Bill Monty's Guide For Getting Older: Aging, Living Well, and What Comes Next
A podcast about aging, life transitions, purpose, and the experiences that shape us as we grow older…Join host Bill Monty for an informative and entertaining series that seamlessly blends practical advice with current events and lifestyle options.SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://buymeacoffee.com/billmonty0bBecause aging isn’t just about getting older—it’s about understanding the life you’re living while you’re still living it.For questions or comments, reach out to us at Billmonty04@gmail.com.https://monty73162.wixsite.com/gettingolder/tales-from-south-florida
Anticipatory Grief: Are You Grieving Something That Hasn’t Happened Yet?
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Can you grieve someone before they die?
Can you experience grief over something you haven't actually lost?
Are you preparing yourself for something that may happen someday—or are you already grieving it today?
Those are some of the questions Bill Monty explores in this episode of Bill Monty’s Guide for Getting Older.
(HINT: The answer to the first question is yes.)
...Legacy and Immortality; Life Lessons Pt. 3
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I continue the Life Lessons Series with a reflection on Dying and Immortality and how your attitude towards these can change as you get older.
Facing the end of life can be one of the most challenging experiences, yet it is a journey we all must embark upon. Have you ever pondered how to prepare for the inevitability of death or what legacy you wish to leave behind?
Join me, Bill Monty, as we navigate these profound questions, inspired by the quote from beloved actor...
I Know Who I Am: Howard Cosell and Me
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In this episode of Bill Monty's Guide for Getting Older, I talk about the confidence that comes from honest self-awareness — knowing your values, understanding your boundaries, accepting yourself and learning that you don't have to fight every battle you're invited to.
Knowing who you are doesn't mean becoming arrogant, difficult or confrontational. In fact, true confidence often allows us to become calmer, more compassionate and more willing to disagree without creating conflict.
To help illuminate the point, I share a...
Are You Doing the Best You Can?
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As we get older, it's easy to replay our mistakes and wonder if we could have done better. But what if the real measure of a life isn't perfection—it's simply doing the best we could with the knowledge, resources, and circumstances we had at the time?
In this episode of Bill Monty's Guide for Getting Older, Bill explores why success and failure don't define us nearly as much as our willingness to keep trying. Inspired in...
Healthy Caregiving (Without Guilt)
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Caregiving is one of the greatest expressions of love—but it can also be physically and emotionally exhausting. In this episode of Bill Monty's Guide for Getting Older, Bill Monty shares practical strategies to help caregivers protect their own health while continuing to provide compassionate care.
You'll learn how to reduce stress, avoid burnout, set healthy boundaries, celebrate small victories, and remember that taking care of yourself is an essential part of taking care of someone else.
...Millennials vs. Baby Boomers: What's Happening Here?
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Are Baby Boomers really trying to make Millennials feel bad about themselves? Some Millenial TikTok'rs, bloggers and YouTubers say YES! Boomers have no empathy towards us. "They don't understand what we're going through."
I have some thoughts on this. Hit PLAY and we'll talk.
Heard in This Episode:
Canadian Kindness
Empathy and Isolation
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What's On TV? Four Favorites For You To Watch
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Do you ever find yourself just channel surfing looking for something on tv? Whether you have cable, or you stream (like me) watching apps most of the time it seems like you always end up saying, "There's nothing to watch".
Hang in there, True Believers cause help is on the way.
In this episode, I discuss three shows and one movie that I find funny, engaging, touching and just the right amount of old-fashioned (this doesn't mean boring) e...
How to Protect Your Peace: The Last 3 Steps to a Better Life
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In this episode of *Bill Monty’s Guide for Getting Older*, Bill wraps up the final three steps of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and explores how these timeless principles can help anyone live a more peaceful, meaningful, and fulfilling life — whether or not addiction has ever been part of their story.
This episode concludes Bill’s special series on applying the wisdom of the AA steps to everyday living and aging with grace, perspective, and purpose.
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, subscribe, and share the podcast with f...
Making Amends: Using the 12 Steps for a More Fulfilling Life
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In the 12 Steps, or Traditions, of AA, Steps 8 and 9 stand out as the vital actions to help heal old wounds, but admitting that our words and eeds from long ago might need addressing today can be difficult.
Let's talk about how it can be accomplished and what life looks like afterwards.
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The 12 Steps to a More Fulfilling Life: A Moral Inventory
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In a continuation of The 12 Steps series, I examine the concept, derived from the 12 traditions of AA, of conducting a moral inventory in order to create a more truthful version of ourselves...for us.
It can be hard to to admit the wrongs we have done to others, but it can even more difficult to admit the wrongs that we have done to ourselves. Conducting a moral inventory just may the way for you to do that and begin living a more forving, peaceful life.
...12 Steps for a Fulfilling Aging Journey - Honest Self-Reflection
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Have you ever felt like your life was unmanageable?
We're supposed to be wiser as we get older but even at our age, we're making the same mistakes, and we have the same problems we've had throughout our lives.
I might have an answer for you, and it can be found, believe it or not, in The 12 Steps used in programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. Simply put, if we apply these same ideals to our d...
A God of Your Understanding: AA, Aging and Daylight Savings Time
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In this episode, Bill Monty explores the concept from Alcoholics Anonymous of developing a “God of your understanding.” Rather than prescribing a specific religious belief, this idea invites individuals to form their own spiritual understanding of a higher power.
Bill discusses how this concept can help people—especially as they age—develop serenity, humility, and compassion, while letting go of the need to control everything in life. The episode examines how spirituality, regardless of religious affiliation, can bring inner peace, purpose, and a stronger desire to...
The Preciousness of Time: How Aging Reminds Us That Every Moment Matters.
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Growing older brings challenges. Bodies slow down. Tasks become harder. But with age also comes wisdom, clarity, and a deeper appreciation for the small, beautiful moments that make life meaningful.
In this episode, Bill Monty talks about the lessons that come with age: why sunsets suddenly feel more meaningful, why the laughter of a child can stop you in your tracks, and why—after a lifetime of compromise—you finally realize you don’t have to make everyone happy anymore.
This episode is a reminder to live fully, appreciate the pr...
Living Alone-Pros & Cons, NFL is Making Me Angry, Sleepy Don Strikes Again
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In this episode, Bill Monty explores the new reality of seniors who live alone and are loving it. What are the Pros and Cons? How can you ensure your safety and happiness if you are aging in your own company?
GET OFF OF MY LAWN - In this episode's GET OFF OF MY LAWN segment, Bill wonders why the NFL is making it so hard to watch football games and what his team, the Houston Texans, can do to help him out. #houstontexans
American Nightmare - What is sleepy...
Can Seniors Save Democracy?
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It is time for another look at the ongoing mystery we call an American government as seen through the eyes of Young People Who Have Lived a Long Time. Because we know that the this Twilight Zone-esque farce is not how it has been or how it should be.
We as older citizens of the world can lead. So let's do it.
And now a recap on what #donnydollhands has been up to this week...oy.
#america #democracy #history #lifelessons
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A Song for Alex Pretti and Renee Good
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January 24, 2026. Another American citizen is murdered by an arm of the government.
Do not forget the dying breaths of those being killed for no reason.
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https://www.speakpipe.com/GuideforGettingOlder
You or your idea might be on the next episode!
Be sure to listen to Tales From South Florida, the...
When Kindness Isn’t Enough Anymore
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In this episode, Bill Monty reflects on a message he has often shared—be kind to one another—and explains why the current moment demands something more from older Americans.
Drawing on lived experience and historical memory, Bill discusses why anger, when informed and purposeful, can be a responsible and necessary response to the erosion of democratic norms. He explores how the balance of power outlined in the U.S. Constitution is meant to function, why executive overreach should concern citizens of all ages, and how agencies like...
Ten Fun, Practical Resolutions for Getting Older in the New Year
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As the new year begins, resolutions don’t have to be punishing or unrealistic—especially as we get older. In this episode, Bill Monty shares ten fun, practical, and meaningful New Year’s resolutions designed specifically for older adults heading into the next 365 days. From movement and sleep to laughter, learning, and connection, these resolutions focus on feeling better, living fully, and aging with confidence—without guilt or pressure.
Whether you choose one resolution or all ten, this episode offers encouragement, perspective, and a reminder that getting older can still be joyful.<...
Christmas Traditions — A Trip Back to the Holidays of Yesteryear
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In this nostalgic episode of Bill Monty’s Guide for Getting Older, Bill takes a warm and funny trip down memory lane to revisit the holiday traditions from the 1930s through the 1980s that have all but disappeared. From aluminum Christmas trees with spinning light wheels, tinsel that sparkled but had an "edge" to it, Christmas caroling, and Christmas catalogs kids treated like priceless treasure, we celebrate the simple joys that shaped our childhood holidays. Join us for stories, laughs, and memories that will take you right back to those magical mo...
Medicare, Medicaid and the Price of Growing Older in America
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In this episode, I not only revisit the never-ending saga of Medicare and Medicaid and the failure of these systems for many Americans but I alsom look at one particular man. His name was Peter David. He was an author, and he was a star among comic book fans for his amazing body of work for the major publishers of science fiction and super-heroes.
But...when he needed someone to leap tall buildings in a single bound for him, when he and his family thought that they could rely on the...
Dame Patricia Routledge and the Art of Aging Gracefully
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This week, we say farewell to Dame Patricia Routledge — the unforgettable Hyacinth “Bouquet” from Keeping Up Appearances. At 96, Dame Patricia left behind more than laughter; she left lessons on living fully at every age.
From British sitcom fame to singing opera in Italian at 60, painting flowers at 80, and baking rye bread at 95, Dame Patricia never stopped learning, laughing, or blooming. In this episode, I reflect on her remarkable life and what it teaches us about embracing aging — not as an ending, but as a beautiful new chapter.
We’ll also talk...
Happy International Podcast Day!
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I'm celebrating International Podcast Day today! Thank you for your support of my podcasts, Bill Monty's Guide for Getting Older and Tales from South Florida, BUT, if you've ever wondered what podcasts I listen to, I'm gonna tell you here.
I hope that you will give these independent podcasters a listen because they are the heart and soul of podcasting around the world.
So, hit that play button and let's get started.
Support the show
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...
We've Been Here Before: Senior Wisdom in Divided Times
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In this episode, I explore how today's political division, fear, and censorship in America echo some of the darkest chapters in our history - the American Revolution, the Civil War, the McArthy era of the 1950's, Vietnam, Nixon, Watergate and the horror and terror pf 9/11.
Is it time for young people who have lived a very long time to take up the reins of common sense and attempt to quell the fires of suspicion and hatred that have caused us to lose the ability to have civil...
Love After 50: How Romance Grows as We Get Older
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LOVE!
It’s the one word that can calm anger, inspire poets, turn sadness into sonnets, and give hope to the hopeless. When we’re young, love feels like a fiery rush—adrenaline, passion, and fantasy all wrapped together. Many say nothing ever compares to that first wild spark.
But is that really true?
In this episode of Bill Monty’s Guide for Getting Older, we explore how love changes as we age. Do our expectations of romance fade, or does love grow into something deeper...
When Life Hands You Lemons...
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When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. But how? In this episode, we journey back to the early 20th century and examine the true story of a German immigrant named Carl Laemmle. His journey from bookkeeper to Hollywood pioneer shows how reinvention after loss can change the world.
This fascinating journey takes us from the streets of New York to the founding of Hollywood, all because one man asked: "What can I create out of what they took from me?" It's a timeless lesson about reinvention that applies whether you're 25 o...
Purpose After Passion Fades: John Mellencamp and Van France
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Have you ever felt like you're just going through the motions of life without purpose? That gutting lyric from John Mellencamp—"life goes on long after the thrill of living is gone"—might hit closer to home than you'd like to admit.
This episode explores the profound difference between merely existing and truly living through purpose, connecting Mellencamp's sobering observation with the revolutionary work of Van Arsdale France, Disney's forgotten culture architect. In 1955, France transformed Disney and eventually the entire service industry with one beautifully simple idea.
This seven-word miss...
Taking Back Your Birthday: Top 5 Senior Celebration Ideas
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Birthdays can shift in meaning as we age, but they remain powerful opportunities for reflection, celebration, and reimagining what matters in our later years.
• Aging is not a curse but a privilege denied to many
• Birthdays in senior years often prompt complex emotions about mortality, legacy, and meaning
• Creative celebration ideas include gratitude gatherings, legacy letters, and bucket list adventures
• Listener stories showcase meaningful birthday traditions that focus on connection rather than material gifts
• Maintaining a sense of humor helps navigate aging with grace and resilience...
I'm Old-Fashioned That Way
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A chance encounter at the grocery store—where a teenage couple mocked my handwritten shopping list as "old-fashioned"—sparked a deeper reflection on values that seem to be fading from our society. Is being old-fashioned about recognizing what practices and principles remain valuable despite their age?
What happened to respect? Not blind deference, but basic consideration for elders, authority figures, and community needs. Where has kindness gone? The simple courtesy that creates human connection seems increasingly rare.
I miss the days when honesty and integrity weren't negotiable—when someone's word a...
Real Talk: My Conversation with Harold
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Join me and meet Harold from New Jersey.
A long-time listener, Harold opted in on my offer to be a guest on the podcast and discuss his experience of getting older.
And boy, I'm glad he did.
Harold shares his journey from growing up in 1950s Brooklyn to embracing new opportunities in retirement. His reflections on aging, legacy, and self-discovery reveal how getting older can be a liberating experience that brings wisdom, purpose, and a deeper appreciation for life's fragility.
His humor and gentle manner w...
Social Security's Hidden Penalties
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Are you aware of Social Security's hidden penalties, aggressive overpayment recoupment, and looming insolvency that threatens the financial security of current and future retirees. This episode explores little-known aspects of Social Security, including tax penalties, the flawed COLA system, and recent policy changes that make it harder for seniors to maintain financial stability.
Episode 1 Social Security, Howard Beale and Me: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2192481/episodes/13006249
Episode 14 Applying for Social Security: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2192481/episodes/13984944
Contact me at BillMonty04@gmail.com with your comments about so...
The Self-Pity Trap
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It's been a tough week. I know I can share these things with you but coming back up to the surface for air was hard. BUT, I found a poem that perfectly captures the journey of aging – learning to shed what's no longer relevant while moving forward without forgetting our past.
As I get closer to my 7th decade, I've been reflecting on how important it is to focus on the future rather than dwelling on what's been lost. To that end, I'm turning a page in this podcast ab...
Canadian Kindness
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Ever wonder what genuine kindness feels like when it permeates an entire city? After celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary in Montreal, I returned with more than just fond memories—I came back with a profound lesson about how we might all approach life differently.
What struck me most was the noticeable calm and enjoyment of daily life evident in Montreal's residents. Despite facing the same global uncertainties as Americans, they seemed unburdened by the chronic anxiety that characterizes so muc...
My Top 5 Tips to a Long Marriage
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Forty years of marriage has taught me more about life, love, and commitment than I could have ever imagined as a young groom back in 1985. What seems remarkable to many—staying married for four decades—has been a journey filled with everyday moments of growth, challenge, and deep connection.
Marriage longevity isn't magic or luck. It's built on five fundamental principles I've discovered through years of practice and I'm discussing those here.
Stick around to the end as I wrap it up with THE one, true method to help you...
What 5 Things Make Seniors Cranky?
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Aging brings unexpected emotional challenges that often manifest as irritability or anger, but there's more to these reactions than simple crankiness. We explore the hidden causes behind age-related frustration and offer compassionate strategies for both seniors and their loved ones.
• Cognitive changes cause frustration as thinking slows down and decision-making takes longer
• Chronic pain creates constant discomfort that naturally affects mood and temperament
• Loss of independence when needing help with once-simple tasks is profoundly demoralizing
• Medication side effects often go unrecognized as contributors to mood changes
• Accumulated grief from...
EHEAP: Seniors Get Electric Bills Paid for Free!
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Our episode focuses on discussing essential resources for seniors struggling to pay their energy bills, highlighting the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program for the Elderly (eHEAP). This program provides crucial financial support, ensuring seniors can keep their homes safe and comfortable despite rising living costs.
• Highlighting the challenges seniors face with increased energy costs
• Explaining the eHEAP program and its funding benefits
• Eligibility criteria for seniors to access assistance
• Overview of necessary documentation for application
• Step-by-step guide on how to apply for aid
• Encouraging listeners to share information...
The Friendship Bench and Other Anxiety Solutions
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The episode delves into managing anxiety and fostering community connections in these uncertain times, emphasizing the importance of shared wisdom and positive practices. It discusses practical resources, including podcasts, and offers insights on impactful initiatives like the 'Friendship Bench. Discussing current anxiety levels among seniorsThe importance of shared life experiences in fostering connectionResource recommendations: beneficial podcasts and mindfulness practicesThe concept of the 'Friendship Bench' as a mental health initiativeEncouraging activism without compromising mental well-beingAnnouncements about participation in PodcasThon 2025Introduction of 'Bill Monty's World of Podcasts' live event series. To learn more write Billmonty04@gmail.c...When Was the Best Time To Be Alive?
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When was, or is, the best time to be alive?
In this episode, we explore the nostalgia surrounding the generations that came before and after the Baby Boomer generation. I reflect on how music, technology, and historical events shaped our lives and perspectives. By comparing past and present experiences, we foster a deeper understanding of what makes today’s generation unique while honoring memories that connect us all.
Join us at our new social media home, BLUESKY.
https://bsky.app/profile/podcasterbill.bsky.social
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...Senior Discounts in 2025
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It's a new year with new savings for those youngsters 50 years and up.
Join me as I showcase various discounts available to seniors in 2025, from dining savings to travel deals, enhancing financial wellness for listeners. Important insights include senior-specific promotions from popular brands and practical tips to maximize savings potential.
• Incredible Senior Savings at National Parks
• Amazon Prime discounts for seniors receiving assistance
• Discounts at restaurants like IHOP and Denny's
• Marriott Hotel savings for seniors aged 62 and older
• Walgreens Senior Day and reward program benefits
• T-Mobile's affordable plans...
Behind the Scenes: Podcasting with Dave Campbell
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Have you ever been curious about what happens behind the scenes with podcasters, influencers and creators? If so, this is the episode for you.
In this Special Edition, meet Dave Campbell, a podcaster from Canada with EIGHT podcasts, who kindly gave me the opportunity to sit in as a co-host on one of his shows, The How To Podcast Series. As two guys who have gotten older, and thankfully continue to do so, we share our thoughts on life, podcasting and other things.
Sit back, relax and hit that play button.
Are We Losing Our Past? Life Lessons Pt. 7
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Have you ever wondered why some cultural touchstones seem to vanish with each passing generation? At a recent holiday gathering, I was caught off guard when a trivia game revealed that many hadn't seen the timeless classic "It's a Wonderful Life." This revelation sparked a deeper reflection on how the curiosity to explore the past through influential films, books, and TV shows might be waning. Join us as we recount personal stories of how these cultural landmarks played pivotal roles in shaping our understanding of the world. We ponder whether this generational disconnect...
