Last week I was watching a rerun of “I Love Lucy” and got to thinking: What if we fast-forwarded Ricky and Fred into today’s marketplace to see how their career choices would have turned out? And what if we did the same exercise with our chosen professions? Will our choices stand the test of time? And should they? You may remember that Ricky was a Cuban singer and band leader in a New York City nightclub. Fast-forward Ricky’s profession to this day and age, and there’s a good possibility Ricky would be out of work, what with the rise of rock ’n’ roll and the demise of live big band shows in NYC. At the very least, Ricky would need to reinvent himself. Now Fred, he’s a different story. Both he and Ethel were former vaudevillians. Fred lived through the Great Depression and was known for his penny-pinching nature. After vaudeville, Fred used his savings to purchase an NYC apartment building. Fast-forward Fred’s profession— owner of an apartment building on the Upper East Side of...

It should come as no surprise that the rate of change in our world is accelerating. Or maybe it is a surprise? These days, change occurs so continually and rapidly that we may not realize the impact of this change until we reflect upon it and bring it into closer view. Economists, scientists and futurists have predicted that 78 million baby boomers becoming seniors will have a tremendous effect on society. Aging boomers are already putting a strain on our healthcare systems. The increase in the divorce rate has made life more complex. This rise in blended families (mother, fathers, stepfathers and stepmothers, in-laws and step-in-laws) will make the choice of how we care for our elders much more challenging. The idea of work has been changing. The career you once held may no longer be available or you may simply want to do something different for reasons of your own. Social norms are changing. Retirement may not be a relaxed, worry-free lifestyle. Today it may mean working...