Monthly Archives: December 2019

Technological Change Requires Constant Adaptation

Just a couple of decades ago, it wasn’t hard to find a phone booth whenever needed. Most young people today have never seen a phone booth. Like it or not, the world that we once knew is rapidly changing. We can either adapt and continue to learn, or we can lock ourselves inside the comfort of those secure booths from our past.After giving a presentation on ageism and intergenerational communication to an audience of mostly older adults, one woman asked me how she could communicate with younger people if all they wanted to do is to communicate through emails and…

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Reflecting on Post-Holiday Fatigue

It’s the day after Christmas. It’s been a little over a year since I ‘retired’ from teaching and started my new life.What I am realizing though is that I no longer have an endless well of energy from which to draw. Since early in December, I’ve been doing all the holiday preparations, visiting with family and friends, and doing other holiday activities that I somehow managed to do while working fulltime. But now, it takes more energy, and perhaps I expect more of myself since I no longer have a fulltime job.Maybe a Bit BossyA couple of days before Christmas,…

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The Environment is Our Legacy

When many of us who are 50+ were growing up, we weren’t informed about the human impact on our environment or our climate. We have now moved into a new era of awareness.It might be easy for some younger people with today’s knowledge to blame older generations (e.g., “O.K. Boomers”) for damaging our environment and contributing to climate change. And yes, as climate champions like sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg have suggested, the actions of older generations have adversely affected the planet.  While I agree with her and other young people that our generations have helped to create a serious problem, for…

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Taking Time to Reevaluate Holiday Traditions

I write a monthly article for a 50+ women’s online magazine called Honey Good. This month, I wrote an article about rethinking holiday traditions. I realized I had kept doing some things simply because I had always done them—year after year. I had to reevaluate what I was doing.Some things no longer made sense to do. For example, I used to make all kinds of goodies and foods that were high in calories and weren’t missed after I quit making them.I suspect most all of us could find some traditions that we continue to carry on just because that is…

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Active Listening: A Priceless Gift You Can Give

Active Listening: A Priceless Gift You Can Give

The holiday season is here. During the next couple of weeks, many of us may have opportunities to see family members and perhaps grandchildren or nieces and nephews that we don’t get to see all that often. When we don’t see some family members on a regular basis—especially some of the younger ones—it can be challenging to connect in a meaningful way during those short holiday gatherings. However, there is a relatively effective way to connect with both the younger and older members in our families.Listening is Not About Being Quiet We can engage in premeditated, active listening behaviors. It sounds…

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Forever Young is Not So Far-fetched

Forever Young is Not So Far-fetched

 My husband woke me up at 4:00 a.m. this morning; I suspect he was a bit anxious about his eye surgery this morning. Right now, it is 6:35 a.m. I’m in the waiting room as Claude gets prepped to have a cataract removed and have a Lifestyle lens implanted.I’m a bit cranky because I got up about three hours earlier than normal. After the receptionist checked my husband in for his surgery, she turned to me and asked, “What is your name honey?” After I gave her my name, she continued to call me “honey” a couple more times. I…

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Hearing Loss Can Affect Your Quality of Life

Hearing Loss Can Affect Your Quality of Life

It may happen so gradually that you don’t notice any changes. You might even feel a bit irritated when people around you ‘mumble’ or talk so quietly you can’t understand what they are saying.Maybe hearing loss isn’t something that has been on your radar, but it is something that will affect at least a third of people by the time they are 65+.  WebMD states that two-thirds of people over 70 have some hearing loss. It isn’t just the hearing loss that should concern all of us. Rather, the effects of hearing loss are what we need to consider.Hearing Loss…

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Embrace Purpose and Be the Difference

Embrace Purpose and Be the Difference

I have read several articles this week about people who lived their lives with intention and purpose – people who accomplished ‘big’ things for the greater good. Like you, I can think of certain people I’ve either known or know something about who left noteworthy legacies.Then I thought about the regular, everyday people I have known who have lived with purpose but may never have their name etched on a plaque or mentioned in a book. Each of these people has made a difference in their own way. They have mattered and so do each of us.The Sweetest ManEddie lived…

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Gender and Health Risks After Fifty

Gender and Health Risks After Fifty

For all of us who are 50+, it is important to recognize that our health must be a bigger priority in our lives. It is also important that we develop positive relationships with our medical providers as we age. Further, we need to recognize that ageism and sexism can affect our health care and that postmenopausal women will likely experience aging and health issues differently than men.While you may not think of yourself as older when you are still in your fifties, now is the time to start thinking ahead. If you are a woman, you definitely need to start…

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