“On January 1st, 2026, the first baby boomers will turn 80. If 70 is the new 50, will 80 be the new 60? This is just one of the questions we plan to ask Dr James Lergessner who will be the guest speaker at our next meeting,“ said Joy Fenty, President of the Tewantin Noosa Probus Club.
“Last year, Dr Lergessner entertained us with his Snippets…from a Baby Boomer’s Diary. He shared with us his love affair with Brisbane during the conservative Menzies’ decades when nearly four million babies were born in Australia. World War II was over and parents wanted to give their children a far better life than they had experienced. We are thrilled Dr. Lergessner is returning to talk to us about his latest book Ageing ’Down Under’, Feeling Invisible and ’Is 70 the new 50?’“ Joy added.
“Positive ageing is a subject close to my heart“ Dr Lergessner explained. Why do the years and decades pass so quickly as we get older? Does technology speed up our use of time?
From a biological point of view, ageing is essentially the progressive loss of the body’s ability to repair itself. As we age, many people feel their attractiveness is declining. They often feel invisible. Yet they are educated, opinionated, articulate, literate and technically savvy. They also control trillions of dollars and have rations of time on their hands.
Many older people complain that their world has “contracted“. They are no longer flying around having adventures, no longer basking in the past achievements of their careers, or even going out at night. Their world has become disconcertingly “small“. Their self-confidence has waned and there is an absence of structure in their lives.
My story will be filled with the topics and themes I love to explore in life – ties, tensions, triumphs of family, love and humour, found in everyday lives as well as the joyous, or sadder, darker times, which all of us experience.“
As Elvis Presley sang, “You only pass through this life once. You don’t come back for an encore.“
“If you would like to hear Dr Lergessner’s talk, you are welcome to join us at The Tewantin Noosa RSL on Tuesday 25 November. Our meetings start with morning tea at 10am, followed at 10.30 by the guest speaker. To reserve a seat, please phone Christine on 5442 7397.“
