Podcast appearances and mentions of sam harrington

Today is a special episode because, after five years, this podcast is ending. You'll hear why in this episode. Debbie and her husband, Sam Harrington, talk about why it's time for a finale, about getting old, about legacy (and how it's different for the two of them, right now), about their life during the past decade, how it's changing even now (they're both 72), and about what lies ahead, at least creatively.  Frankly, Debbie doesn't sound very happy in this episode, but that's because this has been a hard decision. Debbie thinks it's the right one; Sam needs convincing. But there is some good news!Debbie is continuing to explore the topic of [b]old age on Substack where she writes essays, host Q&A's, and has created a lively community of [b]old women writers, in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. And some younger women too. She invites you to join her on Substack! It's more interactive than the podcast, you'll get to know other subscribers in the Comments, and you can offer your own take on the topic of what it's really like to get old and why it requires [b]oldness.https://debbieweil.substack.comEndings are always bittersweet but you've got access to 120 past episodes of [B]old Age on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. //////////Continue the conversation about [B]old Age, and what getting old is really like, on Debbie's [B]OLD AGE Substack. ////////// Mentioned in this episode or useful:S3E21: Nicholas Christakis on How the Pandemic Will Affect Your Life Until 2024S4E13: Nicholas Christakis With a COVID Update and the Connection Between Pandemics, War, and Climate ChangeS3E24: Steven Petrow on the Stupid Things He Won't Do When He Gets OldS6E8: Steven Petrow on His Sister Julie, the Importance of Choice, and Medical Aid in DyingS5E7: Andrew Steele on Research at the Cellular Level That Could Slow AgingS4E17: Dr. Bree Johnston on Psychedelic Therapy to Ease Fear of DeathAt Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Samuel Harrington MD (​Grand Central Life & Style; 2018)LA PETITE PERIGOURDINE, Paris (restaurant Debbie & Sam mention, where Julie-Roxane used to work)Debbie's Substack editor: Erin ShetronFINALLY, a shoutout to Julie-Roxane, Debbie's podcast producer (currently off social media & website-less!). Without JR, there would be no podcast. More [B]OLD AGE:debbieweil.com/podcast120 episodes of the [B]OLD AGE podcast[B]OLD AGE continues on SubstackEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbie and Sam's blog, started in 2013: Gap Year After SixtyLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie talks with Kirsten Powers, a New York Times bestselling author, a liberal columnist and, most recently, an on-air political analyst with CNN. In 2023, after almost two decades, she left what she calls the “media circus” to pursue a different life as a writer and a life coach. Kirsten, who is 56, is [b]old by any definition.Prior to CNN she was at Fox (as a liberal voice) and before that she was a columnist for USA Today, The Daily Beast, American Prospect Online, and the New York Post. Her recent bestselling book is Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts.Currently Kirsten writes a very popular newsletter on Substack, called, appropriately, "Changing the Channel." It's about living authentically, unlearning societal conditioning, and how to actually change your life. She published an essay recently about her plan to move to Italy with her husband because, as she put it, the U.S. is unlivable, with school shootings, the frenetic pace of life and because it's too expensive. Somehow we are societally conditioned to accept this, as if it's normal. But it's not, Kirsten emphasizes. The post went viral, hitting a nerve with her many readers. Now she's working on a book proposal. Since leaving her on-air job, Kirsten has been deliberately pursuing what she calls a "more easeful life" that is less striving and less accomplishment-oriented. It includes writing on Substack, which she loves. In this episode she also talks about her transition from evangelical christian to atheist. Kirsten is fast thinking and provocative and Debbie loved this conversation with her. //////////Don't miss the Behind The Scenes for every episode in Debbie's [B]OLD AGE newsletter.//////////  Mentioned in this episode or useful:Kirsten Powers - Wikipediakirstenpowers.comChanging the Channel : Kirsten's Substack newsletterThe way we live in the United States is not normal: Kirsten's viral Substack post about moving to Italy  (Nov. 29, 2023)Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts by Kirsten Powers (Convergent Books; Nov. 2021)Kirsten Powers: A liberal working for Fox News (Washington Post, June 17, 2015)What are the Nine Enneagram Types?CP Enneagram where Kirsten is studying for an Enneagram certificate.Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®)Jonathan Merritt on Personal Transformation and the Complicated Intersection of Faith and Culture:  Season 5, Episode 19 of the podcast.Behind the Scenes with Jonathan Merritt  by Debbie Weil (Substack, July 7, 2023)My Complicated Feelings About Tim Keller by Kirsten Powers (Substack, May 24, 2023)MEA: the midlife wisdom school  in Baja, MX and Sante Fe, NM where Debbie and Kirsten met. Connect with Debbie:debbieweil.com[B]OLD AGE podcast[B]OLD AGE newsletter on SubstackGap Year After Sixty Debbie Weil and husband Sam Harrington's joint blog Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Welcome back to Season 6! You might've noticed that we changed the name of the show to more accurately reflect the focus, which is to explore the transition from midlife to old age. [B]OLDER seemed a bit too general, so it's now [B]OLD AGE. Given our ageist society, it requires [b]oldness to say proudly, "I am old." This season our goal is to be even more honest and vulnerable about what it's like as the clock ticks away.For this first episode, Debbie is joined by her husband, Sam Harrington, a popular recurring guest who is known for his dry humor. He's a retired physician and an author.They start by talking about how aging has suddenly accelerated for both of them, in their early 70s. Sam says he can see his telomeres fraying when he looks in the mirror. He notes that only a decade ago they still looked remarkably young in photos. (See photo accompanying this episode; in 2014 Debbie and Sam were hanging out in Madagascar with lemurs.)//////////Don't miss the Behind The Scenes for every episode in Debbie's [B]OLD AGE newsletter. Leave a comment or question on Substack and she promises to respond.//////////They also talk about the long vigil of accompanying a dying parent and how that affects your own sense of old age; how health span has noticeably increased in the past 50 years;  and what the stunning demographic shift to an aging society will mean. By 2030, there will be more adults over 65 than children under 18. Debbie notes the parallel between the acceleration of aging and the acceleration of global warming. At first the changes are slow and hardly noticeable. Then they happen all at once, like this past summer.But the conversation veers back to the physiological fact of aging. Sam's favorite mantra is that "80 might be the new 60, but 86 is the new 85." The current research to better understand and to slow aging may be too late to benefit them, Sam says.  Mentioned in this episode or useful:Definition of heuristicDefinition of telomeresLiving to 120 is becoming an imaginable prospect (The Economist, Sept. 28, 2023)How a Vast Demographic Shift Will Reshape the World (The New York Times, July 16, 2023)The Washington Gerontocracy (The New Yorker, September 24, 2023)AT PEACE: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Samuel Harrington MD (Hachette, 2018)Earlier podcast episode: S5-EP7: Andrew Steele on Research at the Cellular Level That Could Slow AgingSam's summer project: Island Workforce Housing on Deer Isle, Maine. Connect with Debbie:[B]OLD AGE podcast[B]OLD AGE newsletter on SubstackEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbie & Sam's joint blog: Gap Year After Sixty Facebook: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell)How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie brings her husband Sam Harrington back on the show to wrap up another [B]OLDER season.You'll hear their 11-year-old granddaughter Ruthie talking about her recent trip with them to the Swiss Alps. Definitely a high point of the season and of the past year. A lot has happened during Season 5 of [B]OLDER: Debbie and Sam celebrated their 50th anniversary while they were in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Then, right after that, Debbie's 92-year-old mother died unexpectedly, prompting a lot of memories, much appreciation, and a blunt reminder of life's finitude.We re-ran episodes with some of our most popular guests who talked about psychedelic therapy and about Covid's place in the history of plagues.  *****NEW! Read and subscribe to Debbie's Substack.Substack is the new home for Debbie's newsletter. She offers behind-the-scenes commentary on the latest episodes of the podcast. She also writes from a personal perspective about entering the land of the old at 71.***** In Season 5 Debbie talked to new guests about cellular research on aging, about helping elderly parents plan ahead, what UNretirement is really like, and one of her all-time favorite interviews: a conversation with famed New York Times health columnist Jane Brody about what she learned from a half century at the Times. And finally, renowned writer and speaker Jonathan Merritt eloquently explained God and religion to Debbie, a non-church person.In this wrap-up you'll hear Sam - hopefully not slurping his coffee but maybe a little - and teasing Debbie about "jumping right in." (She likes that podcast expression; he does not.)This is the finale of Season 5 of the [B]OLDER podcast. Have a great summer, thank you for listening, and we'll be back in the fall.In the meantime, find Debbie on Substack where she writes about what it's really like to grow old(er)? Mentioned in this episode or useful:S5-EP8: Debbie & Sam on 50 Years of MarriageS5-EP19: Jonathan Merritt on Personal Transformation and the Complicated Intersection of Faith and CultureS5-EP6: Jane Brody on Life and Lessons From a Half Century at The New York TimesS5-EP7: Andrew Steele on Research at the Cellular Level That Could Slow AgingS5-EP11: Expat Bonnie Lee Black on the Pros (& Very Few Cons) of Retiring to San Miguel de AllendeS5-EP14: Best Of: Plague Expert Nicholas Christakis on Why the Pandemic Will End in 2024S5-EP17: Best Of: Dr. Bree Johnston on Psilocybin Trips and the Growing Acceptance of Psychedelic TherapyS5-EP10: Star Bradbury on How to Successfully Navigate the Care of Elderly Parents More linksOn Debbie's Substack: Switzerland with Ruthie: Mind-Bending and Memory-LadenBackroads (the tour company Debbie and Sam used for their trip to Switzerland)The Eiger Mountain which looms over GrindelwaldCrash Landing on You (the popular Korean TV series filmed in Iseltwald, Switzerland) Connect with Debbie:debbieweil.com[B]OLDER podcastSubstack: https://debbieweil.substack.com/Email: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comBlog: Gap Year After SixtyFacebook: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilTwitter: @debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie brings her favorite recurring guest, husband Sam Harrington, back onto the show. This is a special episode because they are celebrating 50 years of marriage today, Feb. 3, 2023.They were married a half century ago, in 1973. It was truly another age,  pre-Internet and so much more. They were both 21. That's an astonishing fact: they were obviously too young to get married. But they did and the marriage has lasted. They acknowledge how lucky they are and how much they have to be grateful for.  They have six grandchildren, they like hanging out together, and Sam is still teasing Debbie and making her laugh.They talk about the trivial and the existential and how it's okay to feel grief when they look back at their youthful passion and how young and beautiful they were. And how now is a time to think about their mortality and to try and enjoy each present moment.Things do change in a long marriage, as you'll hear. One thing doesn't, however.  As always, Debbie and Sam disagree about a lot of things. "But that's all good..." A phrase they've adopted after watching W1A, a very funny British TV series starring Hugh Bonneville. Mentioned in this episode or useful:W1A (British TV Series about the BBC, 2014–2020)W1A Excerpt: BBC Group Activity | W1A  (Hugh Bonneville character says “That's all good” at 3:00)At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Sam Harrington (Grand Central Life & Style, 2018)[B]OLDER S5-EP1: Debbie & Sam Explore Iceland With Two GrandchildrenPrevious episodes featuring Debbie Weil and her husband Sam Harrington:S4-EP6: Debbie & Sam on Entering the Land of the OldS3-EP22: Debbie & Sam on Getting Calm and Centered in BajaS3-EP16: Debbie & Sam on Fasting For Five Days and Why They Were Crazy Enough to Do ItS2-EP24: Debbie & Sam on the Gap Year For Everyone, Silver Linings, and Not Should'ingS2-EP18: Debbie & Sam on the New Normal, Quarantines, Immunity Passports, and Masks & GlovesS2-EP12: Debbie & Sam on the Coronavirus, Magical Thinking, and AgingS1-EP10: On Debbie & Sam's Bucket List: Living in FranceS1-EP2: Debbie & Sam on How They Decided to Take a Gap Year at Age 62 Get the inside skinny on every episode of [B]OLDER:Subscribe to Debbie's newsletter for the inside story about every episode. You will also get her 34-page writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Request from Debbie:If you've been enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to leave a short review on Apple Podcasts. It really makes a difference in attracting new listeners.  Connect with Debbie:debbieweil.com[B]OLDER podcastEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comBlog: Gap Year After SixtyFacebook: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilTwitter: @debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Welcome to Season 5 of [B]OLDER.This is a podcast where I talk about "making the most of growing older,"  which includes both the good and the not-so-great parts of aging.But today it's all GOOD. Becoming a grandparent is something many people look forward to. We are lucky enough to have six grandchildren, thus far.In this episode I chat with my husband, Sam Harrington (aka "Ba"), to debrief our trip to Iceland this past summer with two grandchildren.We talk about why we chose Iceland, and which grandchildren we took with us - and why - and how Dorothea and Lius fared as fellow travelers with their grandparents. We both remark on the  stunning natural wonders of Iceland, most notably the glaciers, the volcanic lava fields, and the waterfalls. We also reflect on our experience as grandparents and how it's (mostly) different from being a parent.  This is a leisurely conversation and perhaps most useful if you have grandchildren or if you have ever considered traveling to Iceland.No matter why you're listening, be sure to get to the last few seconds… for a nice surprise.Mentioned in this episode or useful:Trapped (excellent TV series filmed in Iceland)Höfn (Icelandic fishing town on the southeast coast)Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon:  the marvelous (wet-clothes) hotel we stayed at for two nightsHeimaey: largest island in the Westman archipelago south of Iceland. A 1973 volcanic eruption on Heimaey lasted for six months and prompted the evacuation of all 5,000 residents. The main town has since been rebuilt.Eldheimar Museum: award-winning museum on Heimaey island depicting the volcano eruptionTips on traveling with grandchildrenBackroads Adventure TravelGet the inside skinny on every episode of [B]OLDER:Subscribe to my newsletter for the inside story about every episode. You will also get my free 34-page writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Request from Debbie:If you've been enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to leave a short review on Apple Podcasts. It really makes a difference in attracting new listeners.  Connect with Debbie:debbieweil.com[B]OLDER podcastEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comBlog: Gap Year After SixtyFacebook: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilTwitter: @debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell)How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

[B]older is back for season 5. And we're back at it: unraveling what it means to make the most of growing older.Each episode is a frank 30-minute conversation with a best-selling author, expert, or exceptional individual on a topic related to aging. For host Debbie Weil, 70, it's a real-time exploration of growing old. But don't worry; she's not embracing old age just yet. She's still (boldly) figuring things out. She asks the hard questions about how to use this later stage of life to create, to find meaning, and to make a difference. In the podcast Debbie delves into all the current  topics related to aging: the unretired life, reinventing work, slowing down, aging better, ageism, living your purpose, grownup gap years, grandparenting, intergenerational collaboration, effects of the pandemic, grief and widowhood, surviving cancer, and more. As well as other stuff that piques her interest; for example, the craft of writing. Her husband, physician author Sam Harrington, is a popular recurring guest. The Debbie & Sam shows feature his dry humor and medical expertise. Join us for another great season diving into what it means to be growing [b]older! Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: gapyearaftersixty.comEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie Media PartnersEncore.orgMEA with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (formerly a media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie Weil brings her husband Sam Harrington back on the show for a dose of his dry humor and to wrap up Season 4.Sam shares some of his favorite episodes (see below) and they discuss several topics in the news: Medical Aid In Dying and the 100-year life. If you've listened to Sam in previous episodes, you can probably guess what he thinks about living to 100. Sam is a retired physician; friends and family affectionately call him Dr. Death.They also talk about grandparenting and what you can expect from Season 5. Sam's favorite episodes from Season 4[B]OLDER S4-EP13: Nicholas Christakis With a 2022 COVID Update[B]OLDER S4-EP2: Emily Moore on Becoming a Cancer Survivor at age 43[B]OLDER S4-EP16: Bestselling Author Dan Pink on the Power of Regret at any Age[B]OLDER S4-EP17: Dr. Bree Johnston on Psychedelic Therapy to Ease Fear of Death  Mentioned in this episode:S4-EP19: Paula Span on Ageism, Journalism, and the Art of GrandparentingApollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas A. Christakis MD PhD (Little, Brown Spark; 2021)At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Samuel Harrington MD (Grand Central Life & Style; 2018)Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live by Becca Levy PhD (​​William Morrow; 2022)Betty White Reveals Her Secrets to a Long, Happy Life (People Magazine, December 28, 2021)Podcast - The 100 Year Lifestyle  Previous episodes featuring host Debbie Weil and her husband Sam Harrington:S4-EP6: Debbie & Sam on Entering the Land of the OldS3-EP22: Debbie & Sam on Getting Calm and Centered in BajaS3-EP16: Debbie & Sam on Fasting For Five Days and Why They Were Crazy Enough to Do ItS2-EP24: Debbie & Sam on the Gap Year For Everyone, Silver Linings, and Not Should'ingS2-EP18: Debbie & Sam on the New Normal, Quarantines, Immunity Passports, and Masks & GlovesS2-EP12: Debbie & Sam on the Coronavirus, Magical Thinking, and AgingS1-EP10: On Debbie & Sam's Bucket List: Living in FranceS1-EP2: Debbie & Sam on How They Decided to Take a Gap Year at Age 62 Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbie We are looking for a sponsor or to join a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

If you know Sam, you know what this episode is gonna be like. We dive into stories about Bella not liking cheese to the true strategy Sam puts together in order to get with a girl you like at the bar. So sit back, relax, and take a break with us because it only gets better from here.

Debbie Weil brings her husband, Sam Harrington, back onto the show. A retired physician, Sam is NOT a  believer in midlife-crisis camps nor in navel gazing, which is what he told family and friends Debbie was dragging him across the country to do. But somehow, after both of them were twice vaccinated, Debbie persuaded Sam to get on a plane and fly to Mexico’s Baja Sur. Their destination: Modern Elder Academy.If you've been listening to the podcast, you've heard about MEA.  You could call MEA a wellness retreat. It’s idyllic: simple accommodations overlook the crashing waves of a broad mile-long beach.  Birdsong fills the air, water trickles from fountains, and bright Bougainvillea blooms everywhere. An organic garden produces wonderful meals and a dusty dirt road leads to the nearest village.But MEA is more than a wellness retreat. It’s also a school - and a community - of like-minded people. MEA tends to attract open-minded individuals from their 30s to 70s, who are on a quest to define "what's next” in their lives and who are willing to think differently about aging. Guests can attend structured discussions, there’s time for journal writing and reflection, and there are meditation and yoga classes. Debbie and Sam talk about a few of the topics that were on offer during their two-week stay, including the difference between growth vs. fixed mindsets (you can guess which one is preferable) and something called appreciative inquiry which is an expansive way of both listening and asking questions. Sam ultimately admits that he IS feeling calm and centered.  Mentioned in this episode or useful:Modern Elder AcademyEl Pescadero, Baja California SurNavigating Midlife Transitions, MEA’s Online ProgramS3-EP20: Jeff Hamaoui on Navigating the Messy Middle of TransitionsS1-EP6: Chip Conley on Growing Wise at Modern Elder Academy (Modern Elders, Part 1)S1-EP7: Four Different Decades on Transition and Reinvention (Modern Elders, Part 2) Previous episodes featuring host Debbie Weil and her husband Sam Harrington:S3-EP16: Debbie & Sam on Fasting For Five Days and Why They Were Crazy Enough to Do ItS2-EP24: Debbie & Sam on the Gap Year For Everyone, Silver Linings, and Not Should'ingS2-EP18: Debbie & Sam on the New Normal, Quarantines, Immunity Passports, and Masks & GlovesS2-EP12: Debbie & Sam on the Coronavirus, Magical Thinking, and AgingS1-EP10: On Debbie & Sam's Bucket List: Living in FranceS1-EP2: Debbie & Sam on How They Decided to Take a Gap Year at Age 62 A gift for listeners: a Baja meditation soundtrackDebbie created a 20-minute meditation soundtrack (with help from producer Julie-Roxane) from the distinctive Baja birdsong and trickling water she heard every morning before meditation practice. Download the soundtrack. Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode! Newsletter:Sign up for updates and get my free writing guide.Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We are looking for a sponsor or partnerIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

This episode is about cultivating compassion: modeling a life of service and empathy for our children. Amy Jo Alspaugh is joined by Rev. Nathan Arledge, Pastor of Missions and Community Engagement, who shares the importance of modeling service for our children, or “living out the example.” Nathan believes in making it natural and walking with children, and he shares ideas based on his own experience as a parent of young children. Join us as we learn more about how to cultivate compassion in our children. Resources: Children's Ministries Bingo Card Recommendations Books: Growing Compassionate Kids: Helping Kids See Beyond Their Backyard Same Kind of Different As Me for Kids Good People Everywhere Miss Fannie's Hat Who is Sam Harrington?

Today, Debbie Weil brings her husband Sam Harrington, a retired physician, back on the show to talk about fasting. One year ago the couple completed a five-day fast using a kit of dried soups and crackers from a company called Prolon. This year, after packing on the pounds during the stay-at-home pandemic holidays,  they decided to repeat the fast. And this time, Debbie took notes to record the experience.  If you’ve listened to the pair kibitz in earlier episodes, it will be no surprise that they experienced the fast differently. They talk about what the fast felt like day by day (it was harder for Debbie) and what the possible benefits are in addition to losing weight. A month later, both are a number of pounds lighter (about four for Debbie; eight for Sam). And they've mostly kept the weight off. Debbie finds herself eating smaller portions and neither is snacking between meals.  Desserts and sweets still call to Debbie but she is more successfully passing them by.They talk about the science behind fasting and about something called intermittent fasting which means shortening the span of hours in the day during which you eat. 16 hours of fasting vs. 8 hours of "eating" is a typical ratio. That could mean skipping breakfast and eating only between 12 noon and 8 PM. And they speculate on whether fasting and intermittent fasting are merely the latest fad. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to fast and why you might want to do it, this is a conversation for you.  Debbie's day-by-day fasting notes:DAY 1: light-headed and mentally fuzzy.DAY 2: 8:30 AM weak and sluggish; 1 PM fatigued and sluggish, as if I'm operating at 1/3 speed; 4:30 PM this is painful. Back hurts, muscles ache, dizzy, drowsy, and IRRITABLE.DAY 3: feeling better, not so achey.DAY 4: light-headed, fatigued, dreaming of the food I will eat when this is over; this feels never ending.DAY 5:  feel debilitated and so weak; fuzzy thinking is really a problem; NEVER AGAIN. (Of course, I said that each time after giving birth.)  Mentioned in this episode or useful:ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet -The 5-Day Fasting DietDefinition of autophagyIntermittent fasting: Surprising update (Harvard Health Blog, February 10, 2020)Can scheduled fasting improve your health? (Harvard Health Blog, May 2020)Should you try fasting? (Harvard Health Blog, August 2020)The Whole30® Program Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SPONSORIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Dr. Sam Harrington joins us for conversation on his book, ‘At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life.' Sam Harrington is an honors graduate of Harvard College and the University of Wisconsin Medical School, he practiced internal medicine and gastroenterology for more than 30 years in Washington, D.C. There he served on the board of trustees of Sibley Memorial Hospital, a member of the Johns Hopkins Health System, and the former Hospice Care of DC.

Today, Debbie Weil brings Dr. Sam Harrington, her physician husband, back on the show to wrap up the year 2020. After 8 months of reclusive living with COVID as a backdrop, they sit down together to reflect on some of the highs and lows, for themselves and for the country, and to forecast what lies ahead. First, the vaccine: how will it be distributed, to whom, and in what order? Is this the right order? How should we value human lives? Can the new Biden Administration improve the messaging around COVID and thus slow the continuing spread of the disease? When will life return to normal - or will it ever?Sam talks about several books he’s read recently (links below) and they share some of the favorite TV programs they've binge watched. (The complete list is below.) They talk about mini-socializing outdoors, the old-fashioned Pen Pal club they’ve started with their six grandchildren (ages three to ten), the slowing down of time, and the opportunity to reminisce about their past travels during the long, cold, dark winter evenings in Maine. They end with an update on Sam’s beard (big news) and a few predictions for 2021. The podcast will be back in January after a holiday break. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Malignant: How Bad Policy and Bad Evidence Harm People with Cancer by Vinayak K. Prasad (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020)Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas A. Christakis MD PhD (Little, Brown Spark, 2020)Without Resources, Vaccine Rollout Could 'Fall at the Last Hurdle,' Journalist Warns (NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Dec. 17, 2020)Keith Raniere, Leader of Nxivm Sex Cult, Is Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison (New York Times, Nov. 27, 2020)Let's Get Liminal by Chip Conley (Wisdom Well, Nov. 1, 2019)Chip Conley: Building Empires, Tackling Cancer and Surfing the Liminal | The Tim Ferris Show, June 20 2019Solo Stove a potential sponsor for the podcast? PHOTO: Sam, minus beard, caught in the act of smiling. Previous episodes featuring host Debbie and her husband Sam:S2-EP24: Debbie & Sam on the Gap Year For Everyone, Silver Linings, and Not Should'ingS2-EP18: Debbie & Sam on the New Normal, Quarantines, Immunity Passports, and Masks & GlovesS2-EP12: Debbie & Sam on the Coronavirus, Magical Thinking, and AgingS1-EP10: On Debbie & Sam's Bucket List: Living in FranceS1-EP2: Debbie & Sam on How They Decided to Take a Gap Year at Age 62 TV programs Debbie & Sam watched (March - Dec. 2020)The “Un’s” (they loved all of these):UnorthodoxUnbelievableUnforgottenUndoing Debbie & Sam also loved:SuccessionShtiselOzarkNormal PeopleLittle Fires EverywhereGentleman JackOccupiedThe Vow (about NXIVM)Seduced (about NXIVM)Emily in Paris (Debbie)Call the MidwifeThe Crown (new season)Mystery Road (set in Australia)BelgraviaRoom 2806: The Accusation (about Dominique Strauss-Kahn)This Is Us (Debbie was obsessed; Sam refused to watch after 1st season) More programs they watched:Chicago SevenQueens GambitHomeland (final season)Le Chalet (in French; scary)Deutschland 83FaudaGold DiggerBosch (Season 6)Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy RichBabylon BerlinRevenge (Debbie liked more than Sam did)RodhamGreyhound (new Tom Hanks movie)Perry MasonThe Baby-Sitters ClubDoctor FosterSilent Witness (a few episodes)The Social Dilemma (movie)Criminal (didn't finish)Flesh and BloodHillbilly Elegy (film)Mank (film about Herman Mankiewicz)The Life Ahead (new Sophia Loren film)Self Made Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie THIS PODCAST IS LOOKING FOR A SPONSORIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Our Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie Weil brings DJ DiDonna on the show to talk about sabbaticals, first cousins to gap years. DJ  is a graduate of Harvard Business School, co-founder of a socially-conscious financial tech company that provides credit scoring in emerging markets, and now, an expert on sabbaticals. Like a lot of young entrepreneurs DJ was burned out after working flat out for seven years. So he took two sabbaticals: one to make the famous, 900-mile Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan. And another to hike and motorcycle across New Zealand.Then he founded The Sabbatical Project to explore how and why sabbaticals lead to positive outcomes for working professionals. The goal of the project is to make corporate sabbatical policies more mainstream. He’s collaborating on academic research on the topic with Matt Bloom, a former Notre Dame professor who runs WorkWell Research.As noted, a sabbatical is a close cousin to a gap year or timeout and DJ has lots to say about the psychological benefits of taking a timeout, whether it’s voluntary or involuntary.  What they talked aboutThe difference between a gap year and a sabbaticalA forced sabbatical vs. a chosen sabbaticalThe most surprising things that happened during DJ's sabbatical pilgrimage in JapanWhy we need research on sabbaticals - the results provide incentives and encouragement to companies to offer sabbatical optionsOne surprising discovery of the research: a phenomenon called functional workaholismThe courage it takes to take a sabbatical or a gap year and the importance of exemplarsWhy Debbie and her husband, Sam Harrington, decided to take their Gap Year After SixtyDJ’s book proposal, aptly titled Time Off Well SpentThe importance of retrospection and hindsight, during and after  taking a sabbatical Mentioned in the episode or useful:DJ DiDonnaThe Sabbatical ProjectDJ’s 2019 Tedx Talk: Time (Off) Well SpentShikoku Pilgrimage in JapanEven a “forced sabbatical” can have profound benefits by DJ DiDonna (Quartz At Work, April 6, 2020)The Sabbatical Project Dispatch (DJ’s newsletter)Work Well Research with Matt BloomMaking Sabbaticals Mainstream, Harvard Business School podcast with DJ (March 2019) University sabbatical programs for older adultsNotre Dame Inspired Leadership InitiativeHarvard Advanced Leadership InitiativeStanford Distinguished Careers Institute Previous podcast episodes about taking a timeoutSeth Godin on Taking a Gap Year, Changing your Mindset and Why he Isn’t Pausing (The Gap Year Podcast S2-Ep21)Chip Conley on the Future of Travel, the Journey Within, and Hitting Play After the Pause (The Gap Year Podcast S2-Ep23)Kim Klaft on.a Global Gap Year and Living Without Regret (S2:EP17) Photo credit: Cynthia Cendreda Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweil- Debbie We are looking for a sponsor. If you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Today, Debbie Weil brings Paul Jarvis on the show. Paul  is a veteran of the online tech world, as well as an author and designer of data analytics software and online courses. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest in Canada and has worked with Silicon Valley startups, pro-sports athletes, and Fortune 500 companies. But what’s truly notable about Paul is that even before the pandemic he was living an isolated, private, and minimalist life as a solo entrepreneur.Paul is the author of a recent book, Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business. He’s designed a number of online courses, bringing in several million dollars in revenue,  he's the co-founder of Fathom Analytics, and until very recently he wrote a popular weekly e-newsletter, The Sunday Dispatches, that he sent to his list of 35,000 subscribers. His driving value is simplicity. As he says in this conversation, “I crave simplicity,” - especially as it relates to business and work.” Meaning how can you solve a business problem simply rather than adding layers of complexity. In mid-November, Paul announced in an email to his 35,000 subscribers that he was halting his newsletter after eight years and also taking a break from podcasts and interviews. He noted that he's been sharing his thoughts online for 20 years. "I don’t want attention or power or admiration," he says. "I don’t want to be a personal brand or a known dude on the internet. I just want to exist and do my work privately." So we’re lucky to have this conversation with him. Debbie hopes you enjoy it as much as she did. And that you take away a few nuggets of wisdom about work - and life - that you can apply in this time of the pandemic.  Mentioned in this episode or useful:Paul’s Website: https://pjrvs.com/Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business by Paul Jarvis (Mariner Books 2019)The Sunday Dispatches Fathom Analytics: Paul is co-founder with Jack EllisAbove Board, Fathom Analytics’ podcast (co-hosted by Paul) discussing privacy and business in the digital age.Paul's online courses on how to use WordPressCreative Class (Paul's online course for freelancers)Chimp Essentials (Paul's online course on how to use MailChimp) A podcast episode with another successful solo entrepreneur:Derek Sivers on Slow Thinking, Connecting, and Intentional Living Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweil- Debbie WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SPONSORIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife (GenX and Boomer) listeners, who are active, open to adventure and change, and who think differently about lifestyle, finances, and retirement, contact Debbie. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Debbie Weil chats with her niece, Phoebe Weil, about her experience living through COVID. While the audience for this podcast is those in midlife and older (50-plus), there is a lot to be learned from someone younger about what it’s like to handle the disappointments of the pandemic. Someone who’s been missing out on some of life’s most memorable milestones.Debbie knew just the person to tell  this story: her 18-year-old niece. Phoebe missed senior spring of high school, she missed her high school graduation, and now she’s started college where she’s been in lockdown on her campus all fall.But she remains so very optimistic. Inspired by Anne Frank, she’s been keeping a journal that she hopes to share, one day, with her children. She’s hitting the books to study organic chemistry (she tells us about the advantage of attending an all women’s college as a science major). And she’s keeping up her YouTube channel, which has over 5,000 subscribers. Phoebe notes that she is not comparing her experience with COVID to Anne Frank's Holocaust nightmare. But it was Anne Frank's impulse to record history while living through it that inspired her to start writing a journal.  Phoebe wrote in an email: "One doesn’t know how powerful an accounting of a historic moment can be while they’re living in it. I wanted to document my day-to-day life so that in the future I could read how I was feeling during the pandemic we live in now. In no way am I equating my experience living in COVID-19 to Anne Frank’s experience in the Holocaust."Finally, what’s Phoebe's NEW BEST THING to come out of the pandemic? Writing letters, snail mail letters. And she’s prolific. Her Aunt Debbie and Uncle Sam have received a bunch.We can all get a lift from Phoebe’s steady and refreshingly positive attitude. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Phoebe Weil’s YouTube Channel with over 5,000 subscribersA week in the life of boarding school (Phoebe’s video blog that has almost 150,000 views)STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)Historical women’s colleges in the U.S. (Phoebe attends Wellesley College, from which Hillary Clinton graduated) Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweil- Debbie WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SPONSORIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife (GenX and Boomer) listeners, who are open to adventure and change, reinvention at 60+, and who think differently about lifestyle, finances, and retirement, contact Debbie. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Debbie Weil talks with Daphne Merkin, a highly acclaimed novelist, essayist and literary critic. She is known for writing candidly about depression, obsession, money, sex, family, and religion. Her 2017 memoir, This Close to Happy: A Reckoning With Depression, which was 16 years in the making, got a front page review in The New York Times by Andrew Solomon, another acclaimed author on the topic of depression.Daphne's latest novel, 22 Minutes of Unconditional Love, is a powerful story about sex and obsession. And underlying those twin themes, the theme of depression. Today she and Debbie talk not about her books, per se, but about her experience with  clinical depression and what that can teach us in this difficult year of COVID when many of us are experiencing deep uncertainty and anxiety. It's a topic of personal interest to Debbie who is an occasional sufferer of clinical depression. Depression is the story behind the story, if you will, of much of Daphne’s writing.Debbie and Daphne explore why real depression - sometimes called endogenous depression - is not talked about, why it is so misunderstood, and why it’s something that NEEDS to be talked about. They talk about how her creativity as a writer, cooped up in her apartment in New York City, has been affected the past few months. They talk about the pros and cons of doing therapy via Zoom. And they talk briefly about Psilocybin and the new psychedelic-assisted therapies for depression. Daphne ends the conversation with some poignant thoughts on what the depths of depression are like and how society has a long way to go to better address depression, as well as thoughts of suicide.  This is a powerful conversation with a brilliant author. Be sure to explore the links to Daphne's writing  below. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Daphne Merkin bioThis Close to Happy: A Reckoning With Depression  (Picador 2018)Re-issue of her 1987 novel Enchantment  (Picador, July 2020)Other writing and reviewsShifting the Focus From Sylvia Plath's Tragic Death to Her Brilliant Life Daphne Merkin's review of new Sylvia Plath biography (New York Times, Oct. 22, 2020)Unlikely Obsession (her famous 1996 essay for The New Yorker about spanking as a sexual obsession)New York Institute for the HumanitiesFreud’s wife, Martha BernaysHow To Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for my occasional emails at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me::Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: instagram.com/debbieweilFacebook: facebook.com/debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweil We are looking for a sponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife (GenX and Boomer) listeners, who are active, open to adventure and change, and who think differently about lifestyle, finances, and retirement, contact Debbie. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's joint blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Debbie Weil brings Frank Weil, her almost 90-year-old father, back on the podcast to give us his perspective on the 2020 presidential election, even as votes are still being counted. Her Dad is a prolific blogger at FAWideas.com, where he regularly offers his thoughts on Democratic politics, including cogent tirades about Donald Trump whom he regards as incompetent, amoral, and dangerous.So who else to make better sense of this nail-biting week than her Dad? He lives in Washington DC with her mother, Denie Weil; they’ve been married almost 70 years. In the late 1970s, Frank was an Assistant Secretary in the Dept. of Commerce under Jimmy Carter. In the decades since, as well as before, he has been deeply involved in Democratic politics. He’s been an informal advisor to Presidential candidates, including Barack Obama. And he always has an opinion. Plenty of them. They recorded the conversation you’re about to hear in the early afternoon of November 4th. The frustration of the previous night was starting to give way to patience as key swing states and counties continued to count votes. At the time they recorded, there was general agreement that Joe Biden would prevail, narrowly, and become the 46th President of the U.S.Frank says this is the most extraordinary election of his lifetime, both in terms of nail-biting outcome but also in view of the massive turnout and unusual process of early voting and mail-in ballots.He tells us that his frustration of the past weeks and months has turned into “inspiration” as he ponders the fact that a divided government might be a good thing, because it will force Washington to compromise and therefore better represent the people. He and Debbie take a brief walk down memory lane for some of the most memorable elections of his lifetime, the first being FDR’s unprecedented third election in 1940 with Henry Wallace as his running mate, when Frank was nine years old. When Debbie was nine, she remembers waking up with excitement the morning after Kennedy was elected in 1960.There are a few things Debbie and Frank didn’t get around to specifically discussing, including the record turnout, the highest in a century. And they didn’t have enough time to go deeply into examining the divide in this country, between rural and urban, educated and less educated, and the belief in astonishingly opposing narratives.You can’t help but sense this man's optimism, despite this difficult year and despite the real difficulties that lie ahead as we try to unite a deeply divided nation. He lets us go with a word of wisdom on the importance of collaboration even with those you don’t agree with. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Frank’s blog: https://fawideas.comFrank Weil's bioLet Me Be Frank: From a Silver Spoon to the Knives and Forks in the Road of My Life (FAW’s autobiography)The Result Will Not Be Too Different From Expectations (his blog post on Nov. 4, 2020)Frank's appearance on Episode 1 of the podcastWhy counting the votes takes so long: Here's what happens after polls close in a US presidential election (Pew Research Center, October 22, 2020)Memorable Elections (History.com, August 10, 2020)Truman vs Dewey: The 1948 United States presidential electionThe most famous election headline in U.S. history: Dewey Defeats TrumanNixon vs. Kennedy: The 1960 United States presidential electionHenry A. Wallace, the 33rd Vice President of the USA WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR. If you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife (GenX and Boomer) listeners, who are active, open to change and new possibilities, and who think differently about lifestyle, finances, and retirement, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's blog: Gap Year After Sixty 

In this episode, Debbie talks to Kathleen Billings, town manager of Stonington, Maine, the small coastal village on Deer Isle that she and her husband now call home.Debbie wanted to talk to a local leader about the challenges of this election and pandemic year and Kathleen was the perfect person. She is matter of fact, deeply knowledgeable, and forthright.Kathleen, 56, has been Stonington’s Town Manager for almost 20 years. She tells us how the town’s twin industries of fishing and tourism have fared and how she began to prepare for COVID back in February.  She and Debbie talk about the friction between People From Away (PFA) and locals and how it was exacerbated by COVID. They also talk about the political tensions that Kathleen has had to face this year and how she‘s handled them. On a side note Kathleen talks about the very real issue of rising sea levels and how the town is addressing that.They end by reflecting on the year 2020 and how Kathleen has focused on maintaining a positive atmosphere so that everyone can get through this time without being "ground under," as she puts it. She expresses gratitude for the many nonprofits on the island that address community needs.PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Weil Mentioned in this episode or useful:Town of Stonington, METown of Deer Isle, MEHancock County, MEManager embraces town's waterfront way of life (Ellsworth American, July 17, 2019)Maine's attitude towards outsiders ignites fears during pandemic (Bangor Daily News, April 13, 2020 )Stonington's little houses removed after one is vandalized (Island AdVantages, July 30, 2020)Maine's Coastal Vulnerability to Sea-level Rise (University of Maine)Obit for Kathleen's legendary uncle, Neville Hardy Island Women Speak and the podcast episodeFrank Weil's blog on liberal politics Some of the local groups on Deer Isle that work together:Healthy Island Project (HIP)Salt Air Seniors run by Barrett GrayOpera House ArtsStonington LibraryIsland Ad-Vantages (the local newspaper)Deer Isle-Stonington High School WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SPONSORIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife (GenX and Boomer) listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Our audience is active, open to adventure and change, and willing to think differently about lifestyle, finances, and retirement. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Today, Debbie talks to Kerry Hannon, author of the new and well-timed Great Pajama Jobs: Your Complete Guide to Working from Home. Kerry is the author of 14 books and an expert on career transitions, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and retirement. She writes regularly for The New York Times, MediaWatch, Forbes and other media outlets, including NextAvenue.org.Kerry answers the question: will we ever return to the office or is remote working here to stay? Debbie wishes WFH (working from home) had been an accepted phenomenon decades ago when she had small children.Kerry shares some key skills that can make working from home more effective (good communication, discipline, technical literacy) as well as tips for older and more experienced workers, including the semi-retired. She makes the point that work is not just about the money.They also talk about ageism, still a pervasive issue in the workplace, and how remote work might alleviate it by focusing attention on performance and productivity.Finally, they talk about one of Kerry's favorite topics: cultivating resilience by learning new skills. Expand your brain, she says. Adopt a beginner’s mind, stay open, and take risks. Consider living and working in a foreign country that is welcoming to location-independent workers. Perhaps not compatible with our pandemic world right now, but travel and living somewhere else are often part of a gap year dream. Mentioned in this episode or useful:kerryhannon.comGreat Pajama Jobs, Your Complete Guide to Working From Home (Wiley, 2020)To Build Emotional Strength, Expand Your Brain by Kerry Hannon (NYTimes, Sept. 2,2020)Can Working Remotely Beat Ageism? (Retirement Wisdom podcast, Sept. 26, 2020)Dorie ClarkSimon SinekChip Conley LinkedIn Learning  A few job boards recommended by Kerry:FlexJobsWAHVE (Work at Home Vintage Experts)Working Nomads Places Kerry recommends to work remotely (once the pandemic is over):EstoniaMexico CityMedellín, Columbia  We are looking for a sponsor. If you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Today Debbie speaks with Juliette Kayyem, a longtime national security and terrorism expert with over 160,000 followers on Twitter. She has an extraordinary resume of public and private service, starting with the Dept. of Justice as a young lawyer, and then joining the National Commission on Terrorism in 1999 and helping to write their report, published in June 2000, recognizing the growing terror threat in the U.S. She gave birth to her first child a few weeks before 9/11.She became the Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs in the Department of Homeland Security, where she handled the agency's response to the H1N1 pandemic and orchestrated the complicated government response to the BP oil spill in 2010. Later she became a Pulitzer Prize-nominated columnist for The Boston Globe and started her own consulting company. She's now a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and an analyst for CNN. She's also, importantly, the mother of three and the author of a terrific book - part memoir, part primer - titled Security Mom: My Life Protecting the Home and Homeland. Disaster is her thing, or as she puts it: "Sh*t happens."  It's how you assess risk, prepare for, and respond  to disaster that counts.They recorded this conversation before Trump tested positive for COVID so you won’t hear mention of that. But they do talk about the sense of anxiety in this country right now, both because of COVID and because of the current President. And about Trump’s attempts to stoke fear, and to incite violence, with his veiled but clear Tweets. She calls what Trump does on Twitter #stochasticterrorism. To her delight, it’s been adopted as a hash tag. It means random and unpredictable violence which, she tells us, is the definition of terrorism.Debbie loved this brief conversation and hopes you will too. Juliette is an optimist and endlessly energetic. She's a breath of fresh air during this anxiety-ridden period in the U.S. Towards the end of the interview, she says she has to get off the call to get ready for a CNN appearance. She's 51, she tells us, so she needs time to do her hair and make-up. The CNN segment, on which she appeared minutes later, showed her ready for primetime, Zooming in from her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tune in to hear from an optimistic and inspiring Security Mom (a play on Soccer Mom, in case that didn't jump out at you!). Mentioned in this episode or useful:Juliette on Twitter#stochasticterrorismJulietteKayyem.comBio on WikipediaSecurity Mom: An Unclassified Guide to Protecting Our Homeland and Your Home byJuliette Kayyem (Simon & Schuster 2017; original title)Her articles for The AtlanticSenior Lecturer in International Security at Harvard Kennedy SchoolCNN AnalystJuliette on CNN talking about #stochatisticterrorismReport of the National Commission on Terrorism published June 2000U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityHer recent favorite read for relaxation: The Vanishing Half: A Novel  by Brit Bennett We are looking for a sponsor. If you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media Partners:Next For MeEncore.orgModern Elder Academy Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie Weil.Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Note: The Gap Year Podcast is looking for a sponsor! If you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil.  More about the show here.Debbie brings Alyson Hoggart, one of her oldest and most special friends, onto the show. She and Alyson have a transatlantic friendship of many decades. They are age mates, with almost identical birthdays in the same birth year. They chat about what it’s been like in Europe during COVID, with some interesting detours into Alyson’s life as a widow, with a new boyfriend. They talk about how the lockdown has speeded up this new relationship.Alyson is a retired psychologist and one of the most insightful people Debbie knows. So she picks her brain for a few tips on how to cope, psychologically, during this period of social distancing. They chat briefly about Alyson's children. Amy Hoggart is a well-known actor, writer, and comedian who lives in New York. (Don't miss Amy's hilarious appearances on Full Frontal With Samantha Bee.) Her son Richard, a lawyer, lives in London.They  also talk about Alyson's website, My Horrid Parent. It’s a site with resources for how to cope with a difficult parent, one who is especially critical or judgmental. It's aimed at the young but also the not-so-young. The topic is especially relevant right now for someone younger who may be unexpectedly stuck at home with a parent. Or for those dealing with an isolated elderly parent. It was great for Debbie to catch up with Alyson and she hopes you enjoy listening in to this conversation about life across the pond. Don't miss the bit about Richard's COVID cat.Mentioned in this episode or useful:My Horrid Parent Horrible parents: a survival guide (article in The Guardian)Alyson's daughter: actor, writer, and comedian Amy HoggartIt’s Personal with Amy HoggartAmy's best episodes on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (this is hilarious)Obituary of Alyson's late husband, journalist Simon HoggartUnited Kingdom COVID Map and Case Count (New York Times) We are looking for a sponsor. If you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media Partners:Next For MeEncore.orgModern Elder Academy Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie Weil.Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie Weil and Sam Harrington's blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Debbie Weil brings her husband, Dr. Sam Harrington, back on the show for an update on their evolving state of mind about the continuing pandemic. Like everyone else, they are settling into social distancing for the long haul. This is their new normal, at least for now.After two months of self-isolating in their little apartment in New Haven, CT they drove back to Stonington, ME, the remote coastal village where they live. Debbie knew they would feel much safer in Maine where the infection rate is exceptionally low. Sam is not so sure. The number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Maine is less than 2,000 and the number of deaths, statewide, is fewer than 100, with only one death in their county. Those numbers are as of mid-May 2020. But are they really that much safer? Is there really a safe place anywhere? What they talked about:How Sam is feeling: less fearful but still uncertain.Feeling emotionally safe does not mean we are safe from the virus.The 14-day quarantine for people coming to Maine from out-of-state (known as People From Away or PFAs) and its impact on tourism and the local economy.The tension between locals and PFAs.Will the new normal include immunity licenses or passports? The pros and cons and practicalities.What the proper use of masks and gloves is (and Sam's recent blog post on the topic)BONUS: Sam’s new protest beard... and why it is important  Mentioned in the episode or relevant links:Maine Gov. Janet Mills and COVID-19Dr. Ezekiel EmmanuelDr. Emanuel's JAMA paper on the ethics of COVID-19 licenses or immunity passportsArticle about the ethics of immunity passports (Washington Post)The benefit of a Maine lobster vs. the cost of a Maine life (about the debate over the 14-day quarantine)Sam's blog post: How Safe Will You Be? The Proper Use of Gloves and Masks Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it means so much!Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Julie-Roxane KrikorianPodcast websiteMusic by Manuel Senfft Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie and Sam's blog: Gap Year After Sixty  

Debbie Weil interrupts regular programming to address the Coronavirus pandemic and how this evolving situation is impacting older Americans. She is joined by her husband Sam Harrington, a retired physician, and a recurring guest on the show. They talk about how they are navigating uncertainty and unknowns differently (Sam as a physician, Debbie as a non-physician but with a new hunger for charts and numbers); magical thinking about what lies ahead; and what it really means to be older (they are both 68) and to face the possibility of illness and death.This episode was recorded on March 15, 2020 so the number of positive Coronavirus cases Debbie cites is already sadly out of date. The pandemic in the U.S. continues to worsen: one of their greatest concerns, shared by many others, is that the U.S. hospital system will not have enough ICU beds for those who need them. Older Americans are worrying that medical triage of the critically ill will begin, with the elderly being passed over in favor of younger and potentially stronger patients.The conversation is not about specific guidelines or statistics related to COVID-19, available elsewhere. See Resources below. It is about the psychological aspect of the pandemic. Debbie and Sam talk about how aging and ageism are interwoven; the way social distancing might impact different age groups; and the lingering question of how best to navigate these uncertain and confusing times. What they talk about:The "herd" of elephants in the room: anxiety over who will die, the importance of flattening the curve and the reality of social distancing over a long period of timeHow members of Debbie and Sam’s immediate family have been responding differently to the pandemic (the physicians vs. the non-physicians)How doctors deny their own mortality when they go to work in a public health crisisBeing old - or at least older - during the Coronavirus pandemic and how that feelsMagical Thinking: nonsensical, perhaps, but a way to manage uncertainty and unknownsWhat Debbie and Sam’s biggest fears areWhy the U.S. is not set up for "slow motion" uncertainty At a time of crisis, it felt important to share a conversation between an older - yet young at heart and mind - couple. As Debbie says, there’s a lot of meaning in the words: we are all in this together. She sees a ray of hope in that phrase. Whatever we can do to comfort, to inform or even to entertain each other is useful. Podcasts are having a moment - to do just that. Which is why Debbie decided to go ahead with this episode even though it is not definitive, nor does it address everything. Mentioned in this episode or useful resources:An evolving chart of the Coronavirus trajectory: number of positive cases and number of deaths. Prepared by data visualization journalist John Burn-Murdoch at the Financial Times and based on data pulled from Johns Hopkins, WHO and the CDC.Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now by Tomas Pueyo in Medium. (An article with over 40 million views as of March 19, 2020.)CDC's Coronavirus and COVID-19 resource pageWHO on Coronavirus / COVID-19Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource CenterSTATnews coverage of the CoronavirusHow Epidemiologists Understand the Novel Coronavirus (The New Yorker, March 15, 2020)Johns Hopkins COVID-19 newsletter  Subscribe free. Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it means so much!Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Julie-Roxane KrikorianPodcast websiteMusic by Manuel Senfft Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie and Sam's blog: Gap Year After Sixty

Debbie brings her husband, Dr. Sam Harrington, back on the show to talk about end-of-life and how that relates to the topic of reinvention.They talk about the inevitability of being forced to reinvent yourself in the last stage of your life when you gradually become disabled by disease and old age. It's a reinvention of mindset, if not of action. It’s also a glass half full vs. glass half empty kind of conversation with Debbie saying, "But Sam, I’m one of those who really doesn’t want to think about the end of life." And Sam responding, "Well, you have to." The good news is that you can think about "the hard stop," as Debbie calls it, in a positive way. If you’ve been following Debbie and Sam's conversations on the podcast you know that Sam is very practical but also pretty wise.If this all sounds like doom and gloom, it’s really not. This episode is an affirmation of the time that we have left and how we can use mindfulness around our own mortality to live better lives.What they talk about:How getting closer to the end-of-life connects to the desire for reinvention that many of us craveDr. Doom vs. Dr. Look Ahead: becoming more aware of the healthy time we have left is helpfulActive reinvention vs. reinvention imposed on us as we become more limited and we adjust to thatSam's XYZ options as he looks ahead: both mental & physical challengesDebunking the idea that we're all living longer and that life expectancy is increasing. Not so, Sam says, if you define "living" as being vibrant and healthyThe fear of dependency as you get very old (past 90 or 100)Looking at our parents’ health to get an idea of how we might ageThe difference between Medical Aid in Dying (MAD) and euthanasiaOn the topic of legacy: a traditional Jewish saying when someone dies is "May his or her memory be a blessing" (see links to 75th commemoration of Auschwitz liberation) Mentioned in this episode:S1-EP5: Dr. Sam Harrington on Writing His First Book After Taking a Gap YearAT PEACE: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Samuel Harrington, MD (Hachette, Feb. 2018)Sam's website: samharrington.comSam's bio Dying Healthy ("Virtually all humans will die before age 90 years.") by George Annas (Annals of Internal Medicine, Oct. 2018)Commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz 75 years later (ABC News, Jan. 27, 2020)Auschwitz survivors return after 75 years for memorial ceremony (The Guardian, Jan. 27, 2020) Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it means so much!Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Julie-Roxane KrikorianPodcast websiteMusic by Manuel Senfft Connect with us:Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @debbieweilInsta: @debbieweilDebbie and Sam's blog: Gap Year After Sixty Thanks to our Media Partners!Encore.org, an ideas and innovation hub tapping the talent of those 50+ as a force for good.Modern Elder Academy Navigating mid-life transitions: Grow Whole, Not Old.Next For Me Rewriting +50 life through new work, a new purpose, or a new social contribution.

Debbie chats with her husband, Sam Harrington, about the experience of writing a book and about being a first-time author. Yes, writing a book was on Sam's bucket list but he never seriously considered it until their gap year when he had the time and mental space to focus on it. A practicing physician in D.C. for 31 years, he realized he had deep knowledge and a strong point of view about how the elderly should make decisions at the end of life. The result is AT PEACE: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life (Hachette 2018). Debbie is a nonfiction writing coach and editor and she asks Sam the tough questions about writing his book. This episode will be of interest to anyone who has A BOOK on their bucket list - lots of practical tips and truth-telling. Mentioned in the episode: Gap Year After Sixty: Debbie and Sam's gap year blog (where the book began) AT PEACE: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Samuel Harrington (Hachette 2018) Read the Introduction to Sam's book Interview: The inside story: from stomach doctor to first-time author by Debbie Weil Sam's twitter: @gapyearsam Other end-of-life books Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande Knocking on Heaven's Door by Katy Butler How We Die by Sherwin B. Nuland Support this podcast: Leave a review on iTunes Subscribe and share this episode with friends! Credits: Show creator and host: Debbie Weil Producer/editor: Julie-Roxane Krikorian Podcast website Music by Manuel Senfft Connect with us: Email: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @debbieweil Insta: @debbieweil Thanks to our sponsors! Modern Elder Academy Navigating mid-life transitions: Grow Whole, Not Old Next For Me Rewriting +50 Life

This week we talk about NHL and specifically the Bruins, players, Injuries, possible trades with our resident Bruins expert Sam Harrington!  

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Life might just begin again at 60! There is Another Way to age well. Reinvent yourself. DO something ANOTHER WAY. My guest Debbie Weil is going to talk all about What IS a Gap year for people over 60, her blog and her podcast! After 31 years in Washington DC, and after their three children were grown, Debbie persuaded her physician husband, Sam Harrington, to retire and reinvent how they live by moving to a small town on the coast of Maine. This major life change became the basis for a blog they write together, Gap Year After Sixty. http://gapyearaftersixty.com And for a podcast that she is developing called "A Gap Year For Grown-Ups." [https://soundcloud.com/debbie-…/001-a-gap-year-for-grown-ups]

In this week's episode you will learn about:  ⦾  Hospice, critical and palliative care medicine  ⦾ American health care and the elderly ⦾ Dealing with and understanding the diagnosis ⦾ What to expect at the end of life

In this week's episode you will learn about:  ⦾  Hospice, critical and palliative care medicine  ⦾ American health care and the elderly ⦾ Dealing with and understanding the diagnosis ⦾ What to expect at the end of life

Hear Dr. Sam Harrington as we discuss his book, At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life. Does dying in the hospital hooked up to tubes scare you? What about your parents? How do you have the conversation? When do you decide that a caring choice is the decision to avoid repeated hospitalizations and over testing? You have choices you might not think you have. There are some things that will directly lead you down the path of hospitalization and then death. My guest, Dr. Samuel Harrington is an honors graduate of Harvard College and the University of Wisconsin Medical School. He practiced internal medicine and gastroenterology for more than 30 years in Washington, D.C. There he served on the board of trustees of Sibley Memorial Hospital, a member of the Johns Hopkins Health System, and the former Hospice Care of DC. As the American health care system evolved around him, becoming increasingly complex and increasingly commercialized, Sam became interested in end-of-life issues. We are going to talk about all these things and his book, At Peace, Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life.

After practicing internal medical for 30 years and being a trustee on a hospice board, Dr Sam Harrington decided to refocus his life on informing others on how they can live the best end-life possible. He shares the personal experience of his father's death, and explains how sometimes the best option can be to refuse medical treatment.   Links & Sponsors: breakitdownpod.com Facebook Emery Tour: emerymusic.com Dr Sam Harrington: samharrington.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us want to die peacefully alone at home, but since the advent of medical procedures elongating the human life span, our elder population die, often painfully, in cold institutions. Host Dan Loney speaks with retired physician Sam Harrington, who lays out alternative and practical end-of-life steps for older patients’ health care in his new book "At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life" on Knowledge@Wharton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Samuel Harrington's father had a vision of how he wanted to experience the last days of his life. That vision led Dr. Harrington and his sisters to help their father make end-of-life decisions based on the exit strategy he wanted. It also inspired Harrington's new book, "At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life," a practical and compassionate road-map for facing critical end-of-life decisions. In today's show, Dr. Harrington talks about issues raised in the book, which combines the story of his father's decline and death with a discussion of disease in the elderly. He tells us why, if you want to die at home, it's essential to understand when it's appropriate to say no to hospitalization, he explains how advertising promotes magical thinking about miracle cures and he breaks down some commonly used medical terms. Dr. Harrington shares examples of how the momentum for treatment in medicine can lead to negative outcomes in elderly patients, which could have been prevented, he talks about his own evolution as a physician and he tells us why he chose to go public with his opinions that challenge the medical establishment. "At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life": http://amzn.to/2BFigWf Dr. Harrington's website: https://samharrington.com Check out Sam and his wife Debbie's blog: http://gapyearaftersixty.com Music: "Dryness" by Ketsa | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive

Dec 8, 2013 12:00 PM "Please join us as Pastor Rob helps us a look at the spirit of Christmas through one of Jesus' most well known and thought provoking, fun, and faith affirming parables. "

TalkFEED — We spent the last weekend up at Sun City for the 11 Global that took place at the resort over the weekend and what an amazing weekend it was. We have a jam packed show for you this weekend and on Tri Talk SA this week: Jaryd Browne raced his last race as a junior and we caught up with him after his win in the Sprint race on Saturday.We spoke to Wikus Weber after he was the first elite athlete home in the Sprint. Wikus went on to win the Standard distance race on Sunday too and in doing so claimed the Eleven Squared title for the fastest combined time over the weekend.Sam Harrington was the first lady home on Sunday and we chatted to her about her recent marriage as well as her great win on Sunday.Miguel Viera, the first Angolan to finish an Ironman, spoke to us about his race on Sunday and what he has planned for the upcoming season.The inspiring Frans Lotter completed the standard distance race on Sunday having just completed a course of chemotherapy following being diagnosed with cancer less than a year ago.South African hockey legend Pietie Coetzee also took part in the 11Global this weekend. She raced in both the Sprint and Standard distance and claimed an overall podium spot in her first triathlon. We caught up with Pietie to chat about her amazing hockey career and how she got involved in the sport of triathlon. We also asked Pietie how ... Read more