Not Born Yesterday

Doing the write thing.

E E Smith

Passing Through a Shadow

"Everyone has his or her own way of dealing with grief," my always cheerful therapist liked to say, "and you'll find yours." She was less positive about her answer to my question, "Does it ever end?" The best she could do was, "It gets easier."

The Ultimate Man Cave

To a slightly dyslexic person like me, the words "man cave" can be mistaken for "cave man," but whoever coined the phrase "man cave" probably had prehistoric creatures in mind anyway.

"It's a Wonderful Life" (The Sequel)

Really, is nothing sacred anymore? Frank Capra, the extraordinarily talented movie director of the last century, must be rolling over in his grave with the news that a sequel to his iconic Holiday film, "It's a Wonderful Life" is now in the works.

Will the Real Me Please Stand Up

A friend and I recently got into a discussion of what it means to have an "alter ego." (In Latin, the "other self," or "doppelgänger" from the German.) As I understand it, they all pretty much describe the same thing: a person who is identical, and yet distinctly different, from ourselves.

Type A Personality

Researchers have been studying personality traits known as "Type A" for so long that it has become a household word. We call people who are work-obsessed and overly competitive— with increased risk of health problems as a result—"Type A" personalities.

Giving Credit Where It's Due

My grandmother was fifty-something before she cast her first ballot. It was 1920, the year the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote.

What's So Good about Being Single?

For some, "healthy, wealthy and single" has become a mantra for the 21st century.

How the Brain Tracks Speeding Objects

Ever wonder how a batter knows when to swing at a pitch coming toward him, sometimes at more than 90 miles per hour?

Getting a Grip on Anxiety

Have I got this right? Fear is a rational emotion, whereas panic and anxiety are not. But wait. Aren't panic and anxiety the same? "Anxiety" may sound more scientific than "panic," from the Greek god Pan, who liked to frighten sheep.

Celebrate Getting Older

If you didn't know that May is Older Americans Month, you are not alone. I would guess that not a lot of people did know, including me. A recent article brought it up, and urged those of us who are "of a certain age" to celebrate. My first thought was, "Why?"

Some Tasty Reasons to Eat Chocolate

Ah, chocolate candy and red roses, timeless hallmarks of love! If you were lucky enough to get both, this past Valentine's Day, the roses wilted long ago, and you may be avoiding the candy because you thought it wasn't good for you. Not so!

Keeping Your Brain Young

We all know that older adults who get regular exercise are healthier than those who don't. But who knew that they are also 60% less likely to develop dementia? And here's the best part: exercise doesn't have to be boring, Dancing can keep your brain younger, as well as healthier!

Taking the Birth Order Quiz

Of America's first 23 astronauts in space, how many were first-born children? Give up?

Are We Having Fun Yet?

It's bad enough to be "of a certain age," with doctors and scientists constantly telling us what we should be doing, eating, avoiding, etc., but here's a new wrinkle (so to speak). Now they are telling us what we are supposed to be feeling! Are you ready for this? Happier.

The Fine Art of Doing Nothing

Doing nothing, or time spent with no discernible point or purpose, is often met with contempt. My mother used to call idle hands the Devil's playground, and I still sometimes feel a little guilty about just sitting and listening to music when I know that I should be doing something more constructive.

The Great E-Book Controversy

The technology in today's world would have seemed "Buck Roger-ish" in my day, when telephones plugged into the wall, and a "text" was a schoolbook. Think of all the new terms that have come into the language since then, too: Internet, laptop, e-mail, upload, download, website, iPad, Wi-Fi, SmartPhone, and e-books, to name a few.

Are You Left- or Right-Brain Dominant?

Almost everything I thought I knew about right and left brain activity has been stood on its head (so to speak!) by a recent article in my local newspaper. I knew that left-brain dominant people tended to be logical, rational and organized, and that right-brain dominance fosters creativity, imagination and artistry. That about sums up my preconceived notions.

Missed Manners

My mother used to say that good manners were simply the outward expression of inner respect -- or words to that effect. If so, there is precious little respect around today, what with candidates bashing each other in negative campaign ads and calling each other names, politics has become a blood sport.