Once Upon A Time
Once upon a time, I didn't understand the words coming out of your mouth. Once upon a time, I did morning pages diligently from The Artist's Way series. Daily morning journaling cleared my head and got me ready for the day.
Now? I spend my mornings looking up definitions of words from the day before. Ironically, in August of 2021, I started learning Web3 terminology looking up definitions for five minutes a day. That's how I started diving down Web3 rabbit holes.
Life's too short to get left behind. Time gets shorter as you get older. A year feels like a month, a month a weekend. I am afraid my time is running out. I started learning because I was afraid, now I learn because I want to have a better quality of life as I get older.
The evolution of technology accelerating, financial systems and markets changing, I am just trying to keep up with it all. Most days I do it scared, whatever it is, I do it scared. My fear propels me forward. I have gone beyond the NFT world of Twitter, diving deep into decentralization and blockchain technology.
At 64 years old, soon to be 65, I wonder how I am going to be able to afford housing and healthcare. I am obligated to get Medicare. I am one of the millions of senior citizens who live paycheck to paycheck, using credit cards to cover monthly bills and I'm just getting into more debt every day. I'm not alone.
Once upon a time, I knew what I was doing. I sat down on April 3, 2022, and wrote a 5 phased Executive Summary of what is now Onboard60. At the time, I was obsessed with sharing what rabbit holes I was diving down. It felt like a compulsion, I couldn't stop.
My encounters over the years with many women over 50 and senior citizens hasn't all been fabulous. It appears there are a few who are choosing to get set aside, left behind. I talked with a 64-year-old gentle man who works 60 hours a week. His answer was " I'm done with learning; I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my life. I don't need to know this stuff."
Another gentleman, 82-year-old, is scared because he doesn't know what to listen to, who to believe, where should he put his money? He believes the dollar will collapse and he will be left with nothing to take care of himself when health issues start to arise.
I see you. I am you. We are living in a time where senior citizens are living independently longer, healthier and are unable to keep up financially. We are also living in the largest transference of generational wealth in our lifetime.
Once upon a time cash was king. There are now businesses that prefer not to accept it. I work in an establishment whose policy is "No Cash". On occasion, we have an irate guest who insists, and we legally are required to accept it. The owners believe they have less theft and discrepancies overall when it comes down to their bottom line, its profits.
Large financial brokerage firms, banks and governments have integrated a different monetary system, classifying different stablecoin types; fiat-backed, crypto-backed, algorithmic, hybrid and yield-bearing.
Fiat-backed collateral type is cash, bank deposits, T-bills. Crypto- backed collateral type is crypto assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. Algorithmic has no collateral type and hybrid, as its name, is a mix of fiat, crypto or algorithmic backing. Yield-bearing collateral type is staking rewards, derivatives, Real World Assets.
As technology accelerates and healthcare technologies are on the rise, we are living longer and healthier. However, health costs are astronomical. I know people my age, senior citizens that cannot afford to go to a doctor when sick, much less a hospital visit. I know too many senior citizens that can't afford healthcare.
Longevity care, life extension, living healthier through A.I. technologies may not be affordable to most but will definitely be offered to many. Near Field Communication Chip (NFCC) technology can help save your life. Young people are savvy to QR codes and will easily tap their phone on one.
A medical bracelet equipped with an NFCC, with your medical information, doctor, emergency contact is similar to the silver chain bracelets people use to wear back in the 1900s. Everyone knew what a medical emergency bracelet was.
The bracelet itself was engraved with necessary lifesaving information for anyone who wore one. Today, medical bracelets not only can hold pertinent information but can also send a message to a loved one during times of need. There are also ones equipped with GPS, similar to an AirTag. Alzheimer, dementia patients, assisted living facilities (wandering clients), or a sundowning grandfather can be located when lost.
There are a variety of apps you can monitor your own heartrate, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and stress levels. There's an app you can do an in-depth analysis of your overall health by scanning your face. The app rewards you monetarily in crypto tokens. You get paid to take care of your health.
Once upon a time, before the internet, important financial, medical, and legal documents were kept in fireproof locked boxes hidden deep in a closet. Manila folders were bought by the dozens to file these papers. Cashed checks were kept and shredded, my father would burn them and any "confidential" papers in the BBQ pit.
I mentioned NFTs earlier. You may be familiar with Bored Ape Yacht Club images or Pudgy Penguins. Beeple, digital artist, helped NFTs to become known by producing over the top images of today's world with a futuristic perspective.
Smart contracts are instructions, direction for NFTs. NFTs, non-fungible tokens, are created with a smart contract. A digitally created contract with terms of service, execution and agreement by the creator and anyone else involved. They are not only classified as art.
An NFT can be a ticket to a concert, a sporting event. The instruction of a smart contract creates what the NFT will become. The instructions are converted to computer language. The instructions can include seat number, date, times and venue.
My mind turned to senior citizen documentation. Scams, hidden fees, dishonest business practices, rising healthcare and housing costs were my first thoughts when I realized what a smart contract actually did. Smart contracts could safeguard senior citizens from all of it.
Earlier in the article I mentioned we are living in the largest transference of generational wealth in our lifetime. We have moved into the age of digital and virtual natives. Your children and grandchildren grew up with Minecraft, Roblox, and virtual Tokenomics.
The space between the physical world and the virtual metaverse are getting closer together. Roblox has announced people can purchase items in the Metaverse and be delivered to your door. Think clothing, a trending hoodie or hat.
Walmart Land has been on Roblox since 2022. They recently announced Walmart Realm, their e-commerce metaverse on Roblox, where shoppers can buy physical products inside the Roblox platform and get delivered to their door. Modern retail.
Virtual and digital natives already purchase items within the Metaverse. They have created homes, worlds, "skins" (outfits), accessories for their homes. They know commerce. They regularly trade with each other, buy items and create products for sale within the land of Roblox.
When I said I didn't understand the words coming out of your mouth, I meant rizz, no cap, and bussin. This is the vocabulary used by youth today. Social media comments, co-workers, my great-niece all use phrases and words I don't comprehend. No cap!! I had to ask Perplexity Ai what that meant, along with a few other comments I received on my socials.
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that you can, with five minutes a day, collectively into weeks, understand the world around you as it accelerates. It's not slowing down.
I am getting older, senior citizen perspective creeping in. I battle it daily. Constantly being vigilant with having an open mindset, I can't imagine the amount of fear in others who don't comprehend the words coming out of my mouth.
Once upon a time you went to a classroom or an office to learn how to move forward and adapt to the world around you. Today it's newsletters in your inbox, online business groups, YouTube and TikTok videos.
It can be confusing and overwhelming. Orchestrated videos of inauthentic people, creating a problem you didn't have before, so you pay them for the solution you don't need. How do you discern what is useful, truthful, factual and valuable for you? Now we have A.I. agents, A. I. advertisements, it will only get more difficult if you don't start today.
This article was written by me, without any A.I. assistance, no parts put into any form of GPT or editing program. If you followed me prior to this publication, you know, I have edited with GPTs and used A.I. images in the past.
The internet is noisy, opinionated and half-truths. What you see on the screen or read in a publication is orchestrated. Now most of what you see is results of people using some type of GPT, or at best, a re-post of someone else's work.
If you are still reading, let's get into some specifics. First, what do you know, experience, education, or career that you can pull your strengths from to help you with the world's acceleration.
You're not reinventing the wheel (senior citizen phrase), you're adapting what you know while learning new skills. Your skills and experience come with you.
Being open minded and open to learning is the key. When I started saying I don't know, may I ask you a question, the shift of feeling overwhelmed and confused to hope and understanding began.
I still get overwhelmed. I still have fubar days, and I can't tell you how many accounts I've made to make another account on the same platform the very next day because I forgot the login procedure.
Once upon a time I would get upset and angry with myself, I would be so negative towards myself, not being able to see what I had learned, accomplished. All because I wasn't successful in something I knew nothing about!! Insane, right?
This is actually my second Ghost account. I created my first one yesterday and was unable to log back in. When reading over Ghost's docs, I didn't understand when I read you use your publication's Name to sign in. What does that mean?
It meant for me to remember the title I gave my publication because that was the How to log in. I since made the first account private until I can delete it, waiting for support to answer me back.
If you are reading this, you may be of a certain age, I am. While I created Onboard60 to help others and counsel them through the overwhelming transition from yesterday to tomorrow, it is what has kept me from retreating, I chose to stay a part of what is happening in the world today. You can too.
It is time to throw out the old ways of thinking. Too many people of a certain age are tech averse. I was one of them, I see you.
Digital and virtual natives, your children and grandchildren rely on technology, phones, computers, A.I. tools to network, learn and stay in touch with family and friends. I got it. I remember when the phone hung on the wall in our kitchen.
It is our turn to meet them where they are, adapt to today’s way of communication. Drop the automatic expectations, respect is mutual. Once upon a time we were taught respect is earned. Earn it.
Be curious. Be open to new ideas, new ways of doing things. Don’t exist, live. Challenge yourself.
Practice active listening. Ask questions and be okay with not knowing. It’s okay to say, I don’t know, can you help me?
Facts:
Cryptocurrency is integrated into the financial system
Digital & Virtual natives know Tokenization
We are living in the largest generational transference of wealth
A.I. is accelerating and is here to stay.
Senior citizen population exponentially exploding, living healthier longer (medical advances in technology will continue).
Housing and healthcare costs are on the rise.
What are you doing to assure you stay connected to loved ones? How are you going to adapt as you get older? Will you adapt or retreat?
It seems like as people get older, they forget to live in the now, it's the memories they discuss and remember fondly. They seem to forget they lived through the changes of the times.
Once upon a time is titled once upon a time because as I get older and look back on the changes of the world over time, I don’t want to forget the only constant is change.
I am an experienced counselor with a Masters in Non-Profit. I am you. I was overwhelmed, fearful and confused.
Reach out to me by e-mail, DM on X, let me help you have the quality of life you deserve over 50, as a senior citizen.
Let’s make a complimentary clarity call to see what matters to you and what you want your life to look like.
Book a half-hour session to plan a strategy to get you up to where you want your life to be.
I am available for 1:1 counseling session when needed and to help you adapt and adjust. Stay connected with family and friends.
Ask my clone any pertinent questions about blockchain, smart contracts and more (in any language)
Once upon a time is titled once upon a time because as I get older and look back on the changes of the world over time, I don’t want to forget the only constant is change.
Stay up to date, be fabulous,
Sandra Abrams
Onboard60 Founder
https://www.twitter.com/onboard60
https://www.linkedin/in/sandraabrams
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