Category Archives: personal reflections

Where to find happiness

Posted on June 5, 2012 by stillalife

All of us are seekers of happiness. Most people are looking for it as if it were a tangible object that once found they can hang onto forever.  How many of us have thought, If only this or that occurred … Continue reading →

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To plan or not to plan

Posted on June 1, 2012 by stillalife

I’m still laughing at friends’ reactions to an earlier blog naming all the things I planned to do this summer.  I finally get it.  The books I’d like to read total at least 4,000 pages.  I’ll need to write about … Continue reading →

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According to eMed Expert, music can help us heal from depression, fatigue, pain, high blood pressure, headaches, and stress, as well as improve athletic performance, productivity, and concentration, boost immunity and support recovery from a stroke. In other words, it … Continue reading →

Posted on May 16, 2012 by stillalife | 3 Comments

Email is the problem

Posted on May 9, 2012 by stillalife

Has someone ever advised you to “go with the flow,” meaning to “relax and accept a situation, without trying to alter or control it”?   These days “flow” has a different meaning, coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who has been called the “world’s leading … Continue reading →

Posted in personal reflections, writing | 2 Comments

Can writing change the writer?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by stillalife

Ever since I read a quote from a blogger who said that blogging had changed him (but gave no indication how), I’ve wondered if I can point to any differences in myself as a result of my slogging through almost two … Continue reading →

Posted in personal reflections, writing | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Giving up control to gain it?

Posted on May 3, 2012 by stillalife

It’s hard to let go of control at any stage in life. Retirement age is no exception, although I’ve found that this period gives me a much stronger sense of control.  I don’t have a boss, deadlines are those I … Continue reading →

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Virtual aging

Posted on April 19, 2012 by stillalife

We are often dissatisfied, not only about the big things in life, but also with the small ones.  We wish we had ordered a different dish at a restaurant as soon as we take a bite.  The library book we’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in aging and appearance, personal reflections | Tagged | 3 Comments

Timeless or less time?

Posted on March 17, 2012 by stillalife

Within the last 12 months I’ve had friends diagnosed with cancer (the latest being the man who has cut my hair for more than 30 years), one die from cancer, and, thankfully, two successfully treated for cancer.  I expect that … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, changes after retirement, personal reflections | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Learning from a disaster

Posted on March 14, 2012 by stillalife

I attended a memorial service marking the first anniversary of the disastrous earthquake/tsunami in Japan.  The keynote speaker noted, as news commentators did this time last year, that “the reaction and response of the people of Japan — especially the sense of … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes, personal reflections | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A truffle for the teacher

Posted on March 9, 2012 by stillalife

Is there ever an age at which students no longer care what their teacher thinks about their work?  My answer is no.  I thought of this after reviewing the feedback filling the margins of a scene from my slowly evolving … Continue reading →

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