A jubilee, not a retirement?
Hello, friends, it's been a while.
And quite a lot to contend with, what with Trump trampling over hard-earned rights. But, hey, we carry on, right? Right?!
I thought I'd bring you an end of January instalment of the newsletter. I do apologise for not doing these very often any more. I know you miss them, because you tell me, you lovely people.
In amongst all the end of year reflections and new year resolutions I was reading, there was one that stuck in my mind. It was about how the word retirement sounds like endings, being tired, retreating from the world.
I was reminded that the Spanish word for retirement is jubilación, from the same Latin root as the English word for a celebration, jubilee.
Now that 70 is the new 50 maybe we should rename retirement and call it jubilee instead?
Although, of course, for so many people, retirement isn't necessarily a time of joy. So maybe not.
Interesting and useful links 🖇️
On that note, here's the Age Without Limits campaign to end ageism.
The Future Governance Forum have published a useful report on the need for partnership with civil society to deliver the government's missions.
Civil society organisations play a critical role in the delivery of services and the design of policy; but they are much more than just a delivery partner or a set of stakeholders to be managed and engaged with by the government.
Day of the Week 📆
21 December 2024 marked 180 years of the Coop movement. On that day in 1844, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society opened a shop.
With just five items for sale, on the first day of trading, little did they know they'd inspire a movement. The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives.
Read more about that first Coop store here here. It's a fabulous story.
What am I reading? 📚
I enjoyed Nick Cave and Sean O'Hagan's book, Faith, Hope, and Carnage.
And Nick's Desert Island Discs.
What am I watching? 👀
Idris Elba is on a mission to address the appalling levels of knife violence among our young people. His documentary on BBC1 in the week is worth watching.
What am I listening to?👂
Two of my oldest friends and I have formed a group to do this together. The web site generates one of the 1001 albums you must hear before you die each day (you can choose whether or not to include weekends when you set it up). You listen to the album and give it a rating out of five stars and a review.
We started over a year ago and we've got a long way to go but and it's really fun. Basically, the three of us bonded over music in 1981 and the mission continues.
This week we've listened to Mylo, New York Dolls, The Who, and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
(To counteract the inevitable white bloke dominance, I've also been listening to Akiko Yano, Self Esteem, The Last Dinner Party, Little Simz, and Bebel Gilberto.)
Joy-giving things 😍
I can't tell you how much joy this gives me #UTV
Have a great weekend
Lucy
PS. "And this, too, shall pass away."
I write this newsletter because I believe in sharing progressive ideas that help us work towards a truly equal world.
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ChangeOut is created by Lucy Caldicott. You can find more about my work at ChangeOut.org. If you’re looking to have a chat about culture, leadership, purpose, equity, or even a facilitated team discussion about any of those things, get in touch. You can also find me on Bluesky, Instagram, and, LinkedIn.
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