You're a Twifty

Twifties are Nifty

If you're approaching 50 or long passed it by, but you're lifestyle seems better suited to someone who's nowhere close to seeing a half century worth of life, there's a new word (and movement) that befits the way you live.

Combining twenties and fifties, semantically and as they might zip past the former on their snowboard, and you have a Twifty, according to Lauren Traub Teton of Pound Ridge , New York . "It's derived from people around their 50's who act like they are in their twenties.

A snowboarder herself, she got the idea to bring attention to this naturally occurring demographic - with hopes of connected them - as she saw Twifties descending past her on the slopes and heard of their ascent as rock climbers, belly dancers and hockey players. "Unless you're in one of these micro groups, you have no idea of the fabulous things that people our age are doing," she says.

With a website that currently is a work in progress, she stops well short of describing this as a Facebook for older people. Envisioning for people who don't want to spend a lot of time in front of a computer, she says, I want to connect people in real space as opposed to the cyber kind the kids are used to.

Additionally, she thinks that between internet connections, cell phone voicemail systems and Blackberry enslavements, there are far too many holding centers that are in need of regulation for all out unwanted entanglements. "I told my web designer, I don't want an inbox because an inbox is just more work," she says.

She is looking for something synonymous with the inherent spontaneity of a Twifty. "There's a great band at Northstar Restaurant in Pound Ridge tonight - see you there," she says she sees the future posting to the website.

Once congregated, Twifties will find each other she predicts by wearing some sort of identifying "Indentabalia." "People could walk right up to you and say, 'Oh, you're a Twifty,' she says, "and then you have an immediate icebreaker."

Otherwise, they might very likely find each other by the good state of fitness a Twifty more commonly will occupy, but she's definitely not excluding anyone based on waistline or dress size. She does, though, believe, the basic commonality of a Twifty is having a core strength. If you allow your core to weaken, your not going to have the strength and stamina to do fun things, she says.

Still, if a recent divorce or a partner who lacks the active mindset has left you in a lifestyle downturn, she sees the Twifty in good standing as a role model to get them looking up. "If you're not fit then you've got to come over to the Twifty's side - we're there to reach out a hand and pull you over," she says.

Regardless, Twifty's pursuits don't necessarily have to conform to some predetermined speed limit. Whether it's crossword puzzles or the opera, she says, "If you have a passion and it keeps you going and it keeps you enthusiastic about life then it's a Twifty's pursuit."

In its infancy, she is broadcasting a public access show from Yorktown to shed light on whatever Twifties are already out there. "We interview Twifties and we find out how they have fun, how they manage their lives, and how they live their lives with passion," she says.

From there, she will diversify to the internet in a more segmented form. "Nobody sits down to watch a half hour show on the internet so it will be in short five minute segments," she says.

In the near future, she plans to organize an event at an adventure park in the Berkshires but she is definitely shooting for something beyond her own local confines of Westchester County . Thinking nationally and internationally, "It's a movement of the people," she concludes.