Celebrating Our Freedoms—While Staying Connected July always starts off with a bang—literally—with Fourth of July fireworks across the nation. It’s a jubilant celebration of our Declaration of Independence from the British Crown, unanimously adopted on July 4, 1776, by the Second Continental Congress. That iconic document contains the often-quoted, historic declaration: We hold these truths to
Read MoreLonging for Longevity Every June, I look forward to the summer solstice, the day of the year with the longest period of daylight. It’s not always the same. In the Northern Hemisphere it shifts between June 20 and June 22. This year it’s Thursday, June 20. For centuries, the summer solstice has been a significant day
Read MoreCan We Stay on the Crest of the Age Wave? As we begin the annual Older Americans Month, I remember well the first time I met Dr. Ken Dychtwald. It was 1989, and I was writing a cover story about older workers for the Business section of Newsday on Long Island, interviewing experts and several
Read MoreAll Generations Need Financial Literacy—Now, More than Ever. At the beginning of this millennium, there was considerable fear that flipping the calendar from the two-digit year ’99 to ’00 would wreak havoc on computer systems, ranging from financial databases to government systems. The Y2K scare. Remember that? Millions of dollars were spent in the lead-up to
Read MoreMy Hunger to End HungerAs we move further into the New Year and the holidays fade into the distance, I always get a mixed feeling of gratitude and wistfulness. I’m grateful that my family made it through the last year relatively unscathed, but I can’t help thinking about people who may have gotten a temporary reprieve through the
Read MoreA Welcome New Year’s Resolution: Slow Down, You Move Too Fast A few weeks ago, I was invited to a concert called “Forever Simon and Garfunkel—A Tribute,” featuring a pair of award-winning singer-songwriters, Sean Altman and Jack Skuller. The concert, a cultural program sponsored by a nearby synagogue, Temple Emanuel of Great Neck, was an
Read MoreHow Old Is “Too Old”? Several months ago, I wrote a piece in this newsletter about the problem of ageism in our society. I did not expect to return to the subject so soon, but I have been upset by how much age has become an issue in politics—and not in a good way. President Biden’s
Read MoreReflections on Friendship—and my 50th College Reunion Many decades ago, as I was graduating from college, I noticed that on the weekends just after graduation the campus was decked out for alumni reunions, starting the 5th reunion and marching on to the 50th—and a few even to the 70th. I remember thinking two things: “Wow,
Read MoreCelebrating Older Americans Month—But Who’s “Older” These Days? Every May is Older Americans Month, an annual observance led by the Administration for Community Living (https://acl.gov/), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services whose mission is that “all people, regardless of age or disability, should be able to live independently and participate
Read MoreEvery year on April 22, we celebrate Earth Day, the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970, when some 20 million people attended inaugural events across the country. This year’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet”—a decidedly more fiduciary-minded approach to protecting our planet. Of course, there’s still plenty of anxiety and stress over
Read MoreLike Black History Month, National Women’s History Month offers a great opportunity each year to celebrate the achievements and advancements of those who have been largely undervalued in our society. It’s a moment to reflect on where we are today, to widen our historical lens. On the one hand, there’s been substantial progress for women in
Read MoreEvery Valentine’s Day, we’re bathed in our annual glow of romantic love, showering each other with flowers, chocolates, overpriced cards and prix fixe dinners. This day of lovers has gradually expanded to include pretty much anyone else you love—family, friends, caregivers, teachers and school children. (Remember those little sugar candies with messages that you gave to
Read MoreMy Tía Dorie leads a full and active life. Tía (Spanish for “aunt”) lives with her daughter, Chris, in a continuing care community, but she spends much of her time independently, painting, reading, playing online games and puzzles, watching shows, videos and podcasts, Googling subjects of interest to herself, her children and grandchildren, and emailing family
Read MoreCelebrating a Season of Positivity When I think back to the Christmases of my youth, I naturally remember those magical mornings, the tree shimmering with tinsel and the presents awaiting our eager hands (and the arrival of our still sleepy parents.) It’s hard to beat the excitement of these recollections, but there was another Christmas memory
Read MoreNovember marks a season of giving—and gratitude. Thanksgiving, of course, punctuates this time when we pause to give thanks for all we have received in life, appreciating what we have, rather than lamenting what we don’t have. Not surprisingly, as with other grand American traditions, there is some disagreement about Thanksgiving’s precise origin, with devotees in
Read MoreAs we head into the heart of autumn, witnessing the temperatures cool and the trees transform into their kaleidoscope of colors, I find myself searching for a quiet, unfettered hour during these October days—something I didn’t seem to have time for when I was younger. Nothing planned, just snatches of reading or TV, daydreaming,
Read MoreEver since elementary school, I’ve had mixed feelings about summer—mostly the end of it. Sure, I was excited to see friends whom I hadn’t seen since June and I felt the perennial anticipation (and anxiety) of being assigned to new classes and teachers, taking on bigger challenges and experiences. But it all went too
Read MoreWhen we left 2020 behind, many of us topped off a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” with “Good riddance!” It was a year of living dangerously, with the constant threat of COVID-19 hanging over us, and it became a year of living very differently, adding social isolation on top of social and political unrest. It
Read MoreAN OLD FRIEND REMAINS INTREPID–AND BECOMES SEMI-FAMOUS ALONG THE WAY A few months ago, I sat down for a cup of coffee with an old friend, Hudson Cooper–a high school buddy and an editor on my high school newspaper, where I was editor-in-chief. Hudson and I had never lost touch, not really. We had gone
Read MoreIt began as a breezy summer read. A couple of months ago, I picked up The Boys in the Boat, the best-selling book by Daniel James Brown, a true account of how nine working class boys from the University of Washington took on the Ivy League rowing world, not only winning the national collegiate crew
Read MoreTHE FINE ART OF RE-INVENTION, FROM AGE 40 TO 90 Ron Roel Most everyone entering the middle ages has heard the decennial trope, “Fifty is the new forty,” which, naturally, has morphed into “Sixty is the new fifty,” as Boomers have gotten older. But few of us have envisioned how the next few decades could
Read MoreHOW DO WE BEAT THE DRIVE TO DIVIDE? Ron Roel GROWING UP, I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF MYSELF AS A “DOG PERSON.” Early on, my mother turned down many pleas to get a family dog–quite understandable, since she was already raising four sons. Eventually, however, my brothers and I prevailed. We persuaded her to allow us
Read MoreA TALE OF MODERN-DAY HOMESTEADING Ron Roel AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR, MY FATHER, ED ROEL, WAS LIVING WITH HIS PARENTS IN BROOKLYN, RAISING A YOUNG FAMILY WITH HIS WIFE, LESLIE ADELE, AND WORKING AS AN ENGINEER FOR THE SPERRY GYROSCOPE CO. IN GREAT NECK, LONG ISLAND. With a group of 12 Sperry engineers my
Read MoreTHE YOUTH CULTURE GETS SOME GRAY, BUT STILL WANTS TO DO IT ITS WAY Ron Roel & Ken Taub MICK JAGGER JUST TURNED 70. Not too long ago, we would have said, “Mick Jagger just turned 70 years old.” But is Mick Jagger really old? All you have to do is watch him perform… shake
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