Robert J. Bannon

My constantly evolving world has now led to retirement, well, sort of. Writing has become more important and so that is what I'm doing. Old folks should share some of the lessons we have learned in life. We have this bias that wisdom comes from people with tremendous success stories, but I find that hard to relate to. The people who have gone through difficult situations and never gave up are the ones who possess real wisdom. If we are observant, knowledge comes from making a few mistakes and then correcting them. I have made more than my fair share of mistakes, so why not share how these have shaped my life? Perhaps they can help you. I am now using my personal experiences in business, investing, finance and personal growth to create a series of books dedicated to living life successfully. I recently published a 6 book series called, EXTRA RETIREMENT INCOME IS SEXY, to provide seniors and retirees with opportunities for additional income and wealth building. But some of the biggest benefits will come from the connection they make to other people, the sense of accomplishment and the creativity and inspiration that results from these activities. Besides writing, I am enjoying spending more time with my long-suffering wife, my 2 children and our 3 wonderful grand sons. We are doing more travelling (covid permitting) and I am determined to golf myself into poverty - beware! Backpacking the West Coast Trail was a life-affirming and a life-changing experience that continues to influence me to this day. It led to my first experience with writing and publishing The West Coast Trail: One Step at a Time. On a sad note, my hiking partner and one of my best friends was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's and passed away in 2013. In retrospect, I now realize that even as we hiked the Trail, he was already in the grip of this devastating disease. The West Coast Trail experience, in addition to the births of his two daughters, remained the highlight of his life. I was fortunate enough to visit with him on the 10th anniversary of hiking the trail - the last time I saw him - he died a few days later.