Articles, activities for boomers & seniors
Smile: Showing My Age
- I'm so old that:
I have dialed a rotary phone that did not have an answering machine, recorded a song that I love off a transistor radio onto a tape recorder, watched a black and white TV (with less than 10 channels) that had foil on the rabbit ear antennas, taken a long walk without counting the steps, and eaten food that I didn't take pictures of. - I thought getting older would take longer.
Things To Do With Grandkids: March-April 2020
Lehigh Valley Auto Show
March 19-22, Stabler Arena - Lehigh University, 124 Goodman Dr., Bethlehem 10AM-9PM $10 for adults; $7 for seniors (55+) children 6-14; $25 family four-pack. The Lehigh Valley Auto Show is held from March 19 - 22. From Thursday through Saturday, hours are 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. On Sunday, the show is open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens (ages 55+) and children (ages 6-14), and $25 for a family four-pack. Children under five receive free admission. Tickets can be purchased in person or online - glvada.org.
Smile - Life Can Be Bear-y Funny
A priest, a minister, and a rabbi want to see who’s best at his job. So they each go into the woods, find a bear, and attempt to convert it. Later they get together. The priest begins: “When I found the bear, I read to him from the Catechism and sprinkled him with holy water. Next week is his First Communion.”
“I found a bear by the stream,” says the minister, “and preached God’s holy word. The bear was so mesmerized that he let me baptize him.”
They both look down at the rabbi, who is lying on a gurney in a body cast. “Looking back,” he says, “maybe I shouldn’t have started with the circumcision.”
Legacy Series, Part 2: Regrets
When faced with the nearing inevitability of shuffling off this mortal coil, our thoughts pace back-and-forth between the past and the future, often pausing in the present for a reality check. We wonder if we did all the things we “shoulda woulda coulda.” Will we empty our bucket list before we kick the bucket? Is it time to stop nursing grudges and let them die? How will I manage the pain I feel or get around the house or hospital room? What, if anything, lies beyond in the Great Beyond, and am I prepared? Why aren’t hearses equipped to pull U-Hauls?
What’s Your Legacy?
A Call to Boldness to Invest in the Next Generation - As part of the application process to a seminary eighteen months ago I created a resume. The exercise forced me to document major accomplishments in my life. After printing the final draft of my curriculum vitae I felt a great sense of fulfillment to see my modest personal and professional achievements on paper: entrepreneurship as a teenager, participation in college athletics, study abroad experiences, fluency in a foreign language, multiple professional achievements and awards, steady civic engagement, and the creation of successful businesses.
Lifelong Learning
Improve Your Mental and Social Fitness
Researchers at Stanford University found that memory loss can be improved by 30 to 50 percent simply by doing mental exercises. The brain is like a muscle - if you don't give it regular workouts, its functions will decline. Suggestions include:
- Keep up your social life and engage in plenty of stimulating conversations. Here in the Valley we have many venues for socializing. Lehigh Valley Active Life in Allentown has daily programs meant to keep you active and engaged with other folks.
- Your community centers also have activities for you to try. They have outings and trips that you can enjoy and usually at affordable prices. You have the added benefit of meeting new people when you try these activities.