The news is hard to take. We are hit hard with killings, fires, rapes, war and all the claptrap that goes with the media. My sister and I were talking about extreme harm done to people and how everyone has a take on these events. Some people even have the gaul to say that the person done extreme harm deserves it. Sis said she cried over hearing about a woman who was severely beaten and stomped on in our home town and sustained brain damage was beaten again by the remark that she deserved it.
Now that we are both seniors it seems to me that the harshness of the world and people in it are much harder to stomach. I don't recall having these strong feelings in youth. I always managed to move on to the next topic without much commitment. Not so now. Everything hurts, all severe matters make me cry. Can't seem to help myself. Same with sis.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
the audacity of it all
These audacious words were delivered at a local fast food restaurant. "Will you be dining in?" Dining in? What presumption! I'm at a fast food place, there is no dining in! Yes, I'll be eating at the place and not taking my order out in a flimsy paper bag with giant initials. I'll be shoveling the food in my face faster than you can say Frankie Robinson and using my fingers to boot. At some intervals I will also bypass my face and drop the foodstuff on my casual attire; jeans, misbuttoned shirt, unlaced sneakers, non-made up face. That is why we go there in the first place, so we can forego the formalities.
In our later years with our relaxed selves in full array, we may choose to go casual when 'dining out' at a fast food establishment. We are hungry and time is of the essence. Order, no waiter necessary; sit, always a table available; open the box or bag as it may be and eat. Little fuss, little to no muss, then on your way to other matters.
I know all the todo being levied over this industry: too much fat, sugar, calories and of course, it's all true. What is also true is that due to convenience and small need to kowtow to public convention, we will continue to frequent these fast food places.
Supersize me, please.
In our later years with our relaxed selves in full array, we may choose to go casual when 'dining out' at a fast food establishment. We are hungry and time is of the essence. Order, no waiter necessary; sit, always a table available; open the box or bag as it may be and eat. Little fuss, little to no muss, then on your way to other matters.
I know all the todo being levied over this industry: too much fat, sugar, calories and of course, it's all true. What is also true is that due to convenience and small need to kowtow to public convention, we will continue to frequent these fast food places.
Supersize me, please.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
technology and us
Do you own a smart phone, ereader, laptop, PC and the like? We are being bombarded by the latest in technology that seems to have no end in sight to its potentiality. I own a smart phone and a laptop and just touched the tip of the tech iceberg given my knowledge base of what these devices can do. These smart devices are called phones yet have little similarity to what was once defined as a phone. I sure do miss the old ways.
The other day I met a 25 year old who shared the same lament I had about the old days, the simplicity of machines and the ease of communication. A phone not long ago was a stationary product. It remained in the house and was tethered to the wall. Communication was not necessarily immediate and an interaction with a message was completed when a party returned home, picked up a phone message and returned a call. Hours and at times days might have passed before a return call was made. All accepted the disadvantages of this system and all was well.
This 25 year old told of a friend of his who called his cell phone and wanted an instant response to a request to hang out with him that evening. He did not respond instantly and phoned her a day later. She became miffed at him because she wanted an immediate answer to her question. He nonchalantly stated that they could get together another time. This did not sit well with her. These devices demand instant gratification from the caller and bring all sorts of bad feelings when there is noncompliance from the cell calling parties.
A close friend and I who share age and views on many issues were taking about the way things were and how the world has changed drastically. Her daughter had purchased a few current books and my friend asked to see them. These books were not the touchy feeley kind of book; no spine, no covers, no paper pages, no book smell to them. These were the ebook kind. We both felt sadness about how the world has evolved and could not but feel a sense of loss of what would never be brought back. We'll just have to live with it and pretend to be techno savy. So be it.
The other day I met a 25 year old who shared the same lament I had about the old days, the simplicity of machines and the ease of communication. A phone not long ago was a stationary product. It remained in the house and was tethered to the wall. Communication was not necessarily immediate and an interaction with a message was completed when a party returned home, picked up a phone message and returned a call. Hours and at times days might have passed before a return call was made. All accepted the disadvantages of this system and all was well.
This 25 year old told of a friend of his who called his cell phone and wanted an instant response to a request to hang out with him that evening. He did not respond instantly and phoned her a day later. She became miffed at him because she wanted an immediate answer to her question. He nonchalantly stated that they could get together another time. This did not sit well with her. These devices demand instant gratification from the caller and bring all sorts of bad feelings when there is noncompliance from the cell calling parties.
A close friend and I who share age and views on many issues were taking about the way things were and how the world has changed drastically. Her daughter had purchased a few current books and my friend asked to see them. These books were not the touchy feeley kind of book; no spine, no covers, no paper pages, no book smell to them. These were the ebook kind. We both felt sadness about how the world has evolved and could not but feel a sense of loss of what would never be brought back. We'll just have to live with it and pretend to be techno savy. So be it.
Friday, March 1, 2013
what I don't know
We don't know what we don't know. A deep sounding tautology that has no way out of its circular conundrum. I contend that each time we listen, experience, attempt and plane old breathe in and out daily, we have a prime opportunity to learn some bit of news, some practical answer, some observation, some enhancement to our human condition.
A most profound statement to another person would sound like this. I am much smarter than you can ever hope to be, regardless of IQ, years on this earth, days of hard work, education and so on. Why? I am much smarter than you because I admit that I know that I don't know as much.
To consider all the topics I have small or no knowledge about and how my formal education was wanting in so many ways astounds me. But in my older years, I happen to be more curious, more willing to learn from the youth, from radio, and other media. I remain resolutely hesitant to believe media but will apply my suspicions to news, filter it in or out of my belief system and hopefully come out with more knowledge than I began with.
I have not been back to this blog for some time now and have taken a hiatus from technology. I'm back and hope to hear from anyone out there finding this blog about retirement and is willing to comment. Being who we are, social animals, we mainly learn from each other.
A most profound statement to another person would sound like this. I am much smarter than you can ever hope to be, regardless of IQ, years on this earth, days of hard work, education and so on. Why? I am much smarter than you because I admit that I know that I don't know as much.
To consider all the topics I have small or no knowledge about and how my formal education was wanting in so many ways astounds me. But in my older years, I happen to be more curious, more willing to learn from the youth, from radio, and other media. I remain resolutely hesitant to believe media but will apply my suspicions to news, filter it in or out of my belief system and hopefully come out with more knowledge than I began with.
I have not been back to this blog for some time now and have taken a hiatus from technology. I'm back and hope to hear from anyone out there finding this blog about retirement and is willing to comment. Being who we are, social animals, we mainly learn from each other.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
retirement - this retirement thing is not easy
Whoever thought this retirement thing would cause such angst. Figuring what to do with unspent time is hard work, practically a full time job. It has been nearly 5 years that I have been attempting to make my way, trying this and that and have yet to land on any one solution.
The years just click by and it could be more that 5 years by now, but who's counting. One year easily melts into the next.
Although I have given thought to paid employment, I have yet to make a decision as to what and where to bring this decision. Work thinks for us and doesn't give much wiggle room. Ahhhh, the up side of work. Starting to idealize the work thing again.
Guess I'll just keep on pondering what to do next and then take some time out for a small nap. Maybe in the following years, let's say two years, I'll have this problem worked out.
The years just click by and it could be more that 5 years by now, but who's counting. One year easily melts into the next.
Although I have given thought to paid employment, I have yet to make a decision as to what and where to bring this decision. Work thinks for us and doesn't give much wiggle room. Ahhhh, the up side of work. Starting to idealize the work thing again.
Guess I'll just keep on pondering what to do next and then take some time out for a small nap. Maybe in the following years, let's say two years, I'll have this problem worked out.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Retirement-are-us disabilities- a laughing matter - or are they
He and she were interacting
He asked, 'did you have a good day, today?
She answered, 'I ate a hamburger and fries at Wendys.
What, says he?
Yes, says she I will have dessert.
Oh, says he, I only like grains and vegetables. Can I read you a poem I wrote?
She stares closer to his face now because she did not comprehend his statement.
He begins to read a poem and she begins to take a nap.
Both are now silent as he reads to himself and she naps off.
This type of conversation has its funny side. Neither of them quite gets what the other is saying, for he, you see, has dementia, does not get the information posed to him that quickly, and twists it when the data finally filters in. She is crystal clear in her thinking, soon to have her 98th birthday, and is super hard of hearing.
When listening to these folks who are near and dear to my heart, it both humors me and shocks me to imagine what comes next. I am grateful to have them both around, but the comes next part, I guess, I just don't want to face.
Maybe, I might just find some professional with whom to have a good emotional cleansing.
He asked, 'did you have a good day, today?
She answered, 'I ate a hamburger and fries at Wendys.
What, says he?
Yes, says she I will have dessert.
Oh, says he, I only like grains and vegetables. Can I read you a poem I wrote?
She stares closer to his face now because she did not comprehend his statement.
He begins to read a poem and she begins to take a nap.
Both are now silent as he reads to himself and she naps off.
This type of conversation has its funny side. Neither of them quite gets what the other is saying, for he, you see, has dementia, does not get the information posed to him that quickly, and twists it when the data finally filters in. She is crystal clear in her thinking, soon to have her 98th birthday, and is super hard of hearing.
When listening to these folks who are near and dear to my heart, it both humors me and shocks me to imagine what comes next. I am grateful to have them both around, but the comes next part, I guess, I just don't want to face.
Maybe, I might just find some professional with whom to have a good emotional cleansing.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Retirement-are-us technology
Highly technological or hardly technological
The printer read 'no ink installed' I looked and relooked and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was an ink cartridge in the printer. I was smart enough to see that. My problem was that I had been able to print but could not copy. What to do, what to do. Using Einstein's adage, insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result, or some such variation of the saying, I repeated taking the ink cartridge out and reinstalling it a few times.
After the hard realization that this would not alter results, there was a move to Plan B, which entailed calling/emailing H-P expecting a few hour wait before getting answers. The anticipated multi hour wait was not palatable so I considered what I felt was the path of least resistance -the purchase of another printer for it was clear that this could be a likely answer to my problem. The trip out to the printer store would consume less time than waiting for an answer by phone.
The solution walked into my house in the form of a youth, my son in fact. I made a quick list of topics to address with him- the printer held top spot. He questioned me about the issue then began poking and probing. He tried the Einstein approach and soon the solution was at hand. A small tab attached to the ink cartridge had not been removed before it was installed. Huh! Who would have known.
Diane, a writer from the Hartford area, make the comment she did not want to learn certain technological applications and procedures. In some cases there is much to much to learn and far too many steps to take and an enormous amount of reading to get through to reach the approval process when setting up a new application. Skype was a case in point. To try to follow my own advice to other seniors, I strained to read all the conditions, rules, disclaimers and the rest of a massive tome to get to the accept button. Blurry eyed I gave up on that one. An attempt to sign up on-line for CVS extra care points also failed.
So much for advancements in the world of technology. Leave it to the youth.
The printer read 'no ink installed' I looked and relooked and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was an ink cartridge in the printer. I was smart enough to see that. My problem was that I had been able to print but could not copy. What to do, what to do. Using Einstein's adage, insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result, or some such variation of the saying, I repeated taking the ink cartridge out and reinstalling it a few times.
After the hard realization that this would not alter results, there was a move to Plan B, which entailed calling/emailing H-P expecting a few hour wait before getting answers. The anticipated multi hour wait was not palatable so I considered what I felt was the path of least resistance -the purchase of another printer for it was clear that this could be a likely answer to my problem. The trip out to the printer store would consume less time than waiting for an answer by phone.
The solution walked into my house in the form of a youth, my son in fact. I made a quick list of topics to address with him- the printer held top spot. He questioned me about the issue then began poking and probing. He tried the Einstein approach and soon the solution was at hand. A small tab attached to the ink cartridge had not been removed before it was installed. Huh! Who would have known.
Diane, a writer from the Hartford area, make the comment she did not want to learn certain technological applications and procedures. In some cases there is much to much to learn and far too many steps to take and an enormous amount of reading to get through to reach the approval process when setting up a new application. Skype was a case in point. To try to follow my own advice to other seniors, I strained to read all the conditions, rules, disclaimers and the rest of a massive tome to get to the accept button. Blurry eyed I gave up on that one. An attempt to sign up on-line for CVS extra care points also failed.
So much for advancements in the world of technology. Leave it to the youth.
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