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.
Friday, March 1, 2013
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.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
retirement-are-us appliances
Appliances are almost pretty today, wouldn't you say? They come in a number of attractive colors, lovely finishes and sizes; fridges come equipped with double doors, freezer on top or bottom or side, on the door ice makers; stoves offer flat tops, varied surfaces, warmer drawers and are powered by a few different energy sources - haven't seen any powered by water or sun yet - pity, yet, what lurks behind this pretty facade is a high energy maintenance babe, the Marilyn Monroe set of appliances, requiring scads of time, attention and beautifying products.
My particular brand of stove demands at least 5 beautifying products to make it shine, pop, look the role. One cleaning product for the area around the flat top burners; an entirely different white goop to bring the burners to sheen splendor; a third to give the stainless steel that new happy look, and for the glass window, a streak free product. Oh wait, the light bulb just went dead, this has to be replaced in order to see if the food is done. To cap it all off my Fridgidaire stove self cleaning unit never worked, by the time it required cleaning the warrantee was up. Now add another product to clean inside surfaces.
We've been duped by our appliances, masquerading as honorable items promising to make our lives easier, use less of our valuable time, give us a leg up by saving us energy and money. Still waiting on those. Let us get real with these cute lookers, they all get dirty, break down, and while doing some work for us they likewise make us work for them. As our owners, how pretty are they now?
My particular brand of stove demands at least 5 beautifying products to make it shine, pop, look the role. One cleaning product for the area around the flat top burners; an entirely different white goop to bring the burners to sheen splendor; a third to give the stainless steel that new happy look, and for the glass window, a streak free product. Oh wait, the light bulb just went dead, this has to be replaced in order to see if the food is done. To cap it all off my Fridgidaire stove self cleaning unit never worked, by the time it required cleaning the warrantee was up. Now add another product to clean inside surfaces.
We've been duped by our appliances, masquerading as honorable items promising to make our lives easier, use less of our valuable time, give us a leg up by saving us energy and money. Still waiting on those. Let us get real with these cute lookers, they all get dirty, break down, and while doing some work for us they likewise make us work for them. As our owners, how pretty are they now?
Saturday, September 10, 2011
funny, funnier, funniest
Have you noticed that what is funny to older folks is not so funny to the younger generation? The opposite is true, as well. I'd venture to say what is funny to older folks is not always funny to other older folks, particularly when it comes to damage to your person.
In my previous blog I wrote on taking a header into a garbage can, not so funny at the time, but funnier as time lapsed and funniest in the telling and retelling, most importantly knowing that I could count my blessings that I wasn't maimed for life. The younger ones to whom I relayed the incident smiled and in some cases almost laughed. The older ones I told showed sympathy and asked scads of health questions, such as 'did you gouge your eye, did you have to go to the emergency, did you hurt other parts of your body?' and so on.
The difference might very well be that older folks who have experienced falls, spills, cuts and bruises, sometimes brought on by medicines that don't interact well together, failing eye sight, equilibrium issues, don't find it so funny. Listening on radio to Dr. Hoffman in the wee hours of the morning, 3:00 A.M. to be exact, he corroborates the dangers brought on by medicines which can play havoc with our health. His take is that the medical community does not always pay attention or interact with one another on medicine aftereffects. He stated that some medicines in conjunction with other medications simulate dementia symptoms, and speculates how this can lead to dire consequences: the possibility of patients being admitted to a health care facility for dementia. Serious stuff.
On the light, salubrious side, Dr. Hoffman did an interview with a YWCA director from New York. The Y, established in the late 1800's to reduce the high incidence of drownings, is coming forward to combat the diabetes pandemic by offering lessons on food health, swimming and aerobic exercises for folks in the pre-diabetic and diabetic stages of the disease. Dr. Hoffman makes a good listen.
With all that was said, I will thank my guardian angel once again for my good fortune in coming out of the can unscathed, and staunchly vow to give up my garbage can story and search for other stories to tell. Tales that might be humorous to all populations of folks.
If you happen to find this blog, tell me your stories, funny or not.
In my previous blog I wrote on taking a header into a garbage can, not so funny at the time, but funnier as time lapsed and funniest in the telling and retelling, most importantly knowing that I could count my blessings that I wasn't maimed for life. The younger ones to whom I relayed the incident smiled and in some cases almost laughed. The older ones I told showed sympathy and asked scads of health questions, such as 'did you gouge your eye, did you have to go to the emergency, did you hurt other parts of your body?' and so on.
The difference might very well be that older folks who have experienced falls, spills, cuts and bruises, sometimes brought on by medicines that don't interact well together, failing eye sight, equilibrium issues, don't find it so funny. Listening on radio to Dr. Hoffman in the wee hours of the morning, 3:00 A.M. to be exact, he corroborates the dangers brought on by medicines which can play havoc with our health. His take is that the medical community does not always pay attention or interact with one another on medicine aftereffects. He stated that some medicines in conjunction with other medications simulate dementia symptoms, and speculates how this can lead to dire consequences: the possibility of patients being admitted to a health care facility for dementia. Serious stuff.
On the light, salubrious side, Dr. Hoffman did an interview with a YWCA director from New York. The Y, established in the late 1800's to reduce the high incidence of drownings, is coming forward to combat the diabetes pandemic by offering lessons on food health, swimming and aerobic exercises for folks in the pre-diabetic and diabetic stages of the disease. Dr. Hoffman makes a good listen.
With all that was said, I will thank my guardian angel once again for my good fortune in coming out of the can unscathed, and staunchly vow to give up my garbage can story and search for other stories to tell. Tales that might be humorous to all populations of folks.
If you happen to find this blog, tell me your stories, funny or not.
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