My partners
My body frequently reminds me that it is there. I am of an age where I have very mild and occasional aches and pains in one or another part of my body. Should I be concerned? Like most people who are 60 or above, I also have a chronic health condition that needs to be...
Vote
I care a lot about the upcoming presidential election. I know that my vote will be only one of millions. But I also know that I would hugely regret not having voted if my candidate lost. My friend, Jim Rubenstein, is a retired attorney who has worked hard through the...
Hope
I moved into a Senior Living facility in downtown Minneapolis last year. Our first six months worked out pretty much according to our plan. The apartment was beautiful, the programming was more than we had hoped for, and the other residents were really nice and...
Taking a break
So many aspects of my life are uncertain now – work, money, health, politics, and justice. We have evolved to sense danger, so my mind and body are on high alert. It is as if a saber-toothed tiger were around the corner and I need to be prepared to fight or flee....
Playing the odds
When considering an activity, I estimate the possible benefit and the cost of the activity. But before I make a decision, I also need to take into account the odds that it will pay off. For example, a lottery ticket is cheap, so that there is very little money at...
My next vision
Some of my friends ask me why I don’t have more leisure and am working so hard in my retirement. Here’s the story. I retired last December. For 34 years I was a financial planner, advising my clients on their investments and their lives. When we discussed their...
Technical knowledge
I didn’t wake up this morning wanting to know all about how a virus works. But I opened the newspaper and got pulled into the topic. I enjoy learning about almost any topic. But this feels different – it is thrust upon me by necessity. Something so esoteric as...
Everyday chores
I have always done some chores around the house. For me they have included laundry, kitchen cleanup and the family finances. My past attitude has been to do them reluctantly, as needed, with an attitude of fulfilling an obligation. Now during the pandemic, the chores...
Learning from experience
I have never experienced anything like the pandemic before. I know that experience is supposed to be the greatest teacher. The pandemic experience has given me still another opportunity to learn. As I reflect on what’s happened, here are some of the things I’ve...
Using my time
To me the pandemic is enervating. It feels like I have been punched in the stomach. I am gasping, trying to catch my breath. I refuse to give up. I am determined to accomplish something wonderful, in spite of it. For me, my hobbies, as much as I enjoy them, are not...