It's Snowing Advice

     What are you gonna do . . . we all get older. This round of the Best of Baby Boomer blogs circles around the issue of how we cope with the perils and pitfalls of aging -- and the opportunities that go with them.

     Martin Rice of fifty2ninety.com is a language lover, and as such, simply can’t stand euphemisms such as “chronologically gifted” when what is meant is “old.” Similarly, the phrase “male menopause” also drives him crazy. If you're interested in the difference between menopause and andropause (or, if you want to see a beefcake picture of a hunky male) exercise your option to run over and read Male Menopause.

     But if you ask me . . .  well, I'm not doctor, just a simple man who turns to the old sayings like:  Just because there's snow on the roof doesn't mean there isn't a fire in the furnace.

     Meanwhile, Karen at The Generation Above Me offers a window into Joseph Campbell and the power of myth. What piece of advice has helped guide Karen's life the most? It's the phrase "follow your bliss," which she says is often misinterpreted as a call to hedonism, but is really an invitation to find one's core identity. And isn't that one of the rewards of retirement, that by our stage in life we are free from the responsibilities of raising a family, and mature enough to ignore the voices of fear, duty or guilt that can muffle the call to fulfill our true being?

     On a more practical and down-to-earth level, Amy Blitchok of Modern Senior asks whether new mobility technology is trying to reinvent the wheel. Siemens is working on developing a "smart walker" that can help those with physical and cognitive challenges avoid obstacles and better navigate unfamiliar places. Visit Modern Senior, watch the video and answer the question Is a Smart Walker a Smart Idea or Technology Overkill?

     As an afterthought, I have to mention that I went to a fundraiser over the weekend for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization that raises and trains dogs to help blind and visually impaired people achieve more independent lives. I met a couple of the dogs, as well as the "blind sommelier," a visually impaired woman who led us through a session of wine tasting. I also found out another interesting tidbit. As medical advances have prevented and mitigated many eye diseases and injuries, Guiding Eyes has expanded its mission to include providing companion dogs for children with autism.

     Finally, on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide, Rita R. Robison, consumer journalist, writes about two consumer issues. In light of the massive Target hacking, Robison discovered that American companies are being targeted because banks and retailers haven’t upgraded magnetic strip credit cards to more secure cards, ones with chips. She writes about whether consumers should use their credit cards less due to security issues.

     Robison also offers her top 10 tips for reducing the chemicals used in the home to improve health -- and she covers one of my bugaboos, which is the casual use of plastic containers to store and reheat leftovers. Yuck, who wants plastic in their pasta!?!