Becoming an elder has many challenges. At 72, I still resist much of the stereotypical roles and expectations for elders in our society. My family and close friends have been encouraging me to accept my elder status for several years. In 2023, I slowly began to accept my “elder-ness,” and do understand why it seems so hard for Trump and Biden to move on and go home.

There’s no euphoria in thinking about having fewer years left to live than having lived so far. Plus, even with the calmness that comes from knowing I have nothing left to prove professionally, that assurance doesn’t add any more years to my life.

Right now I’m healthy, energetic and in better physical shape than I was 10 years ago thanks to yoga and lots of walking. I still work part time because I enjoy it, do it well and need to make some money. I have a spouse, children, grandchildren and friends to be with, plus many interests to pursue.

I keep wondering then, why the immediate members of Donald Trump’s family have not tried to stop him from running for president again? Maybe they have, but he’s not exactly leaving the stage gracefully. With all his vindictive anger, bizarre behavior, promoting of false information, and anti-democracy ideas fully on display.  I mean really, this is how the family wants him to be remembered?

Whatever they or any of us think about his actions as president before, he needs to stop campaigning, lying and denying, and just go home.

His family includes smart, educated, privileged people who have already experienced working in the White House. I imagine some, or maybe all of them, are saying to him, “Enough is enough, come home, enjoy the rest of your life.” In other words, go play golf and travel the world. Whether you liked him as president or not, I doubt the country will benefit from any politician being elected to be vindictive and to shred our democracy. Go home, Mr. Trump.

Elders like Biden, who don’t know when to leave the job on a high note and let others take the helm, risk coming across as lacking good judgment about who needs to lead this country now. Biden also needs to stop and go home. The difference with Biden, however, is he’s not a vindictive, angry, delusional bully like Trump. Yet, whatever anyone thinks of his actions as president, it’s clear he’s no longer operating at the speed or level of performance that we truly need now in America. Go home, Joe.

What matters in our elder years is to find the grace and love our families want to give us, and respect from the people we worked with and for over many years. If we conducted our careers in an open, honest, learning and generous manner, then, as we encourage the next generation to take charge, accepting our elder status will feel natural and right.

During my long career, I had my chance, did the best I could, and had mostly positive results to show for it. Any opportunities that come my way now or contributions I can make to help individuals, organizations, families, my community and country are like finishing a satisfying meal. Hopefully, there’s still a long meal left, but the main course is over.

I have coached and helped develop many leaders from frontline supervisors to CEOs all over the country. I’ve done this on my own, as a corporate employee, and with a large consulting firm. Some of these leaders never learned to let go and let the next generation take charge. It was not a pretty sight to see, and their organizations usually suffered as they waited.

America doesn’t need any more of Trump, ever. We also will not need Biden after 2024. They both need to go home and for very different reasons, spare the country of their excessive egos and inability to let go.  There are many other younger, highly capable leaders.

Just go home.

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