May 2023, by: Robin J. Engel When I was 17 (no, this is not a Frank Sinatra song), I used to get high sometimes. Now, don’t get nervous. Yes, it was illegal back then, which was almost 50 years ago, so if you do the math, you can guess my age. Also, I’m sure there…
April 25, 2023 Why am I sharing my thoughts about retirement? Because everyone wants to commiserate with others who are going through similar emotions and events. Nobody wants to feel alone. This is why we go to support groups for everything from grief to divorce, this is why we go to church and synagogue, this…
Humans have stories. They are what we pass along from one generation to the next. They are how we understand the world. Stories enable us to empathize with characters, and make connections to the world, to ourselves, to each other. Even religions are rife with stories, whether they be real or mythical, that is up…
The past few days, I did something I’ve never done before (glad to know there are still some new things out there for me; if I ever get bored, I’ll know it’s time to leave the material world). I read a book – I mean read, looked at the words on the page – that…
TV FAMILY Humans are supposedly social creatures. We don’t do well without other humans. There are some who hole themselves up in monasteries and convents, and who spend much of their time not talking, yet they are still in the presence of others. Nowadays, in modern society, many people live alone. So many people feel…
It is 2:15 on a SAturday afternoon. The birds are serenading me. Literally. I’m sure they are songs and not just chirps. There are at least 4 distinct types of bird songs that I can detect. A friend of mine has gotten me into birding. I now have 2 apps on my phone. Today is…
Installment # 6 – February 19, 2023 Isn’t this an interesting development? I was really floundering. I didn’t know what to do with myself. The endless summer was becoming a string of infinite days that had no purpose, no end, no definitive form. As much as one thinks that the possibility of having nothing to…
Okay, maybe I’m not done with this subject. I’m having revelations all over the place. Thought I’d share the next installment. Something is beginning to dawn on me. Well, okay, I’ve had nuggets of thoughts about this, but it feels like it’s starting to gel. I suppose it couldn’t really take hold until I was…
I think something strange is happening to me. I’m becoming accustomed to not going anywhere. Granted, it’s difficult to get from one room to another, or even clean stuff up or prepare food, given my present status of barely walking. But for awhile, I was really antsy. I want to DO something. I want to…
Well, actually, retirement can go on forever. When I was a teacher, I looked forward to the days of doing nothing. Or traveling and playing. But now, well, it’s the endless summer. The only end is death at this point, so I’ve got to create lots of new beginnings. It’s just too weird to think…