Who, me? A racist?
Born in 1950 in Washington, I grew up in a mostly integrated Northeast D.C. neighborhood. Despite the “white flight” of that time, my all-white family stayed in the city, where my four siblings and I attended integrated schools. Throughout my teens, I was not aware of any racist leanings in myself at all. In fact, when I gave the valedictory speech at my high school, Immaculata... READ MORE
A few what-ifs
Back when I was a kid, when a bully taunted someone, the target would sing out, “I’m rubber and you’re glue! Everything you say bounces off me and sticks to you!” It didn’t entirely relieve the pain of being bullied, but it gave one the satisfaction of being able to reply in kind without actually saying anything “bad” — without sinking to the bully’s level. I found... READ MORE
New year, new project
I don’t know about you, but I frequently find my New Year’s resolutions generate a sense of deja vu. There are just some things about me that I want to improve, or tasks I’d like to accomplish, that hang around from year to year. A friend who knew I like to keep notepaper in my front pocket (so I can incessantly write down or remind myself of things I need to do) once made me burst ... READ MORE
Reflections from an Afghanistan veteran
The past months have been extraordinarily difficult for those with a personal connection to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. I recently watched a CNN reporter broadcast from a base in Andar, Afghanistan — a base that my soldiers and I built, and the base where I was wounded in 2006. Seeing it on the screen brought back a lot of memories, good and bad. When we first secured Andar we ... READ MORE
A pat on the back
Each year, we enter a selection of our writers’ original stories in the annual journalism competition held by the North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA), the association for newspapers and magazines designed for readers 50 and over. That competition attracts hundreds of submissions every year and is judged by internationally respected faculty at the University of Missouri ... READ MORE
Virtual Expo virtues
I am partial to fall weather. Because I grew up in Texas, where there is no clear change in season this time of year, I have come to love the sudden crisp morning air with the bright blue skies of fall. But I also have a warm spot for cool autumns because, for more than 20 years, we have hosted annual Expos for our readers at this time. There’s something especially wonderful about... READ MORE
ASA Presents The Legacy Interviews
For more information or future presentations please visit, https://asaging.org/legacy-interviews September 8 | John W. Rowe, MD The Julius B. Richmond Professor of Health Policy and Aging at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Previously, he served as Chairman and CEO of Aetna, Inc., one of the nation's leading healthcare and related benefits organizations. Prior to... READ MORE
Living with lemons
A surprising (to me) number of readers and friends have been asking me when they will get to hear the new piano compositions I wrote during my recent sabbatical. It had certainly been my intention to record myself playing them and to make the videos available to all on YouTube. It still is, actually. But reality has intervened in the form of a rather painful bad back. My doctor has... READ MORE
Time of Your Life Segment
Watch this interview of Beacon publisher Stuart Rosenthal by Ethel Rasmussen of the Baltimore County Department of Aging about our upcoming Virtual 50+Expo. The program is airing on Baltimore County Cable.
Farewell, Cicadaville
In my last column, which ran in May, I announced I was taking a seven-week sabbatical to see if my old school penchant for composing music for the piano might be something I could return to…you know, when I retire or something. We have frequently encouraged our readers to discover their passions — whether resuming a hobby from youth or learning how to do something completely... READ MORE
