When I get older, losing my hair,
Many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
* * * * *
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone,
You can knit a sweater by the fireside,
Sunday morning, go for a ride.
Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I’m sixty-four?
Every summer we can rent a cottage
In the Isle of Wight, if it’s not too dear.
We shall scrimp and save,
Grandchildren on your knee –
Vera, Chuck and Dave.
* * * * *
Give me your answer, fill in a form,
Mine for evermore.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four?
“When I'm Sixty-Four” (Paul McCartney)
Released: June 2, 1967
Columbia Records
During the summer of 1967, I was 14 years old and in transition between my last year in junior high school and my first year in high school. I was very busy that summer playing Pony-Colt baseball and caddying at Red Run Golf Club. What made that summer special for me was the release of a truly unique album called “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” In the history of rock and roll music, no album has been as important or influential.
From its innovative pop-art cover to the hallucinogenic hues of its music, Sgt. Pepper’s took pop music to the level of high art (no pun intended). In the intricate aural tapestry of Sgt. Pepper’s is the sound of The Beatles rebelling against musical convention and, in doing so, opening wide the door for the sonic experimentation that launched progressive rock, metal, new wave and every other form of popular music that followed. Listening to Sgt. Pepper’s has been compared to witnessing rock music’s own big bang.
Paul McCartney is credited with suggesting The Beatles create an alter-ego band. By throwing off the constraints of their identity as “The Beatles,” the band would be free to create whatever they wanted to.
Sgt. Pepper’s is often described as the first “concept” album, though the alter-ego idea is really only present in the album’s opening numbers and the reprise of the title song toward the end. If there is no conventional story line, there is an underlying theme: each song of the album becomes another act in Sgt. Pepper’s show.
When Sgt. Pepper’s was released in the United States in June 1967, it was met by worshipping fans like me with astonishment and delight. While I loved the melody and lyrics for the song “When I’m Sixty-Four,” I couldn’t imagine the day when I would actually be that age. But as hard as it is for me to believe, on September 11, 2016, I will be 64 years old. The song has a much different meaning to me now.
Being on the cutting edge as it always is, the OCBA provides services and opportunities for we baby boomer members who are reaching 64 and beyond. Interestingly, 21 percent of the OCBA membership are between the ages of 50 and 59, 22 percent are between 60 and 69, and 12 percent are 70 years and older. The OCBA unquestionably has much to offer our baby boomer membership and, equally important, this significant group of OCBA members has much to offer the OCBA.
One of the very active and vital committees of the OCBA is the Lawyers of a Certain Age (LOCA). Since its inception, LOCA has been co-chaired by OCBA Past President Judy Cunningham and retired Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Edward Sosnick. After holding a strategy session with baby boomer members of the OCBA, LOCA developed three agendas for its members.
The mission statement for LOCA involves promoting social activities, transition-in-practice opportunities, and special skill development of LOCA members. The social program objective for LOCA is designed to support/sponsor a variety of social activities that allow interaction with the larger bar association and also targeting peer opportunities that address challenges such as isolation, family concerns and declining health.
The transition-in-practice objective is designed to develop and find partnerships for programs that support lawyers as they prepare for or respond to transitions in their practice, whether it is from reducing their practice (full time to part time), going from a large firm to solo, closing a practice, planning for retirement – or, unexpected practice transitions such as diminished capacity or sudden unexpected incapacity.
A final target objective of the LOCA committee is to create opportunities/partnerships for lawyers of a certain age to contribute their talents as seasoned, experienced lawyers through integration with OCBA programs and activities, and also to serve the Oakland County community at large. LOCA serves the baby boomer generation of the OCBA by continually providing these members with educational and fun ways of staying active and involved in the practice of law.
LOCA’s first year in 2014-2015 was centered on a “wellness” theme, with speakers discussing financial, mental, physical and relationship wellness. LOCA members heard relationship therapists Drs. Cathy and John Pietrofesa, who are also “of a certain age,” discuss relationships of adults age 60 and older.
Another very interesting topic dealt with by the LOCA group was “keeping up with the grandkids” and social media. Two social media technicians from Oakland County shared information and answered numerous questions regarding Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. for the LOCA members. This presentation was such an overwhelming success it ran 1½ hours past its allotted time.
On October 2, 2015, LOCA had its first annual Miniature Golf Outing. This event was held at the miniature golf course at 13 Mile Rd. and Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak. Judy Cunningham, who had never played miniature golf in her life, got a hole in one on the first hole. Yours truly brought his ‘A-game” to the tournament and won the first-ever LOCA Miniature Golf Outing, receiving a beautiful champion’s plaque to commemorate this auspicious accomplishment.
Lastly, in late October 2015 the LOCA group met with the New Lawyers Committee. This meeting was held at Mex restaurant in Bloomfield Hills. There was a great turnout of both LOCA and New Lawyers members. “War stories” and “lessons learned” were shared by the LOCA members with the New Lawyers in attendance. This cross-generational meeting of new and seasoned lawyers was well received by all who attended and is an event that will be repeated in the future.
The Oakland County Bar Association is constantly on the lookout for ways to make involvement in it more meaningful and enjoyable for our new lawyers, our mid-career lawyers and our seasoned lawyers. LOCA is but one example of how the OCBA responds in order to remain relevant and helpful to its members. For those lawyers of a certain age who have not participated in LOCA, I strongly urge you to do so. You will find the collegiality of this committee to be wonderful and the topics discussed at the meetings to be relevant to where you are in the life process.
Thank you, Judy and Ed, for all of your hard work in making LOCA an unqualified success. I truly look forward to continuing to be a LOCA member when I turn 64 and for many years after that.
————————
David Carl Anderson, of Law Office of David C. Anderson PC, is the 83rd president of the Oakland County Bar Association. Share thoughts about the OCBA or anything else with Anderson at 248-649-5502 or dcalaw08@att.net.
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