Years ago, when a person 'retired' they were expected to give up their jobs, stop taking part in strenuous activities, and sit on the front porch in the rockers.
Today's 'seniors' are not frail, dependent individuals that remain the butt of jokes about old age. Today's seniors are active. . . 65-year olds are running marathons. . .people are beginning second careers that finally interest them. . .seniors are learning how to play golf. . .they travel to exciting new places. . .and women (like Sophia Loren) are redefining the phrase 'grow old gracefully.' I've even heard it said that 60 is the new 40!
Close relationships with others and regular activities give excitement to life, and learning never really stops as long as we stay involved and eager for new experiences.
In active adult atmospheres, successful aging is just easier for many older men and women. All in one place, residents can find new friends, enjoy useful activities, exercise regularly without having to join and pay for a health club, and enjoy leisure as never before. A golf cart ride can take them to a friend's house for dinner. While husbands tee off, wives are learning gourmet cooking skills. Singles can mingle without expectation or stigma. And when grown children visit, residents in these communities can rest assured that no matter what the circumstances, they can't move back in with them.
Because many older adults don't want to necessarily 'cut themselves off' from their grown children, growing grandchildren or old friends, many may prefer to be within driving distance (but not quite close enough for them to "drop in").
The 55-plus atmosphere is one of almost limitless choices for those who buy in one. It's the option to participate or sit out; the existence of structure and the absence of obligation to work within it. Now that we have paid our dues, it's great to have so many decisions to make just for ourselves.
Self-contained 'resort-style' neighborhoods have become islands in the hills, expanses in the desert, and havens in the prairie (with a good-sized metropolitan area usually within a three-hour drive).
Beyond the current crop of semi-retirees, there is the next wave of empty nesters eager for the good life that active adult communities offer. It's no secret that Baby Boomers will redefine successful aging as no other generation has before.
As products of post-war parents, Boomers waged wars with flowers and raged against the "establishment" while pushing the outside of every envelope ever designed to keep them in neat packages. And the word "active adult" will be a badge of honor and a goal to be achieved, while the word "retirement" may eventually become an anachronistic term used to describe yesteryear.