Professional Tells

You can’t work at a profession all your life and not carry over some telling behavioral traits into retirement. I like to observe elder folk, like me, and try to guess their earlier career—a version of the old TV show: ‘What’s my line?’ but instead ‘What was my line?’ For example: I was in a … Continue reading Professional Tells

Granddad Jokes

You’ve heard of…or perhaps, yourself, indulge in ‘dad jokes’. One step past those are ‘granddad jokes.’ It’s interesting to speculate why some elder males have a penchant for that kind of humor. You never find women compulsively telling corny jokes. Certainly not to their grandchildren. A serious discussion with a thoughtful oldster on his choice … Continue reading Granddad Jokes

Fiesole

Fifty years later, my daughter and three of her college roommates take a trip to Florence where I had gone to recover from surgery and the culture shock of living and studying in Rome. Over those four years’ study, I had returned many times. More particularly, I made it back to Fiesole, my retreat on … Continue reading Fiesole

Somebody to Lean On

According to so many ads on TV, online, and in magazines us older folks require a whole arsenal of walkers and stair climbers and walk-in bathtubs not to mention hearing aids and orthotic insoles. Well, we certainly can use some mechanical support devices. But the adaptations and accommodations we most lean on, don’t come from … Continue reading Somebody to Lean On

Screens and memories

A familiar sight, my grandchild absorbed in his ‘screens.’ Focused on a small rectangle of light and magic, absorbed in animated conflicts, he is cocooned within the world around him. Like a writer subsumed by his concentration, he startles and remonstrates if someone barges into the room with real-life presence and demands. As I age, … Continue reading Screens and memories