Bonus Years Humor
Autumn is a time to share in the lessons of letting go
Heart-warming are the changing seasons of life. When I was a youngster, life was about winter, spring, summer and fall – and each season had its highlights, beginning with Santa Claus in the winter. As I grew older, I came to see winter, spring, summer and fall more properly – i.e., as the seasons of…
Read MoreEngaging the next generation requires learning their language
Many of a certain age will remember the film, Grumpy Old Men. That was back in 1993 when two curmudgeonly neighbors, a cantankerous John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and a belligerent Max Goldman (Walter Matthau), were constantly at each other’s throat. Despite the constant nagging and bickering, Grumpy was a box office hit. Maybe it was…
Read MoreGrandchildren have been the greatest joy among the disruptions of 2020
As we approach the end of 2020, many I talk to are saying this year can’t end too soon. And for good reason. The year 2020 has been filled with a lot of noise and friction we would like to forget. An ugly impeachment. A one-of-a-kind presidential election. Unprecedented and deadly forest fires that erupted…
Read MorePost-pandemic cultural change likely, but how much?
For nearly two months, we’ve been called to “shelter in place” as part of a public health strategy to beat the coronavirus. Like most others our family has complied. At first, I was proud of our compliance, but as time passed, I’ve realized it was a forced change in lifestyle because we didn’t have a…
Read MoreDr. Seuss is a great asset to grandparents teaching the young
by Phil Burgess, Unabridged from the Life section of the Annapolis Capital, Sunday, October 13, 2019 Most writing about aging holds that one of the great blessings of the bonus years is grandparenting. Now that we have two granddaughters, with the older turning four and the younger turning two, we share those views. Fortunately, our…
Read MoreAging and the always inspirational, celebrational Kermit the Frog
Our culture seems to have an existential dread of aging – or at least dismay about looking like we are aging and certainly anxiety about admitting our age. Maybe we can blame comedian Jack Benny. The famed radio, television and film ham celebrated his 39th birthday on The Jack Benny Show, one of America’s most…
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