This column is for the Davis County men and women in their late 50s or approaching retirement. It is also for their younger sons and daughters whose lives would be easier if mom and dad retired comfortably.

It’s not about income. It’s about ice cream – or at least that’s what an MIT aging expert suggests – and it focuses on where aging adults choose to live.

We’ll get to the ice cream later. In his book (“The Longevity Economy”), Joseph Coughlin states that retirement should not be the time to relax. Instead, it can be a time for growth, following a passion, finding a new interest, or simply enjoying life’s small moments of enjoyment and grace without having to worry about punching a time clock, pleasing the boss, or making sure the children get to their Little League or dance practice on time.

Too many people, he says, withdraw from life as they advance in age. “That is a loss to society,” a loss of wisdom, experience, and knowledge. Instead, retirees should become engaged whether it be in a part-time job or volunteer work. 

“It’s the little things that make me happy,” says Coughlin.  “A blueberry muffin, a cup of coffee, and a newspaper.” Yet these little things are connected to where you live.

Often, retirees seek out “over-55 communities” restricting ownership to those of a certain age. However, Coughlin claims that research shows “there are benefits to living in a multi-generational community, meaning people of all ages.”  His preferred sites would be larger cities or college towns since both usually have convenient medical care, sports, restaurants, and he writes, “interesting people.”

Are there walking paths and trails near your home? Can you bike or walk to lunch? Are their younger people living near you so you can see first-hand new concepts instead of becoming cemented in set ideas?

And that’s where ice cream enters the picture.

If ice cream makes you smile, he notes, then you must live in a neighborhood that has an ice cream store. Furthermore, you must have the mobility, freedom, and enough cash in your pocket to get there and purchase a cone (in my case, pralines and cream)!

Retirement is not all about taking trips; few of us have the ability to be world travelers. Also, some of us don’t have the grandchildren living nearby or have the patience to watch them for more than two hours at a time. As lifespans increase, there will be a continued surge of “over-the-hill” men and women in Davis County.

“Over-the hill” is a whole lot better than being “under the hill.” You don’t see ice cream at the funeral home. 

Bryan Gray, a longtime Davis County resident, is a former school teacher and has been a columnist for more than 26 years in newspapers along the Wasatch Front. λ