According to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund), only a third of 10-year-olds globally are able to read and understand a simple written story, which means that 64% are unable to cover the minimum proficiency in reading comprehension. This is up from 52% pre-pandemic. Obviously not going to school during the pandemic interfered with the […]
On Thursday, June 14th of this year, I attended the CBIA 2023 Energy & Environment Conference. The EPA, Connecticut’s Department of Energy, NGOs, public utilities, law firms, environmental consulting firms, and other private enterprises were represented. Four themes were prevalent throughout: Green (without being defined) is good. Fossil fuels (without being defined) are bad. The […]
From 1900-1930, the divorce rate in the USA was 1.1 out of 1,000 Americans. In the 1970’s it was 4, while in the 1980’s it was 5. Baby Boomers became the most divorced generation in USA history. Luckily today in 2022, the rate has dropped to 2.3 per 1,000 Americans. Perhaps the Baby Boomers’ children […]
Women get the short end of the stick when it comes to middle age and beyond. So many suffer from changes they cannot control, unwanted added weight, mental shifts, and many more life-altering symptoms. Meet Diana Thornton, fitness trainer/coach/mentor for women over age 40. She has used her will and determination to buck the system […]
My wife and I many times look at each other and say, “Why can’t I remember her name, or where actually did I put down my phone”. Memory loss is a common concern among seniors, and we are always looking for ways to improve our cognitive function and somehow enhance our memory. While some degree […]
Author’s Note: In digging through my archives recently, as I recounted here, I came across another piece I’d written many moons ago. My sons were born in 1983 and 1986, respectively. The elder was going to basketball camp every summer, starting at age nine. The younger started playing soccer before the age of nine and […]
Every month of the year has pet awareness events. For instance, June is National Adopt a cat month, it is National Zoo and Aquarium Month, and National pet preparedness month. June also has National hug your cat day, International Corgi Day, World Pet Memorial Day, National take your cat to work day, Ugliest dog day […]
On March 1st, I went to an appointment with a new doctor. Well, he’s actually a very well-established doctor. But it was my first visit with him. I approached a receptionist who was seated behind an open, sliding window. I had a mask in my hand. I held it up so the receptionist could see […]
I’ve written about my depression before. But since this is Mental Health Awareness Month — and since every month should be Mental Health Awareness Month — I want to revisit the topic. In that earlier piece, I wrote my depression was characterized by stark, unrelenting terror. It resulted in a kind of hypervigilance, an exaggerated […]
As a girl of the 1950s and growing up in a small town in Jamaica, I was constantly reminded of the need to be conscious of other people’s opinions. “What will people say?” “What will people think?” “You know, people don’t appreciate that.” Who were these ‘people’ my mother was concerned about and why? It […]
