Tag Archives: seniors

Head In The Sand…. 2

About Life • Tags: , , ,

Most of my life I have prided myself of being aware of what is going on in the world. I often cite the words of Thomas Jefferson who said a democracy depends on an informed electorate.  But, much of my life has also been spent being a contrarian. I am always looking at the majority opinion on things and then looking at opposing views to see if maybe they make more sense.  Sometimes these two philosophies collide; I think that is what happened here. What I am about to say now seems to go against the very grain of my life but I am going to say it anyway.

Sometimes it is alright to stick your head in the sand

Sometimes it is just not worth the effort to stay informed about things. Sometimes for your mental health it is ok to just ignore the world.  I think that holds especially true for us seniors. We have paid our dues. Some of us have spent our lives trying to make the world a better place; trying to be our brother’s keeper. But there comes a time in our lives when it is best to let the next generation worry about such things and to head off into blissful ignorance. This seems especially true for those of us who leave no heirs behind. We don’t have to worry about our namesake’s future.

I seem to be in the beginning stages of sticking my head in the sand especially when to comes to the political realm. I no longer care to try find the truth in all the mud that is being slung about today. I just don’t care anymore.  I want to spend much of the rest of my life in some form of peace and tranquility. I don’t want to be upset day-in and day-out about what is true and what isn’t. Instead I want to spend my days planning for my next vacation. I want to spend my days doing what makes be happy.  At this time in my life I think I have earned a vacation from all the bickering in the world.

So here I am espousing the benefits of sticking your head in the sand. It is a peaceful place; not much going on down there. I realize I have to pull my head out once in a while in order to take a breath of the polluted atmosphere above the sand. But once I get my lungs full the soothing peace of the sand seems to call me again. I plan to spend more time in the sand as the coming years progress.

Meanwhile here I am back in the world jousting my personal windmills via this blog dreaming of spending a few more minutes with my head stuck in the sand….

I Can Hear the Clock Ticking……. 7

About Life, Words of Wisdom • Tags: , , , ,

 

It seems that even though I am deaf I can loudly hear the clock of my life ticking away lately. For that reason I have started up yet another list. If you ask my wife she will tell you that I am first and foremost a “list keeper”. I have lists for so many things I need a list of my lists just to remember them all.  But this particular list may just prove to be the most important one I have made in a while.

My latest list is entitled

“Things to Do Before I Die”.

I know the title has been used by perhaps thousands of authors but it is unique to each of them and so my list will be unique as well. Many lists like this one start out with “100 Things…” or perhaps “1,000 Things…” but right now I just don’t know how many items will be included on my particular one. I could do like McDonald’s did in the early days and update the number as I needed to but decided against that. That is just too cutesy for me. I only have a handful of items that spring to mind right now but I’m sure the list will grow over time. These types of things seem to take a while to simmer on my brain before they spurt off the top of my head. How is that for a vision you don’t care to see even in your mind’s eye!

Many items on my list will probably be things that I my wife as vetoed over the years. The first one that comes to mind is an extended visit to Disney World.  It will probably take a paradigm shift to accomplish that one but that doesn’t keep me from trying. We spent one day at Epcot about ten years ago while we were visiting my brother in Florida.  My wife seemed to enjoy it, especially the dinner at the German pavilion, so I don’t know why she is so reluctant to go back? I want to go back there and also visit all the other theme parks as well. My wife says “those places are for kids and we are old people!”  I have my work cut out for me with this one but I am not about to give up hope.

I’m sure a lot of you seniors out there have a corresponding lists. If you think there is something really important that I should add to my list just let me know. I will be sharing items on my “Things to Do” list on this blog. For that reason I have started up yet another category in the Seniors Only tab. My artistic side is chiming in too so I will be making up a special header for this category.

I visit several blogs daily in the senior category. Most include in the title words like “adventure”, “satisfying”, “frugal”,  ”thrifty”, and such. This is a catchy idea that I haven’t seen included in many of them so if you guys want to put out a list of things to do before you die I don’t mind you using my idea. We can all use ideas in this area for our individual lists. I don’t want to be on my death-bed and still be thinking of things to add.  But then again maybe I do (ha).

What those squiggles do…

Technology • Tags: ,

Source: QR codes 101: What those squiggles do – CSMonitor.com.

You have seen those splotching things everywhere now days but what do they do? First of all they are called Quick Response codes or QR for short and they do many many things. Just scan one with your smart phone and it will among other things

  • bring up a website
  • download a coupon that can be immediately used
  • tell you  more about the product you are viewing (probably more than any sales clerk you might be able to find)

In order to be able to read a QR code you must have the app on your smart phone. You can usually get it at your app store for free. QR use is growing exponentially lately. Retail stores are starting to use them along with their wi-fi zones to help you with your buying decision. Most magazines and even some newspapers are starting to use them for people who want to know more about the article they just read.

As seems the usual lately QR use is much more prevalent in Europe and Asia than they are here but we are starting to catch up with them.

If you seniors out there want to impress your grandkids download the app and use it while in a store or even browsing a magazine. You will likely get a “wow grandma/grandpa knows how to do that!!”

Techie Lessons… 3

Technology • Tags: ,

I have always been a techie. I paid almost a month’s salary for my first computer in the early 1980s and never turned back since then.  Over the years I have gotten some heat from others about being a nerd, even before the word was invented.  But I think my techie mentality has served me well over the years and it definitely has given me something to do in my senior years. I see others my age making statement like “I don’t understand (some say use) any of that computer stuff”. Of course almost every child born in the last decade has grown up with serious technology products almost in their cribs. So, my generation is likely one of the last ones to have members totally resistant to having technological knowledge.

With all this in mind in case you haven’t noticed I started a new Seniors Only post category entitled “Technology is your friend”. It will concentrate on technology news and maybe help some of you to understand how technology can improve you life, yes even in your senior years.  Past generations of seniors have been much more isolated than we are.  Some of us are like them but given today’s world we don’t need to be. Keeping in communications with others is one of the secrets of joyful life. No man is an island; we were meant to be around others.

Some future posts here will be about helping you talk with your grandkids! I mean that from both a literal and a relational standpoint.

Some posts will be reviews of current products and how you might be able to use them to improve your life.

Some posts will be looking at very forward focused technology in diverse areas and speculating how that might change the world.

Some posts will be just to poke fun as some of us being left behind in the world today. I include myself in that category in some areas particularly music.

Given that I have been a techie much of my personal and professional life I have knowledge in this area that I want to share with you.  I hope it helps a little. If not just ignore it (ha).

Your Brain Holes Are For Listening….

About Life • Tags: , , , ,

Some people seem to think that those two holes on the sides of your head are for relieving pressure from your brain when you have to think too much.  Kind of like that weight  thingie we put on the top of a press cooker. I will hereby tell you they have another use. They are for listening. Listening includes hearing things that you don’t already know or maybe hearing a different explanation for things you think you already know.  Many of us seem to get something in our head about a subject and then batten down the hatches on our brain holes.  That seems to be particularly true of our politicians the last decade or so.  I think someone epoxied all the politician’s brain holes as soon as they arrive in Washington. We need a good ENT guy to check that out!

Some seniors I have come across seem to think that when you reach a certain age you are not able to learn anything more so they effectively fill their brain holes with cement.  Let me tell you that the condition for all of the above has a name.  All us seniors love knowing the technical names of all our infirmities; this condition is called “Lazy Minds”.  Let’s call it LM for short.  All the best conditons are known by their initials. :)

Lazy minds allow us to think that we have all the answers to everything and there is nothing worth hearing anymore. That was kind of like that guy from the U.S. patent office who wanted to close it down in the early 1900s as everything had already been invented! But I must say that LM is not a condition limited to politicians and senior citizens. It afflicts almost all of us. Particularly all of us in the United States.  We don’t seem to think we can learn anything for anyone else so we close up our brain holes to anyone who doesn’t speak our form of English (if you can even call it English anymore).

Jonas Sulk invented a vaccine for polio about fifty years ago and he became very famous for it.  Can you imagine if someone came up with a vaccine for LM how famous they would be?  Not only famous but also very very rich.  I wonder if any of the pharmaceutical companies are doing research to cure LM? Maybe we should tackle that as a national priority after we have the cure for cancer.

And the journey goes on….