Second Journey is among a small number

of emerging organizations helping birth a new vision of the rich possibilities of the second half of life.

That vision sees the Longevity Revolution — the dividend of extra years which in this past century has extended life expectancy by 30-plus years — not as a demographic time bomb threatening the social safety net, but as an unprecedented historic opportunity:

• an opportunity to open new avenues for individual growth and spiritual deepening — so that our longer lives become more meaningful lives;
• an opportunity to birth a renewed ethic of service and mentoring in later life; and
• an opportunity to encourage the growth of new communities — and new models OF community — to support living, learning, and social change for the 21st century.

Captured in shorthand… Mindfulness, Service, and Community in the Second Half of Life.

Since our first VISIONING COUNCIL, held in October 2003 at Wildacres (below) on the beautiful Blue Ridge in western North Carolina, our energies have focused on the third “opportunity.” We recognize that existing institutions — from senior centers to Sun City — are based on assumptions about “the elderly” that do not apply to the generation of Baby Boomers now poised to redefine later life. 

Our culture is entering a fertile period of social experimentation. The current conventional  “continuum of care” — which includes catered and assisted-living facilities and nursing homes, late life options you will NOT find covered in the pages of this Guide — is being replaced by promising new forms, promising innovative solutions to the challenge of Creating Community in Later Life.  Sparking, then incubating, such innovation has been the goal of our regional Visioning Councils — “democratic think tanks” that have now been conducted in venues across the country.

We invite you to be a part of this continuing work by suggesting a relevant article, book, or link to an organization or agency for the different sections. Moreover, a number of pages recognize a Contributing Editor. We hope to recruit others to play a similar role for the remaining pages; their job will be to refresh the narrative copy on the page once or twice a year and select from the suggested links submitted by readers.

Finally, in the banner for each page YOU are invited to become a colleague in this important work of social transformation by making a financial contribution to Second Journey.

Your generous support is appreciated!

Venues of previous Visioning Councils have included
	Estes Park CO 2004	Litchfield CT 2004	Sherburne NY 2005	San Rafael CA 2005	Whidbey Is. WA 2006