Archive for the ‘Viewpoint’ Category
If Your Only Tool . . .
. . . is a chain-saw,
all your problems
begin to look like trees.
Aging is More than a Numbers Game
Claiming age is just a number doesn’t add up. What number is it? Do you pick a favorite number and use it forever? Or is it the number of days you’ve been alive and alert? A sizeable number of folks wonder what age they’re going to be in heaven. A wrong number could be hell.
No matter how we regard our age, we have come to understand that aging increases the risk factor for many diseases, including cancers and degenerative disorders such as dementia, and the likelihood of suffering several chronic illnesses.
Genes have long played a role in how we age. If your parents lived relatively healthy lives and edged close to the century mark before dying, your chances of living a lengthy and relatively healthy life are pretty good. If you take care of yourself.
While the global search for the Fountain of Youth is still in full force, diet and lifestyle are a couple of traditional tools you can use to stretch out your time here on Earth.
Something to Always Remember . . .
. . .about statistics
is that
you can drown easily in a river
that’s an average of three feet deep.
Don’t Drink and Dive
Ten people drown on an average day. Alcohol combined with water recreation is a factor in about one third of the adult drownings. That’s why it’s important to understand the dangers alcohol consumption can pose, especially near the water.
When people drink alcohol, their judgment and inhibitions are impaired. That is a dangerous situation, especially near water.
Medical experts suggest teaching children early about the dangers of water and alcohol by setting an example by never drinking alcohol before or while swimming or boating, and never drinking while supervising children near the water.
Those Who Claim . . .
. . .to have a clear conscience
probably just have a bad memory.
Why Collect in the First Place?
So you’re well on your way to completing the set of 50-state quarters that you began on a whim, decided to put them together for your grandkids, and then decided to do one for yourself.
What’s going to happen to the collection, whether it’s one or several sets, when you’re done? And will it (or they) sell for the profit you had in your head when you began? If you spend each set, you can buy $12.50 worth of something.
A recently-deceased relative left behind cartons of comic books and baseball cards. The recipient heirs haven’t found it worth their while to catalog the collection and have it appraised and offered in e-bay. It’s still just sitting there.
Collectibles are not only in the eye of the beholder, they’re also in the heart of the collector. They usually offer more thrill in the hunt and satisfaction in the acquisition than profit in the purse.
They give the collector a circle of like-minded colleagues to discuss likes and dislikes, as well as to brag about the latest addition to one’s collection. But you can conduct the same spirited exchanges over your favorite sports teams without having to spend the time and money tracking down another cloisonne piece for your collectible closet.
The Folks Around Me . . .
. . . are constant reminders that
going to church
doesn’t make you a Christian
anymore than standing in the kitchen
makes you a chef.
Crooks Steal From the Dead
Dead men may tell no tales but their obituaries can reveal volumes. Especially to thieves who study death notices to glean information they can use to pluck you clean.
It feels comforting to inform the world of the passing of a loved one and to include details of their life, including birthdate, address, hobbies, achievements, work and career highlights along with a list of surviving family members.
Scam artists gorge on this information. The more detail there is, the more steps you provide them to get closer to stealing your identity, the identity of the deceased, or both.
Listing the dead person’s age is okay, but don’t include their birthday. A death notice including the address of the deceased along the name of their surviving spouse along with other personal details provides a roadmap for scam artist to follow.
It’s been estimated that the identity of as many as 1 million dead people a year is co-opted by crooks who clean out existing accounts or obtain credit cards and apply for loans in the name of the deceased. Some scammers even file tax returns in the name of the dead to collect refunds.
Crooks also call survivors claiming the deceased must pay a debt they have. First of all, there is no legal obligation to pay any such a debt, unless you co-signed for it. So hang up. There’s also the fraudulent insurance scam: the caller claims the deceased took out a life insurance policy but before the benefits payment can be made there’s a final premium payment required for handling fees, taxes and whatever. Hang up.
Giving for Christmas Means More Than Toys
The Star of Bethlehem has been eclipsed by Santa’s sled burgeoning with expensive toys for all ages. The Three Wise Men have been shunted aside by Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
The Christmas spirit of giving has given way to “gimme.”
This is not a rail about how things were better “back then.” But it is an opportunity to discuss blending sound financial decisions with the true spirit of giving.
Grandparents do their grandchildren no favors by tumbling mountains of gifts and gadgets on them year after year. To truly give a gift that’s worthwhile, divert the amount of money spent on all that loot into long-term bonds that mature as the youngsters head for college, or in government savings bonds that can be cashed as needed, or into trust funds to help them get over the financial humps that coincide with raising a young family of their own.
Think about it. You just spent hundreds of dollars on the latest hi-tech gadget or on a set of wheels – skateboard, inline skates, bicycle or auto – or on several humongous wooly monsters. Much of all that won’t be around in a couple or three years. And the kid probably won’t even remember what you contributed to the pile of goodies he comes to expect annually.
However, if you funnel that money into a bank account or investment that is the child’s, you not only help secure his or her future, you build a separate memory all for yourself.
It also gives you an opportunity to help teach the youngster about the importance of investing as both of you watch the money grow over the years. And it fits into the traditional spirit of Christmas that calls for loving the present (not presents), looking forward to the future, and preserving the past.
If Everyone’s An Editor . . .
. . . why didn’t they
get the lead out of
the three messages I saw yesterday morning
about people being led somewhere?
A Sure-Fire Way . . .
. . . to make money
the next time you go
to Las Vegas.
GET A JOB.
Most Folks Don’t See Themselves . . .
. . . as other do.
You may think you’ve spent a lot of effort to become a good listener. You’ve become so good you often know what people are going to say before they say it.
So, to help them along, you rudely interrupt and finish what they were going to say for them.
What about the chap who claims to be open to change and welcomes new ideas and developments as they take hold in society. At the same time, they keep reminding everyone loudly about the good old days.
Most people have misperceptions about themselves. Some individuals have more than others.
You might think you’re good a conflict resolution, of helping to bring feuding relatives, coworkers, neighbors or colleagues together.
They may see you just as a meddling, intrusive or bossy interloper who tries to impose your mores and morals on everybody else.
Their view of you might the same if you see yourself as someone who can really get people to do things, to have fun and get out and enjoy life.
Thinking you’re a problem solver can be tricky. Most folks study a problem awhile before trying to solve it. Even if you see what you think is a solution and offer it too quickly, you’ll be perceived as someone who jumps to conclusions.
This applies to your perception of being decisive. If you take your time to collect as much data, information and facts as you can before taking any course of action, the people around you will see you as an old wishy-washy fuddy-duddy.
It may be wise to just go along on matters of little impact and to take your own route on issues that affect your method and manner of living. The results can help you get a clearer picture of yourself while not distorting what other people see in you.
F I N A L L Y ! ! !
I’ve found something that always pisses me off.
It’s people who ask me for some advice,
then get pissed off because I tell them the truth.
Mature Life Features 