Huh? What's Up With That?

reflections...                 Janis Ian's hit single,  At 17,  was about a young girl's angst about her appearance and coming to peace with the fact that she wasn't invited to any social event by the time she reached 17.  My interpretation of the song was she was not even invited to join in the dance of life.     HUH ?   What's up with that ?    Recently, while tooling down the interstate, the song came on my XM satellite radio and it caused a genuine ripple of introspection/reflection on my part.     1975--the year At 17 was released   A loaf of bread was less than 50 cents, while a gallon of gas was under two dollars.     Love Will Keep Us Together by the husband and wife team of the Captain and Tennille was the Number One song playing on the radio.     The Vietnam War ended in 1975 as Communist forces took Saigon.    President Gerald Ford was in offic...

it's different...                                                       It can all be a bit off putting and even annoying.  The dilemma comes in not knowing what to do in all situations.  And, it's all because of a virus !      Should I go to that party or not.     Will others be wearing a mask if we go to the game ?     Is it okay to go to a restaurant ?     Do I stand six feet from someone talking with me while we're standing at that bar ?     A family gathering at your house Doris...with how many people ?   Uh, is it okay to ask if they have all been vaccinated?     Yikes!  Those plumbers are coming into the house!  Will I offend them if I wear a mask?   HUH ?   What's up with that ?   Indeed, Covid-19 and its variants have been like a major leagu...

       encore, encore....7x                                                                This is another chapter in the continuing series showcasing retirees and the new choices they make after leaving the day-to-day rhythm of performing from 9 to 5 for many years.  We call these new choices, Encore Performances .     These select interviews are certainly not meant to be scientific or representative of a larger group as a whole.     Certain expressions, such as, I wanted something to do ,   I was getting bored , or even, I can't hang around the house all day,  are heard many times over and uttered by both men and women.  It doesn't seem to take long before some people require new activities to fill the void created by retirement.  It seems having all the spare tim...

 siesta  time...                                                                                                         It has been described as, refreshing, blissful, invigorating , an escape , and even a ... renewal of all the vital forces (Churchill).     Dagwood Bumstead takes an apparent much needed siesta every time the need arises, no matter the place or time of day.     When D-Day forces landed, Hitler was asleep. It was 6:30 in the morning.  Not exactly a nap, but no one dared wake him.   DaVinci replaced real sleep with 15-minute naps every four hours.   Former President Bill Clinton was known to nap at any time.  He was caught on camera napping during President Reag...

  interesting people...     There are so many people who have contributed beyond comprehension to this world, and yet, somehow we've never heard of them.       HUH ?   What's up with that ?     These are people who for one reason or another never became known even though their contributions to this earth were just as great as Edison, Carver, Bell, Whitney, Jefferson or any other inventor or major contributor to society.     Many additions were from African-Americans and therefore were not promoted or given their due as were their counterparts successes.     Some scientists and inventors have been content to let their accomplishments be overshadowed by more attention-seeking allies, enemies, and equals.    Still others allowed their corporate partners to literally steal their achievements.     And, there are those who by mere circumstance never reached the acclaim they deserve.  Such is the cas...

  historically speaking...                        Susan Tomlinson retired as a teacher from Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2018 in part because she had been diagnosed with a very rare cancer called leiomyosarcoma.   Her illness has become her  Encore Performance .     HUH ?   What's up with that ?    A friend told me having cancer is like having a new career,  she said.   You have new colleagues, new vocabulary, develop a new skillset, and you have a whole new schedule.       Is that how you came to terms with cancer?    Yes,  she confirmed .  That description helped me wrap my head around what I needed to do.  I can adapt to a new career even though it's not one I chose.  I embraced the whole idea and with my husband, have worked hard to research, learn, and pursue the best path for this new job . ...

times are a changin'...                                        dylan and delanoe       It seems the only things that are permanent are the end of life on earth and change .     HUH ?   What's up with that ?   Go back to your favorite city or other location five years after you last visited and you will see how different the topography looks.  Newly constructed, torn down, and renovated buildings contribute to an altered skyline.     Relationships constantly evolve and change .  Sometimes for the better, sometimes not.   Technology certainly leads the pathway of communication  change today.  New iPhones, new androids, new gizmos, new gadgets.    Medical advancements have allowed us to live far beyond the life expectancy of 40 years ago, or even as few as 20 years.    COVID-19 has certainly chang...