Dreaming of GPS voices from yesteryear
After years of struggle, I’ve made some tentative peace with newfangled gimmickry. I can deal with e-mail, voice mail, texting and Google. But there’s one 21st century presence that leaves me pining for days of yore: That woman who gives me directions via GPS. You know her. If you tee up an address on your smartphone, she’s right there, snippy and snappy, ordering you to turn... READ MORE
How not to answer a telephone poll
Politics is webbed into my DNA. Been that way since I was a pup (don’t ask how long ago that was). I think about politics, talk about politics, write about politics, lose old friends over politics. But until the other day, I had never taken part in a political poll. I’ll never take part in another. When I answered the phone, a female voice, obviously young, obviously reading... READ MORE
How to say farewell to a dear friend?
Friends die. No escaping that. Some die suddenly, but many do not. They linger. So does this question: How do you say goodbye to a close friend without being maudlin, and without defeating the friend’s sense of hope? So it has gone over the last few months with a very dear amigo of four decades. He has a form of brain cancer that is usually fatal within two years. He is just... READ MORE
How my friends and I get our daytime zzzs
Babies and toddlers have it all figured out. A book, a song or two, maybe a back rub or a bottle of milk, and boom. Off they go into a nice, neat nap. All of us who are a wee bit older like to nap, too, now that our days are probably no longer packed with meetings, bosses and expectations. But how do we induce that mid-day sleep? In my case, the pathway is very simple and very... READ MORE
Sneaker wearer confesses his sneakery
Seven years ago, our son tied the knot. My uniform that day was utterly traditional — dark blue suit, white shirt, cautious tie, shiny black shoes. It was the last time I’ve worn those shoes — or any other “real” shoes, for that matter. Late in life, I’ve adopted two approaches to my feet. Approach One: They and I deserve to be comfortable, and shoes never achieve that. ... READ MORE
Facing up to my limitations at a singalong
We graying (or gray) souls have all had one or more of these experiences: We attend a business meeting and we’re the oldest person there. We mention “November 22, 1963” in a room full of Gen Xers and are met with a sea of uncomprehending faces. We read “OMG,” “ICYMI” or another hip digital abbreviation, and we have no idea what it means. Now I have another log to... READ MORE
On spoiling the grandchildren — a poll
Three things that are always true: As soon as you wash your car, it will rain. A dog will be your best friend. And grandparents exist to spoil their grandchildren. I’ve long believed the first two. But more and more, the third seems to be undergoing challenge and change. Once upon a time, grandparents were relentless, surreptitious treat providers. If their precious little... READ MORE
Should Tom Brady hang up his cleats?
My adult children and I agree on many things, but sports is not one of them. They root for teams. I root for individuals. Asked if I watched the latest big game on TV, I will usually say yes. Then I will launch into a detailed analysis of how my favorite player performed. “But don’t you CARE who wins and loses?,” my son will typically ask. “Not really,” I will reply.... READ MORE
Make way for younger folk? No, thank you
She’s 83 years old and still the dynamo she has always been. She works full time. She volunteers for countless causes. She jogs three miles every morning. She’s right there to care for her husband, her grandchildren, her pets, her petunias. She’s what all of us should hope we still are in our ninth decades. Except for her attitude about making way for the next generation. She ... READ MORE
I’m not my kids’ pet sitter! Or wait, am I?
By the time we reach a certain age — and I’ve reached it — we stop apologizing for our crankiness and our crustiness. We dig in. We don’t bend. Which is my way of saying that I will not — repeat NOT — take care of the pets of my adult children. I have told them until I’m blue in the face that their precious beasts are not my grandchildren. Or my grandpuppies. Or my... READ MORE
