Looking Back at a Year of “45 Forward”— And What a Year It Was!

January 17, 2022
Hosted by Ron Roel

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Episode Description

This month marks the one year anniversary since host Ron Roel launched 45 Forward, with a mission each week to help listeners, from Los Angeles to Long Island, make their second half of life even better than the first. In today’s episode, Ron will be celebrating his anniversary by sharing with listeners a number of vivid highlights during the year, inspiring stories of unusual guests, several surprising lessons he learned, and some of his plans for offering engaging and provocative shows in the coming year. In the midst of the first COVID winter, Ron’s aim was to provide a show that instilled confidence in his listeners in the midst of an anxious time—not simple answers to the challenges of mid-life and beyond, but strategies to prepare for a future for which there’s no road map. Ron will look back at the wide array of compelling show topics: how to find enduring friendships; preparing for life’s inevitable crises and emergencies; enjoying multi-generational experiences; preparing to age in place with safety and comfort; understanding the emotional mindset of people with dementia; combating social isolation and loneliness; and planning for successful chapters in later life, whether finding second careers, “solo-aging,” or finding new passions and pursuits. Ron will recall the uplifting stories of a host of guests, including mid-life entrepreneurs; an international corporate consultant-turned historical mystery writer; a Wall Street financial expert who became tech trainer for seniors; and veteran journalist who created a ground-breaking program to teach “news literacy” in an age of social media. And listeners will have the opportunity to call in to the show, and hear Ron’s latest thoughts on what we all need to age well, with dignity, vitality and security.

45 Forward

Monday at 12 Noon Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel

Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.

My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.

The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.

Ron Roel

I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.

I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.

I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.

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