by Positive Aging Community - Steve Gurney
Discussions on a variety of topics related to positive aging and the longevity marketplace. These podcasts are recordings of our live digital discussions on the Zoom platform, to view all recordings and see the upcoming schedule, visit https://www.retirementlivingsourcebook.com/digital-discussions
Language
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Publishing Since
1/1/1970
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March 19, 2026
<p>After retiring from the daily show in 2021, Kojo Nnamdi thought he would finally write his memoir in peace. Instead, station management offered him a part-time role hosting the weekly Politics Hour. That semi-retired structure turned out to be a gift. “I now describe myself as semi-retired,” he said. “It gave me a place to go every day… and that helps a lot.” He contrasted his experience with his father’s retirement in Guyana, which led to inactivity, a stroke, and an early death. “I learned a significant lesson… about what not to do in retirement.”</p><p>Listeners meet:</p><ul><li>A longtime telephone repairman who doodled shoes in high school and later became a professional shoe designer.</li><li>Two retired New York air traffic controllers who took usher jobs at Madison Square Garden — trading control towers for hockey crowds and Rangers fandom. “We are essentially doing the same job… telling people where to go,” they joked. The role gave them free games, star-player encounters, and a vibrant new social circle.</li></ul><ul><li>Mary Kay Fleming (interviewed before her passing), who described aging as a “crisis” of shrinking social circles and changing bodies — then showed how contributing to the world and finding what makes you feel alive can transform it.</li></ul><p>Nnamdi emphasized a common thread: vulnerability. None of the guests positioned themselves as instant experts. “They were all very vulnerable in the mistakes that they made and how they accidentally stumbled into something that gave them purpose, passion, and connected them to community,” Gurney noted.</p><p>The conversation repeatedly returned to three big ideas that resonate deeply with anyone navigating life after 50 or 60:</p><ol><li><strong>Stay curious.</strong> “Curiosity is what I think is the key to the future after we have retired,” Nnamdi said. He urged listeners to revisit old hobbies or volunteer — “You will meet people and you will find new environments in which you might become extremely proficient and find that you might actually love being in those environments.”</li><li><strong>Transform fear into excitement.</strong> Many guests admitted initial terror (one man hesitated to return to school for shoe design; the swimmer felt visceral panic when the water turned black under the bridge). But pushing through turned fear into energy. Nnamdi linked this to a deeper truth: the fear many retirees feel most is death. Staying engaged crowds out that fear. “If we have something to do that is of interest to us, we don’t think a great deal about the hereafter.”</li><li><strong>Build community.</strong> Radio and podcasts create intimate, one-on-one trust. Nnamdi shared a wild story from his early WHUR days: a man bicycled into the station and confessed murders to a veteran DJ because “he’d been listening to me on the radio for years and he considered me his closest friend.” The same intimacy happens in Young at Heart — and in Positive Aging Community discussions. “The people who listen to this podcast are a part of a community who have shared interests,” Nnamdi observed.</li></ol><p>He also praised WAMU’s old "In Your Community” events, where listeners from vastly different neighborhoods discovered they faced the same concerns. “They brought out commonalities that people have.”</p><p>Young at Heart is available on WAMU.org, NPR, and major podcast platforms. New episodes are in the works.</p><p><strong>Want to share your own reinvention story?</strong> Visit the official form at <u>wamu.org/young-at-heart </u>As Nnamdi and Kaufman prove, the best stories often come from ordinary people who simply decided to try something new.</p><p>In closing, Nnamdi quoted the old saying with a smile: “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Whether you’re sketching shoes on the side, ushering at hockey games, swimming under bridges, or simply showing up curious every day, the message is clear: retirement isn’t an ending — it’s an invitation to a new beginning.</p><p>Tune in. Submit your story. And remember — your next chapter might just be the best one yet.</p><p><strong>Listen now:</strong> <a href="https://wamu.org/show/young-at-heart/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><u>wamu.org/show/young-at-heart</u></a> <strong>Share your story:</strong> <a href="https://wamu.org/young-at-heart-share/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><u>wamu.org/young-at-heart-share</u></a></p><p></p>
March 11, 2026
<p>Ever feel overwhelmed by bills, paperwork, and financial records? In this eye-opening discussion, host Steve Gurney of Positive Aging sits down with three experienced Daily Money Managers (DMMs) — Sharon Zissman, Paul Orsinger, and Ed Jackson — to explain exactly what this profession is, who it serves, and why it's becoming an essential part of smart aging planning.In this conversation, you'll learn:What Daily Money Managers do (bill paying, budgeting, medical claims, fraud prevention, and more)How DMMs differ from financial advisors, CPAs, and elder law attorneysWho typically hires a DMM — seniors, busy professionals, sandwich generation families, and solo agersHow DMMs help protect clients from scams and financial fraudWhat to look for when hiring a DMM, and how to find one near youHow the American Association of Daily Money Managers (AADMM) certifies and vets its membersTypical hourly rates ($75–$150/hr) and how the engagement worksWhether you're planning ahead, supporting an aging parent from a distance, or simply ready to hand off the paperwork chaos — this conversation is a must-watch.🔗 Find a certified Daily Money Manager near you: aadmm.com🌐 More resources at: proaging.comPresented in partnership with the Senior Service Alliance.</p>
February 25, 2026
<p>In a candid and deeply moving webinar hosted by the Positive Aging Community, Daniel Zimberoff shared the intimate story behind his memoir Wingman. A former U.S. Navy Top Gun pilot, Zimberoff never expected to write a book—until his father, facing the relentless progression of Parkinson’s disease, turned to him on the eve of his medically assisted death in Switzerland and said, “Danny, tell the story. You’re in charge of the story. Give others the opportunity I had.” <a href="https://a.co/d/0eKv45xl"><u><strong>Wingman: Escorting My Father To A Death With Dignity</strong></u></a></p><p>That request became the catalyst for a memoir that is equal parts love letter, travelogue, and urgent call for open conversations about end-of-life choice.</p><p><strong>A Decade-Long Battle with Parkinson’s</strong></p><p>Zimberoff’s father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s approximately 12 years before his death at age 87. A lifelong athlete and avid tennis player, he first noticed the loss of dexterity and dismissed it as “just old age.” As symptoms worsened—tremors, sleep disruption, cognitive changes, and eventually reliance on a walker—the disease eroded the vibrant life he had known.</p><p>He had long expressed a core fear: “I don’t fear death. I fear dying.” He did not want to burden his three children with watching him suffer, nor did he want to endure a life stripped of joy and independence. Roughly 10 years after diagnosis, when the disease began to profoundly affect both body and personality, he quietly began the rigorous process of arranging a medically assisted death through a Swiss organization called Pegasus.</p><p>“He had already done all the legwork,” Zimberoff recalled. “He was a very independent person—an attorney and accountant—and when he made a decision, it was made.”</p><p><strong>The Emotional Rollercoaster of Family Support</strong></p><p>The family’s journey was far from linear. Zimberoff and his sisters experienced waves of acceptance, resistance, grief, and love. There were moments Zimberoff wanted simply to be a “loving, dutiful son,” and others when he wished his father would “fight more.” Two days before the end, his father shakily wrote, “I love life,” acknowledging grandchildren and family while affirming that his suffering had become unbearable.</p><p>The title Wingman draws directly from Zimberoff’s military experience. In aviation, the wingman is the pilot who flies alongside the flight lead into unknown and sometimes hostile territory, from takeoff to touchdown. Zimberoff became that wingman—accompanying his father from Chicago to Switzerland, staying through the final evaluations, and holding him in the final moments.</p><p><strong>The Final Journey to Switzerland</strong></p><p>Once the date was set, everything accelerated. With only seven days’ notice at the height of Europe’s summer travel season, Zimberoff coordinated flights, wheelchair assistance, hotel arrangements, and last-minute logistics while his sister flew in from Italy. In Switzerland, two days of medical and psychiatric evaluations preceded the chosen day.</p><p>The process itself was described as seamless and profoundly peaceful. The method used an intravenous medication similar to what is administered before surgery—only in a higher dose. “You just go to sleep, and then it stops your heart in a couple of minutes,” Zimberoff explained. His father died in the arms of his son, daughter, and son-in-law.</p><p>“It was incredibly peaceful,” he said. “He died in peace and love.”</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Broader Conversation: Options, Autonomy, and Breaking the Taboo</strong></p><p>Michelle Witte, Executive Director of Final Exit Network, joined the discussion and provided important context. In the United States, medical aid in dying (MAID) is legal in 14 jurisdictions (including the District of Columbia), but strict criteria apply—typically a terminal prognosis of six months or less and self-administration of the medication. Only about 12,000–13,000 people have used it over 30 years, roughly one per day.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p></p>
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Discussions on a variety of topics related to positive aging and the longevity marketplace.
These podcasts are recordings of our live digital discussions on the Zoom platform, to view all recordings and see the upcoming schedule, visit https://www.retirementlivingsourcebook.com/digital-discussions
This podcast updates bi-weekly.
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