewalk. The only person who isn't frightened or appalled by him is Carol (Helen Hunt in an Academy Award-winning performance), a patient waitress at the restaurant he frequents.
In this hilarious drama about personal transformation, writer and director James L. Brooks pulls out all the stops. A little dog softens Melvin's heart and opens him up to the joys of generosity. Carol, whose son has chronic life-threatening asthma, is the lucky recipient of his largesse.
When Melvin's neighbor Simon (Greg Kinnear) falls on hard times after he's robbed and severely beaten, the romance writer takes him in with great and warm hospitality. After demonstrating multiple kindnesses, Melvin is ready for the biggest challenge of all — learning to express his love for Carol.
As Good As It Gets is a shaggy dog romantic comedy. All its messages are worth taking to heart. Don't judge people too quickly. Never write anyone off. Even the weirdest and most irritating people are full of surprises. Everyone is capable of love.
Reviews and database
by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
The Boomer Blogger
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Hospitality Is Not A Choice
In The Message Bible translation, 1 Peter 4:8-10 says, “Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless – cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you.”
None of us deny that it’s easier to share hospitality with family and friends than with the stranger on the street. The New Testament teaches us that Christians are the ones with open hands, open hearts, and open doors. When we open our hearts as well as our homes, we’re practicing Christian hospitality.
1 John makes it plain that when we love others, we are showing our love for God. He loves us completely and unconditionally. Equally, when we love and serve others in the community through hospitality, we are also serving God.
The Boomer Blogger
None of us deny that it’s easier to share hospitality with family and friends than with the stranger on the street. The New Testament teaches us that Christians are the ones with open hands, open hearts, and open doors. When we open our hearts as well as our homes, we’re practicing Christian hospitality.
1 John makes it plain that when we love others, we are showing our love for God. He loves us completely and unconditionally. Equally, when we love and serve others in the community through hospitality, we are also serving God.
The Boomer Blogger
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Hospitality versus Entertaining
What do you think of when you hear the word hospitality?
The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “welcoming guests with warmth and generosity; a fondness for entertaining; and well disposed toward strangers;” but biblical hospitality goes much further than a mere “fondness of entertaining”. It is seeking to minister rather than impress.
In her book Open Heart, Open Home,(Mainstay Ministries 2005), Karen Mains writes, "Entertaining says, “I want to impress you with my beautiful home, my clever decorating, my gourmet cooking.” Hospitality, however, seeks to minister.
It says, "This home is not mine. It is truly a gift from my master. I am His servant and I use it as He desires. Hospitality does not seek to impress, but to serve.” "
In the original language of the New Testament, hospitality is translated literally, “the love of strangers” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). This is the word Paul used when he wrote to the Roman church urging them to “practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13, NASB).
Thus we are to actively pursue, promote, and aspire to hospitality. We are to think about it, plan for it, prepare for it, pray about it, and seek opportunities to do it. In short, the Romans 12 passage teaches that all Christians are to pursue the practice of hospitality.
It is not an option or a preference—it is a command. Hospitality was one of the defining marks of the Early Church—one that has, I believe, been lost in our busy, overly committed, twenty-first century families and churches; nevertheless, God’s command remains, “practice hospitality”.
Likewise, we are reminded not to “neglect hospitality” (Hebrew 13:2, NASB) but to “be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:9-10, NASB).
“Expect great things of God as He uses your life and home. No matter what your background, your style of entertaining, or the condition of your house, God can make miracles happen and change people’s lives for eternity!” (The Joy of Hospitality Barbara Ball & Vonette Bright, New Life Publications, 1995). He can use your unique personality, experiences, even your specific geographic location for His purposes. Just make yourself available and begin to practice.
The Boomer Blogger
The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “welcoming guests with warmth and generosity; a fondness for entertaining; and well disposed toward strangers;” but biblical hospitality goes much further than a mere “fondness of entertaining”. It is seeking to minister rather than impress.
In her book Open Heart, Open Home,(Mainstay Ministries 2005), Karen Mains writes, "Entertaining says, “I want to impress you with my beautiful home, my clever decorating, my gourmet cooking.” Hospitality, however, seeks to minister.
It says, "This home is not mine. It is truly a gift from my master. I am His servant and I use it as He desires. Hospitality does not seek to impress, but to serve.” "
In the original language of the New Testament, hospitality is translated literally, “the love of strangers” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). This is the word Paul used when he wrote to the Roman church urging them to “practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13, NASB).
Thus we are to actively pursue, promote, and aspire to hospitality. We are to think about it, plan for it, prepare for it, pray about it, and seek opportunities to do it. In short, the Romans 12 passage teaches that all Christians are to pursue the practice of hospitality.
It is not an option or a preference—it is a command. Hospitality was one of the defining marks of the Early Church—one that has, I believe, been lost in our busy, overly committed, twenty-first century families and churches; nevertheless, God’s command remains, “practice hospitality”.
Likewise, we are reminded not to “neglect hospitality” (Hebrew 13:2, NASB) but to “be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:9-10, NASB).
“Expect great things of God as He uses your life and home. No matter what your background, your style of entertaining, or the condition of your house, God can make miracles happen and change people’s lives for eternity!” (The Joy of Hospitality Barbara Ball & Vonette Bright, New Life Publications, 1995). He can use your unique personality, experiences, even your specific geographic location for His purposes. Just make yourself available and begin to practice.
The Boomer Blogger
Secret to Becoming a 5 Star Church
In the beginning of creating this blog, I fell victim to the longstanding conventional wisdom that in order to bring the Boomers back to church and have them stay , churches should tinker with the mechanics of their services in order to make them "seeker sensitive"..
In his book (Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business), Danny Meyer comments about how many businesses shine brightly when it comes to acing the tasks but emanate all the warmth of a cool fluorescent light. That explains how a flawless five-star restaurant can actually attract fewer loyal fans than a two and three-star place with soul.
Meyer developed the winning recipe for doing the business he calls "enlightened hospitality."
The fact is that there are many churches who have the finest buildings, the most well rehearsed praise music, finely crafted sermons and amazing graphics. The Scripturally mandated opportunity for baptism is there. The ever present baptistry is heated and ready. The elements of communion are always on hand.
Certainly a five star operation by all standards.
Why is it, then, that many potential “5 Star Churches” do very well in getting people in the front door but have problems with the revolving back door??
There is a passage in Proverbs that I believe speaks to this situation: ”A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).
A church may have all of the “5-Star” elements present (apples of gold) but if we do not place these elements in a proper setting (baskets of silver) they will have very little meaning to guests and members alike.
That basket of silver is simply hospitality.
The Boomer Blogger
In his book (Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business), Danny Meyer comments about how many businesses shine brightly when it comes to acing the tasks but emanate all the warmth of a cool fluorescent light. That explains how a flawless five-star restaurant can actually attract fewer loyal fans than a two and three-star place with soul.
Meyer developed the winning recipe for doing the business he calls "enlightened hospitality."
The fact is that there are many churches who have the finest buildings, the most well rehearsed praise music, finely crafted sermons and amazing graphics. The Scripturally mandated opportunity for baptism is there. The ever present baptistry is heated and ready. The elements of communion are always on hand.
Certainly a five star operation by all standards.
Why is it, then, that many potential “5 Star Churches” do very well in getting people in the front door but have problems with the revolving back door??
There is a passage in Proverbs that I believe speaks to this situation: ”A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).
A church may have all of the “5-Star” elements present (apples of gold) but if we do not place these elements in a proper setting (baskets of silver) they will have very little meaning to guests and members alike.
That basket of silver is simply hospitality.
The Boomer Blogger
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
No One Pointed
Several years ago, my wife and I spent 4 nights at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia.
www.thehomestead.com). It was one of the most unbelieveable experiences we have had in our marriage.
When we checked into the resort, the female concierge at the desk walked us all the way to our room. Every other place we’ve ever stayed simply pointed in the direction of our room or pointed to a very confusing map and expected us to wander around by ourselves.
After a couple of days, I noticed a pattern: Every time I’d ask where something was, the person would leave their post and take us to the desired destination. This small gesture was huge to me.
At the end of every conversation I had with a staff member, they always asked the same question: “Is there anything else at all I can do to serve you?”
In most places, if you ask for something, the answer might be “Yes,”… and then the conversation’s over. The people at this resort were always looking for additional ways to serve.
What they didn't know was that we had not paid for our visit. It was a gift to us. We were there without spending a cent($400.00 a night). It was by the grace of another that we were there. We couldn't afford it. We didn't even know it existed.
It didn't matter to the staff. They treated us as though as we belonged there. Sounds like something someone else did for all of us, doesn't it??
When someone walks into our churches, they don’t have a clue where to go. Instead of pointing towards the room for two-year-olds or toward the bathroom or toward the small group booth, we should stop what we’re doing and walk them all the way to where they’re going. Who knows? We might make a difference… or even make a new friend.
The Boomer Blogger
Angels Unaware??
When has the Lord come to us in the presence of strangers, passers-by, sojourners, and visitors? Did we go "out of our way" to welcome them? Did God speak to us through them? Did we find good news by welcoming someone with whom we were strangers? Or did we miss it because we were preoccupied with our own concerns, good though they may indeed have been?
It is very clear that in God's eyes the way the faith community treats people (especially those who are strangers) is extremely important to him. In fact, it is clear from Scripture that hospitality is a moral obligation and an expression of gratitude for God's graciousness in accepting us. God may indeed use opportunities of hospitality to speak to us. What would God think if he visited our church? What does God think when he does visit our church in the presence of someone we don't know, or someone who is different than we are: strangers, sojourners, refugees, and visitors?
Questions:
1. Describe a situation in which you were the stranger. Was it a good or bad experience for you? Why?
2. Who are the strangers in your church's neighborhood? Who is welcome and who is not in our community of faith?
3. How could you and your church show strangers hospitality? Can you name three specific suggestions?
4. Think of ways in which you and your family can make newcomers feel welcome when they visit your home, your church, your community.
5. When has God used a stranger to bring a "Word from the Lord" to you?
6. Have you ever been the stranger to a faith community and brought a word of good news to them? Describe the experience
The Boomer Blogger
It is very clear that in God's eyes the way the faith community treats people (especially those who are strangers) is extremely important to him. In fact, it is clear from Scripture that hospitality is a moral obligation and an expression of gratitude for God's graciousness in accepting us. God may indeed use opportunities of hospitality to speak to us. What would God think if he visited our church? What does God think when he does visit our church in the presence of someone we don't know, or someone who is different than we are: strangers, sojourners, refugees, and visitors?
Questions:
1. Describe a situation in which you were the stranger. Was it a good or bad experience for you? Why?
2. Who are the strangers in your church's neighborhood? Who is welcome and who is not in our community of faith?
3. How could you and your church show strangers hospitality? Can you name three specific suggestions?
4. Think of ways in which you and your family can make newcomers feel welcome when they visit your home, your church, your community.
5. When has God used a stranger to bring a "Word from the Lord" to you?
6. Have you ever been the stranger to a faith community and brought a word of good news to them? Describe the experience
The Boomer Blogger
Lesson In Hospitality
In chapter 18 of Genesis. Abraham is sitting in the heat of the day at the entrance of his tent, hoping to feel a gentle breeze to soften the heat of the desert sun. Three strangers appear, and immediately Abraham welcomes them and prepares a meal for them so they can be refreshed.
He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way--now that you have come to your servant.
This is partly the behavior of Bedouins who know the importance of hospitality in the middle of a long journey across a wilderness. But it is also the natural reaction of a man who is aware of the graciousness and hospitality of his God, and his need to reflect that spirit in his own life. He has learned to treat others the way he would have others treat him. And so within moments bread is baking and the fatted calf is being roasted, and the strangers are soon refreshed and strengthened for their journey.
Then the surprise: these strangers then bring the Word of God to their host and hostess. One of them tells Abraham that the next time he passes by, a year from now, Sarah will be pregnant. The "word of the Lord" came through the strangers who appeared at the home of one of God's people. We can't help but wonder what would have happened if Abraham would have given them the cold shoulder, been indifferent to their needs, and simply pointed them toward Sodom. Centuries later the writer of Hebrews put it this way: Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2).
The Boomer Blogger
He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way--now that you have come to your servant.
This is partly the behavior of Bedouins who know the importance of hospitality in the middle of a long journey across a wilderness. But it is also the natural reaction of a man who is aware of the graciousness and hospitality of his God, and his need to reflect that spirit in his own life. He has learned to treat others the way he would have others treat him. And so within moments bread is baking and the fatted calf is being roasted, and the strangers are soon refreshed and strengthened for their journey.
Then the surprise: these strangers then bring the Word of God to their host and hostess. One of them tells Abraham that the next time he passes by, a year from now, Sarah will be pregnant. The "word of the Lord" came through the strangers who appeared at the home of one of God's people. We can't help but wonder what would have happened if Abraham would have given them the cold shoulder, been indifferent to their needs, and simply pointed them toward Sodom. Centuries later the writer of Hebrews put it this way: Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2).
The Boomer Blogger
Hospitality's Purpose
The purpose of hospitality is to prepare a welcoming space for encounters with God’s word. It’s not that God’s word cannot be heard in barren, inhospitable places or circumstances. God is not so limited, but we are. God can speak in any situation, but we, frail creatures, cannot always hear.
The Bible witnesses to the struggle of the Hebrews in the wilderness where they were so preoccupied with the lack of creature comforts that they constantly complained against God and Moses. To keep their attention, to keep them moving, to keep them faithful, God often found himself preparing dinners of manna and quail. Only then, when fed, could they hear the word. So it is with us.
Faith communities are rediscovering the theology of hospitality. As congregations change, many have been forced to reclaim this wisdom as old as Abraham. The image is one of the local congregation as a mission outpost instead of a family chapel. These congregations no longer lukewarmly welcome visitors, but enthusiastically expect them. Instead of simply trying to fit them in, these congregations plan for the stranger.
If the theology of hospitality is to create a welcome environment where the word of God is more easily heard and understood, then we must always be attentive to what people need so that their eyes, ears, hearts and minds are open to the Spirit of God.
Gospel hospitality will not allow people to starve physically or spiritually. True welcoming is more interested in the needs of the guest than the preferences of the host. It’s something to keep in mind when entertaining those angels unawares.
The Boomer Blogger
The Bible witnesses to the struggle of the Hebrews in the wilderness where they were so preoccupied with the lack of creature comforts that they constantly complained against God and Moses. To keep their attention, to keep them moving, to keep them faithful, God often found himself preparing dinners of manna and quail. Only then, when fed, could they hear the word. So it is with us.
Faith communities are rediscovering the theology of hospitality. As congregations change, many have been forced to reclaim this wisdom as old as Abraham. The image is one of the local congregation as a mission outpost instead of a family chapel. These congregations no longer lukewarmly welcome visitors, but enthusiastically expect them. Instead of simply trying to fit them in, these congregations plan for the stranger.
If the theology of hospitality is to create a welcome environment where the word of God is more easily heard and understood, then we must always be attentive to what people need so that their eyes, ears, hearts and minds are open to the Spirit of God.
Gospel hospitality will not allow people to starve physically or spiritually. True welcoming is more interested in the needs of the guest than the preferences of the host. It’s something to keep in mind when entertaining those angels unawares.
The Boomer Blogger
Monday, February 4, 2008
Hospitality Theology
Hospitality is an art form. Along its spectrum we all fall somewhere between Martha Stewart and the person who has the pizza place listed on the speed dial. We might shrug off the matter of hospitality styles as an unimportant detail of life except that there appears to be a theology of hospitality at work in scripture.
Prime examples of this theology are found in the narratives of two dinner parties: one by the oaks of Mamre and the other in the village of Bethany. Abraham and Sarah spontaneously entertain strangers who appear suddenly during their afternoon nap. Mary and Martha entertain their friend Jesus. They know that he is known as a personality, and even talk sometimes about whether or not their friend could be the Messiah promised to God’s people. He is a friend whose presence makes the hostess dust off the good china and polish the silver.
Theologically speaking, hospitality is vital. Not because of the food -- how much there is and what is served is inconsequential. A little unleavened bread and a cup of wine will do in most cases, because what truly brings us together is the word.
During the eating and the drinking al fresco at Mamre and around the table at Bethany, God’s word is shared. The strangers (who the reader knows are God and angels) come to dinner to deliver a message: God promises Abraham and Sarah that the barren will rejoice. At dinner, Jesus shares the promises of God with Mary that the lowly will be lifted up, the dead will be raised, the blind will see and the hopeless given hope.
Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42
The Boomer Blogger
Prime examples of this theology are found in the narratives of two dinner parties: one by the oaks of Mamre and the other in the village of Bethany. Abraham and Sarah spontaneously entertain strangers who appear suddenly during their afternoon nap. Mary and Martha entertain their friend Jesus. They know that he is known as a personality, and even talk sometimes about whether or not their friend could be the Messiah promised to God’s people. He is a friend whose presence makes the hostess dust off the good china and polish the silver.
Theologically speaking, hospitality is vital. Not because of the food -- how much there is and what is served is inconsequential. A little unleavened bread and a cup of wine will do in most cases, because what truly brings us together is the word.
During the eating and the drinking al fresco at Mamre and around the table at Bethany, God’s word is shared. The strangers (who the reader knows are God and angels) come to dinner to deliver a message: God promises Abraham and Sarah that the barren will rejoice. At dinner, Jesus shares the promises of God with Mary that the lowly will be lifted up, the dead will be raised, the blind will see and the hopeless given hope.
Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42
The Boomer Blogger
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