Show your creativity
Regular readers of the Beacon will recall that we sponsored an amateur art competition for people over 50 last year. Called the Beacon’s “Celebration of the Arts,” it was inspired by moving stories from readers who had either returned to an earlier love of art after years away from it, or developed a passion for it later in life. We wanted to encourage those who have never tried ... READ MORE
Giving thanks
As we approach the Thanksgiving season, I want to take this opportunity to show thanks for the many blessings we have here at the Beacon. First, we are thankful for our hundreds of thousands of readers. It is for you that we launched the Beacon more than 30 years ago, and for whom our small but dedicated staff works so hard every month — putting out more than 200,000 copies of four... READ MORE
Music, in theory
When I was in grade school, the year nearly always began with writing the same report: “What I did last summer.” It was usually a simple recital of the fun activities (and boring ones) we experienced with our friends and family. I don’t remember ever being asked to draw lessons from the experiences, or even to think seriously about them. But it was grade school, and the point I... READ MORE
Your opinion, please
There’s only one thing that no one can give you or take away from you: your opinion. What you think in your mind and feel in your heart is uniquely and always yours. Your opinion might change from time to time, even from minute to minute. But at any point it’s still yours. And that’s something we should cherish. Sometimes, however, we can feel we are being bombarded with... READ MORE
No one to trust
Every year, when the Medicare and Social Security Trustees issue their annual report on the status of those programs, there’s a flurry of interest in one question: At what point in the future will the programs no longer be able to meet their obligations in full? The 2019 report estimated that Social Security would be unable to cover full benefits as of 2035, just 16 years from now.... READ MORE
Diverse perspectives
People who have a passion for traveling abroad often say they relish the opportunity to learn about different cultures, hear unfamiliar languages, meet people from varied backgrounds — in short, to have mind-broadening experiences that change the way they see the world. While there’s nothing like international travel to accomplish those goals, I think most of us could have similar... READ MORE
Saving faces
We’re all told to be careful with our IDs because of the burgeoning crime of identity theft. For example, we shouldn’t share our Social Security numbers with businesses or publicize our birth date on social media because facts such as these can help thieves access our bank accounts, falsely claim our tax refunds or apply for credit cards in our names. But there’s one aspect of... READ MORE
Heads in a fog
Is it me or are more people driving around today with their heads in the clouds than before? Drivers have always had distractions, whether from kids roughhousing in the back seat, cars rubbernecking at an accident, or the urgent need to change the radio station or CD. But today, we have more things than ever clamoring for our attention when we drive. Some of them are external and... READ MORE
Home sweet home
The other day, we received a call from a gentleman who told us, in no uncertain terms, that our readers were staying in their homes for too long, and that they should sell their homes to young families so that those folks could have a chance to live the suburban lifestyle, too. His basic message was that older adults should not be so selfish as to stay in their nice big homes when there... READ MORE
Not in our family
Back in the 1970s, a progressive TV sitcom poked fun at certain members of an older generation for their prejudices and beliefs, at the same time revealing a glimpse of the humanity that could sometimes shine through the tough, stained exterior of a bigot. The family portrayed in All in the Family consisted of Archie Bunker, a man full of more bunk than one would have thought possible,... READ MORE
