Find your passion
Aging can be a revelation. All the truths we ran from, the wisdom we didn’t have time for, catches up with us — if we let it. I stumbled upon abstract painting in late 2011, when I was 61. I still had three children living at home, but the youngest was 15. Suddenly I had some time to myself, so I thought, Why not try something new? Out of nowhere and with no art background at all, I... READ MORE
Bashing into joy
Willie Mays has always been my favorite baseball player. He could hit for average and power, steal bases, catch every ball that came his way in centerfield, and throw like no one else. He loved playing baseball, and he played with the childhood joy that was forever captured in his immortal nickname, the “Say Hey Kid.” In fact, it was said of Mays that the only thing he could not do... READ MORE
Joining a dream team
My name is Steve Gurney, founder of Positive Aging, and I am honored to now serve as associate publisher of the Beacon Newspapers following the recent merger of our organizations. Over the years, I have deeply admired the Beacon, especially for its powerful, real-life stories that highlight the experiences, wisdom and voices of older adults. The Beacon has long been an invaluable ... READ MORE
Following a legacy
For those who regularly read this column, you know that our founder, Stuart Rosenthal, recently retired. As the new publisher, I’d like to introduce myself and share my vision for the future of the Beacon. I joined this team more than 20 years ago, working closely with Stuart and his wife, Judy, our president, in every facet of the business. It has been an honor to serve alongside... READ MORE
How I learned to be brave
My November column, “How We Learn to Be Afraid,” garnered more responses from readers than anything I have written in years. So I thought I would press my luck and write this companion piece about bravery. Appropriately, it also happens to be the column in which I announce my retirement from the Beacon. Yes, 36 years after my wife, Judy, and I began publishing this monthly newspaper... READ MORE
A nice pat on the back
I am thrilled to share with you the kudos the Beacon received last fall at the annual conference of the North American Mature Publishers Association, whose journalism competition we enter every year. We like to submit articles written by our staff as well as our regular freelancers to help them get the national recognition they deserve for their high-quality writing. That, in turn, gives ... READ MORE
A time for thanks
I want to thank the thousands of readers and their guests who attended our 26th annual 50+Expo events in Maryland and Virginia recently. Our entire staff spent months preparing our Expos, which offered attendees numerous health screenings, important vaccinations, and nearly 150 exhibitors, including government agencies, nonprofits and area businesses sharing information, resource... READ MORE
How we learn to be afraid
When I’ve had the privilege of watching my toddler grandson as he learned to walk, run and play, I noticed something striking: As he gained experience in the world, he grew more confident in some ways and more cautious in others. And in both things, he often took his cues — about how to feel and how to respond — from his parents and other caregivers. Taking his first steps, he was... READ MORE
Do we really want to know?
It’s a story right out of a disaster movie: A pilot in the cockpit of a civilian airliner suddenly cuts fuel to the engines of a plane in flight, risking the lives of all aboard as well as innocents on the ground. Unfortunately, it’s not a movie. At least, not yet. It really happened — not once, but twice in the last two years. In July, an Air India flight headed to London with... READ MORE
It’s Expo season again
I am thrilled to invite you to join us at the Beacon’s 26th annual 50+Expos. We present these events in both Maryland and Virginia to provide useful information and a great time to our readers and their family members. In case you haven’t been before, I can share that our Expos attract thousands of area residents who come for health screenings, flu shots and other vaccines,... READ MORE
