Category: Column

  • Elderhood Project

    My mother just got her first cell phone. It doesn’t take pictures or play music — it just makes phone calls. It took her a while to get used to the idea — she would talk into the wrong end of the phone in the beginning. But she’s got the technology figured out and now…

  • Veterans & Auxiliary – Serving All Ages

    Like our friends at PBS, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the VFW Auxiliary work to be relevant to all ages with early childhood through end-of-life programming. “Patriot Pen” and “Voice of Democracy” programs are available to all public and private middle school and high school students.

  • Finding GOOD in the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Many of us are affected by the anxieties that come with the COVID-19 pandemic. But my boss once told me, “In chaos there is opportunity.” That quote resonated deeply in my heart. How can this be true for a pandemic? I soon learned that some positive things are happening around the world and here in…

  • Before Retiring, Prepare with an ‘Exit Plan’

    When my husband told me in early 2019 that he wanted to retire, my first reaction was, “No, you’re still young and can work until you’re 70.” When we had a serious conversation a few months later, I agreed with his desire to retire, but said, “You need to have an exit plan because I…

  • Choosing the Road Less Traveled

    Maybe you’ve never thought of your life in those terms. But everyone, whether they are aware of it or not, has selected a particular pathway in life. The most popular road seems to be aligned with what the world tells us we need — a nice home, a fancy car, a good job, exciting sports…

  • Online Resources for Coping With COVID

    When under stay-at-home orders, online resources enable participation in the outside world. Visit the UH Center on Aging Facebook page for a continually updated list.

  • Lifework Planning Amid COVID-19

    Even in this time of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, two simple rules dominate the future of your life’s work and options that are available today: 1) Full-time, regular 8 to 5 jobs are off the radar as the singular source for employment. Sometimes we will work for others this way, but who needs long…

  • Dentists Are Busy People

    Many patients wish they could enjoy their dentist’s company beyond a quick, customary greeting before their ability to speak is interrupted by the whirr of the drill. Like everyone else, dentists have families, hobbies, enjoy their favorite beverage, have bills to pay and look forward to having fun. And just like everyone else, “busy” is…

  • Alzheimer’s Research: The Science of Hope

    The vision of the Alzheimer’s Association is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. To realize this vision, we fund research to better diagnose, treat and ultimately cure the disease. In fact, we are the world’s largest nonprofit funder of dementia research. A few highlights of our progress…

  • The Price of Pessimism

    Our state of mind affects our health, so when you think like a pessimist, always expecting the worst, your fight-or-flight response is often stuck on standby. To illustrate, think of worrisome thoughts as revving your car. It’s useful before a race to test the engine, but if you keep gunning it all the time, you…

  • Are You Chasing After the Wind?

    I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Wow, sounds pretty negative doesn’t it. Yet, many men and women who have lived long enough to reach that mythical status known as “the golden years” find out exactly what King Solomon meant…

  • Having a Purpose in the Community

    When people hear that I manage a Christian bookstore at age 70, they think I’m crazy — or a religious fanatic. I assure you, I’m neither. In light of large stores closing and the Barnes and Noble chain struggling to survive; and when Amazon has changed shoppers’ expectations, why do I think we can still…