Anthony Brooks

And it's worth pointing out that becoming a full-fledged deacon is a long process.

It involves not only seminary school, but studying and sitting for interviews with church elders.

And Tom was still at it just a couple of years ago at the age of 66 when I was talking to him.

You know, he really is, as far as I can tell.

His kids are grown.

He's still happily married.

And perhaps most importantly, his life has new purpose, Aisha.

And he seems to be really thriving in this third act.

Yeah, I mean, that's a big part of it.

I mean, there's a lot of things going on here, but that's one of the main things worth considering.

If you go back just over 100 years to 1900, the average life expectancy was around 47.

Today, it hovers near 80.

So that means we're living three decades longer than we used to.

You know, I spoke to a bunch of experts on this subject, and one of them put it this way, that if you're 54, you could be only halfway through adulthood.

And by the way, I came across this fact, which sort of blew my mind, Aisha.

According to the U.S.

Census Bureau, the number of Americans living into their 90s by 2050 could be as much as 10 times higher than it was in 1980.

So that means if you're one of those people and you're 45, you're only halfway through your life.

So you've got half your life ahead of you.

So when you hit that traditional retirement age, there's still a lot of life left to live.