The Reluctant Senior: Recent Episodes
Richard Schwachter
In each episode the host has an extended conversation with a senior about their life and their senior status. Subjects range from health and mortality to religion, politics and societal norms. It's called the reluctant senior since you qualify simply according to your age.
This is the first new episode beginning in 2022 from those that ended in 2017. The host updates his progress on his battle with prostate cancer and sets the stage for a new season of the podcast. More about the host can be found on his website: elderplanning101.com
Recorded in 2017 the host is the sole guest describing his prostate cancer progress over the preceding two years (2015-2017). In the next episode, the first new episode, recorded in 2022, the host describes his present status after recurrent cancer and recent metastasis.
An older episode conversation with Marlene who describes life after the death of her husband and a recent retirement.
Recorded several years ago, Sally was in her mid 90's. She is now deceased. Among so many accomplishments she wrote with her husband the biography of Marty Mann of Alcoholics Anonymous fame. At the time of the recording Sally had been sober herself for 39 years. She was a dancer, a minister and a VA counselor. Her husband a celebrated engineer was married to Sally for 39 years.
Brandy is among the best of the best coming up from the ranks to become an administrator of a memory care facility in California. The best memory care workers have methods of care that can be learned but there is no way to teach someone empathy. If only there were more Brandys.
Meeting Murphy in a parking lot riding an electric wheel chair, we listen to a story about a young boy whose father was executed at San Quentin, lived in 26 states before he was two and had a son who murdered his other son. The story is told in two parts.
Interviewed a few years ago when Cleveland was in the World Series, Gary was recently retired and learning to live alone after the death of his wife. The conversation talked about everything from motorcycles to being a secular Jew when your daughter is a Rabbi.
At the time of the interview Ellen admitted to at least 90. She admitted herself to the facility knowing that her children felt she should stay home. She is happy to be independent and living there. She has no need for a bucket list since she feels she has had a complete life. There is much more to her story including her interesting opinion on being Catholic.
Another episode recorded several years ago. Margaret leads a discussion group at a facility in California and has been a resident for several years. She is very bright and articulate and shares her incites about the facility and her personal views about religion, politics, age discrimination and romance.
This is another of the older episodes. In this part two we finish our visit to the News Meeting called Let's Talk where some of the residents discuss interesting topics and get to express opinions on a range of subjects including religion and taxes.
This is part 1 of a visit to an assisted living facility in California where some of the residents ranging in ages from mid seventies to nineties participate in a resident meeting called "Let's Talk" where there is an open discussion of current events and just about anything else they feel like discussing. The leader of the group is not staff but another independent living resident.
Another episode recorded years ago, Carolyn proves you can successfully return to your hometown and restart a new life. After the death of her husband and retirement from a long teaching career, Carolyn decided to leave California and go back to her hometown in Ohio.
Recorded several years ago, Saul was vibrant, current and "all there." He'd love to be hired but understands it won't happen not withstanding his credentials. He talked about the holocaust and concerns about Trump (this was pre election). He addressed the problem of the Citizens United decision, and the internet in general. Also his love of dancing and his own mortality.
Issac now spends most of his time with his charity work. He is an ombudsman in San Mateo County California. But he was also years ago a radio star in the Bay Area and during the MTV reign a TV personality. You can discover his fabulous jazz oriented singing voice on the internet. He is a strong advocate of old fashion values.
Henry at the time of this recording was 73 and living in Cleveland Ohio. He has interesting opinions on most everything but most relevant here, believes the term Senior is dismissive. You get Henry on religion, politics, economics and finally bowling. Salty language may be offensive to some.
You will be inspired by Carol whose life changed after botched back surgery disabled her. Her life story is fascinating as is her attitude. From sex to politics to religion Carol does not hold back.
The host talks with Bob from Texas who at 72 is still working in the Oil and Gas industry. Bob talks about how religion has evolved as a force in his life and similarly how his politics have evolved. There is bucket list talk and mortality.
This introductory first episode addresses the goals of The Reluctant Senior podcast and includes a one on one conversation with David about his life at 72 and his new perspectives on aging.