A nice pat on the back
I am happy to share with you the kudos the Beacon received at the annual conference of the North American Mature Publishers Association, whose journalism competition we enter every year. Each of our editions gets entered in a different category, based on circulation. And this year, all three of our editions reaped honors. The Baltimore Beacon brought home three first-place... READ MORE
Disability inability
One aspect of Social Security that doesn’t get as much attention as retirement benefits is what’s known as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Its monthly payments are designed to help workers who develop a life-threatening physical or mental disability, or one that will prevent them from engaging “in any substantial gainful activity” for at least 12... READ MORE
It only takes a moment
Most of the time, for me at least, life just rolls along without any truly memorable moments. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy much about my life, including my work, my family and my free time. And I’m sure I learn new things every day. (Whether I remember them is another story.) But this summer, I’ve had some brief educational encounters that I think might well count as... READ MORE
Is it me? Or everyone else?
I wonder if you’ve had an experience like this yourself: I was pulling into a parking spot at my doctor’s office the other day, and as I attempted to apply the brakes, I discovered they weren’t working. My car was continuing to move forward no matter how hard I applied my foot to the pedal. I really started to panic, afraid I was going to hit something in front of me. Then,... READ MORE
I’m not a doctor, but…
I’ve reached the stage in life where I and many of my friends are no longer self-conscious about having an “organ recital” when we get together: you know, a conversation where we eagerly recount our latest physical ailments and medical issues. It’s not my intention to bore you with one right now (at least not in all its gory detail), but I want to share a few things I’ve... READ MORE
See you at the gym!
My wife and I started the Beacon 35 years ago, when we were relatively young. While I was never what you’d call athletic, I was trim at the time and in decent shape for my age. By the time I turned 50, however, I realized that was no longer the case. Though we had two young children at home, I still managed to be mostly sedentary, and it showed. As you might guess, publishing a... READ MORE
I can see clearly now
I’ve needed eyeglasses since first grade. Throughout school, my relatively poor vision led me to sit in the front row whenever I could. I think that possibly contributed to my more active participation in class and frequent “teacher’s pet” stigma. It also fed into my already nerdy nature, as eyeglasses helped me look the part. To my surprise, over the years the rest of the... READ MORE
Take note of hallucinations
Funny how the mind works. Well, at least it’s funny how my mind works. A few years ago, as my vision began to change with age, I started to “see things” that weren’t there. One day, I was lying on a physical therapist’s table when I noticed that the tiny random holes in the ceiling tiles above me started to look like sheet music. I saw what appeared to be staffs with... READ MORE
The last move
Those of us who were lucky enough to go to college may have cozy memories of campus life. Everything we needed was close by. A short stroll through a tree-lined campus led us to the dining hall, library, gym and classrooms. On the way, we’d recognize fellow students and wave or stop to chat. It was hard to be lonely in college. Just outside our dorm rooms, there were conversations... READ MORE
Up for the challenge
As editor of the Beacon, and an advocate for older adults throughout the area, I spend a good part of my day reading and thinking about the short- and long-term challenges that face us as individuals and confront our rapidly aging society as a whole. Sometimes these can feel like intractable problems, and when that happens, it can get dispiriting. Fortunately, I get to... READ MORE
