What Type of Retirement for You?

While surfing my favorite blogs in the internet I came across a reference to the Vanguard Center for Retirement Research (https://institutional.vanguard.com) talks about six paths to retirement. For the past couple of years I have been very interested in our second fifty years.

The conventional view of retirement – working full-time until a set date and then shifting to full-time leisure – does not match the experience of many older Americans, according to the Vanguard national survey. According to the study “The paths to retirement are varied, and different types of work are common in the early retirement years.”

What I found interesting is that only 29% of Americans age 55 to 69 fall into the Early Retiree’s category. These are the people who exit the workforce in their 50’s or 60’s and stop all work thereafter.

Others plan to continue working in various forms through their 60’s and beyond (10% of Americans age 55 to 69) Their decision to never retire is based on a desire to be active, the type of work, or working to meet basic living expenses.

The other groups include Work and Play (12%), Still Working (35%), Returnee’s (5%) and Spouses Retirement (9%). There are various reasons people in these groups are still working. Some are semi-retired and working part-time or are self-employed.

The Vanguard survey of 2,474 individuals age 40 to 69 indicates that “The conventional view of retirement — working full-time until a set date then shifting to full-time leisure –- does not match the experience of many older Americans.”

I guess the boomers are not going to become conventional in retirement. Are we rejecting the system created by our grandparents and parents? Interesting thoughts. I would love your comments.

Red Dirt and T-Shirts

You own a t-shirt company on the island of Kauai when flooding from hurricane Iniki damages your inventory. Now you’re on the verge of financial ruin. What to you do? Some people would give up and move on.

Paradise Sportswear looked at the pile of white t-shirts now stained with the red volcanic dirt of Kauai and saw their future. Kauai’s Hanapepe Valley is the source of their natural dye; the rich red dirt used to create their now famous Red Dirt shirts. I loved the picture of the row of washing machines covered with the red dirt. Their brand is known around the world as Original Red Dirt Shirts.


I discovered Paradise Sportswear during a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands and picked up a t-shirt and a flyer. The t-shirt is one of my favorites and the flyer has been sitting on my desk for a year. Today I decided to write about a great American success story and a little Hawaiian red dirt.

Thank You Sean...

The Oregon National Guard said Sergeant Sean Patrick Fennerty died after a bomb hit a vehicle he was in while fighting anti-Iraqi forces in the Al Anbar Province.

Fennerty graduated from Jesuit High School 1999 and Oregon State University in 2004 as a history major.

He joined the U.S. Army and became an Airborne Soldier and was stationed at Ft. Richardson, Alaska with the 25th Infantry Division, the Guard said.

According to newspaper articles, Fennerty loved to ski, fish and spend time with his friends. Officials said he was survived by his mother Mo, father Brian, two sisters, Kelly of Seattle, and Colleen of Chicago, and brother Conor of Washington D.C.

The following statement mourning the loss of Sgt. Sean Fennerty, was released by Jesuit High School.

It is with deep sadness that Jesuit High School has learned of the death of Sgt. Sean Fennerty of the Class of 1999.

Sean is remembered as a faith-filled person who participated in all areas of the school. He took it upon himself to strengthen the school community with his generous and giving spirit. These qualities enabled him to be a friend too many faculty and students while he attended Jesuit.

His classmates will miss his sense of humor and deep sense of loyalty to them. His awareness of duty to make our world a better place is what led him into the military service of our country. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean's parents, sisters, brother, and the extended Fennerty family during this difficult time.

Requel, Oh No!

Raquel Welch was on Today this morning. She was talking about how the 60’s of today. My mind was not on the interview. I was remembering Raquel at an earlier time. It was Christmas 1967. I was serving onboard a hospital ship, USS Sanctuary (AH-17), supporting Marine operations in Northern South Vietnam.

Raquel was traveling with Bob Hope. Bob, Requel and a large contingent of photographers flew out to the ship to visit the patients. We were all excited. I remember standing between two Navy nurses and making a comment about getting to see a real American woman again. I survived but the nurses started saying they couldn’t wait to see Bob, a “real American man.”

I was the senior ward Corpsman or two sixteen bed Urology wards. The wards had upper and lower bunks and Requel was trapped in the back corner by the photographers. It was exciting for all of us.

That was 39 years ago. Seeing Requel on the Today Show brought back a lot of memories. To me she has not changed at all. She is still one very beautiful woman. I’m glad I had the chance to met Bob and Requel.

Retirement, Not!

Marika and Howard Stone have given me the the best advice on retirement I have received so far: Don’t!

"Think about it. Why would you want to quit something that provides a place to go and people to see, mental stimulation, a feeling of being needed, a way to hone skills and experience and keep learning, not to mention an income? Even if you can afford to join the leisure class, there is ample evidence that good work– even part-time, flex-time, on your own terms — is good for you. "

Howard and Marika Stone are co-founders of http://www.2young2retire.com/ and and co-authors of Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life . Visit their website and sign up for their newsletter “Reinventing Retirement.”

Ok, I have decided not to retire. Now I have to put a plan together that will carry me into my 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. I agree with the Stones “Retirement is just so 20th century!”

Good Bye Arthur

Have you ever heard of Arthur Winston? He is the Los Angeles transit employee who retired on his 100th birthday in March. President Clinton gave in an “Employee of the Century” citation in 1996.

During his more than 70 years with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arthur missed only one day of work. That was to attend his wife’s funeral in 1988. He supervised the workers who cleaned and refueled the bus fleet.

Arthur passed away last Thursday, a month after retiring. Could it be that he no longer had a reason to live. I am sure Arthur will be missed. He is an example to all of us that our careers do not need to end at age 65. We can continue to make our contributions to society (and the social security fund) well into our second fifty years.

Jazz in a Strip Mall

Working in a retirement and assisted living community can lead to all kinds of new adventures. Last month one of my volunteers, Ivan, who plays piano at lunch on Mondays, suggested a trip to a little jazz place.

So, last Friday night I loaded seven residents in the van and we headed out. I have lived here for six years and knew where I was going, a strip mall featuring a Bi-Mart Store and Harbor Freight, an outlet for tools of all kinds. I had never noticed Dy’s Broadway Diner or Donna Marie’s Pizza, as it was formerly known.

The owner invited Ivan and Bill, one of our residents, and a former dancer to play before the entertainment started. Bill had not been behind a set of drums in a number of years. This was a special night out for him

The owner, Jim Federman, is a California native who had lived and played music in New York City for several years, created a place where jazz musician could gather and play.

My favorite was Margie Hayas, an 82 year old clarinet player and singer. The Brooklyn native is a show all by herself. She plays, she sings, she entertains. She is a class act.

The highlight of the evening was when Jim invited Ivan and Bill to play for play while Margie sang and played the clarinet.

It was a great evening and I just might be hooked on jazz.

Dodging Eva

An Associated Press article this morning reminded me of one of the games I used to play in my hometown. Like small towns across America, we had a local reporter who reported time “local news” for the three nearby papers, The Stayton Mail, the Mill City Enterprise and the Scio Tribune. At one time her weekly column might have been carried in the Salem paper.

Eva was an institution. The close proximity to the post office may have helped her in her gathering of the news. Being the sister of the local telephone operation must have also helped. Her weekly columns recorded the coming and goings in the small town I call home. Some call it the “quilting-bee” kind of news, the kind of news picked up during conversations.

Each visit home for my oldest brother, my sister and myself (all three Navy) was reported by Eva. It soon became a game to see if we could visit home and get away before Eva discovered us.

With the old phone system Eva’s sister Alta knew the movements of my brother and sister. When my parents weren’t home when they called she would track them down. That personal touch was lost with the arrival of the new dial system.

I remember when I was still in high school. We had to ride a bus 10 miles back and forth to Stayton. One afternoon we pulled up behind Eva’s car at the elementary school in Lyons. Eva came out and walked between her car and the bus, got into her car, started it and backed into the bus. Soon after that Eva had to give up driving.

Small town newspapers have changed. I dropped by subscription to the Stayton paper when state and national news became more prominent than the local news. People read their local paper to see their names. Now the obituaries are the most prominent local news and by the time your name gets there it is too late.

I’m glad to here that some small town papers cling to the local columns, reporting about the lives of everyday people, their out of town guests, family reunions and Sunday dinners.

I'm Back

Wow, what a year I have had. At the end of March last year I accepted a position as Activities Director for a retirement and assisted living community. It has been a very busy 11 months of learning.

I discovered 94 great people. We have had residents die. Some have moved. New residents have joined the community. They are a great group of people to work with.

One of the things I have missed is working on this Blog. I have missed writing. I'm back now. The posts may not come as frequently as they did at the beginning.

Thank you everyone who has taken the time to send comments.

Tom

A Diversion

Two months ago I was happily enjoying my retirement and the second fifty years of my life. Then the activity director of the retirement community where my Kiwanis club volunteers decides to quit. Two of the residents talked me into applying for his job. I did and now I’m an activity director for nearly 90 residents living in a retirement and assisted living community in the Portland area.

It has been an exciting two months. They have kept me busy and many of my “normal” activities have gone by the wayside. That includes keeping my by blog. There is just too much to do each day and for the first several weeks I was exhausted at the end of the day.

Now things have gotten better and an email from someone who had found this blog reminded me of how much I miss writing.

I am the oldest employee at the facility and there are only a few residents who are younger than my 59 years. According to one of my twin daughters I get to hang out with my peers all day. Yes, that’s right and I am enjoying every minute of it.

According to George E. Vaillant, author of Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study, there are four “basic tasks” that are essential to postjob satisfaction: social activity, play, creativity, and lifelong learning. Neglect any of these, he says, and you will not enjoy your later years as fully as you might.

My job is to create opportunities for social activity, play, creativity and lifelong learning. It is an interesting challenge, especially with people have withdrawn into themselves or have physical or mental challenges.

This month I organized a Red Hat Society. Next month we will have our first men’s breakfast. Sometimes I just sit and talk. That is what they seem to like; someone to listen to their life story and each of them has a unique story.

I’ll be writing about my adventures at the old folks home.

Tom

Portland's Baby Boomers Social Club

Last Saturday night I stepped way outside the box and attended a singles dance sponsored by The Baby Boomers Social Club. It was a spur of the moment thing. I saw a tv new report on the dance and decided to go.

Getting there was easy. The Portland Red Lion is right on the MAX (rapid transit) rail line. Many of the boomers who grew up in Portland remember it as "Top of Cosmo", where in the 1960s and 70s it was the place to go for Prom Night or that special night on the town. The view is spectacular overlooking Portland city lights and the Towers of the Convention Center. It is a nightclub atmosphere offering music from the 50s to the 70s with a few 80s.

I got there early so that I could attend the dance class. For the past 45 years I have been telling myself that I cannot dance fast. There were two women for every man at the class. I knew I was going to be in for a fun evening.

After a short half hour lesson the games started. I found a spot to set at the end of a long table. Before long I was joined by Elizabeth, Arlene, Maureen and Evelyn. Like most boomers, they could dance and they took turns with me. It was a fast four hours and before I knew it I was on the train heading home.

The following is from their website http://www.babyboomerssocialclub.com. They say it better than I can.

“The Baby Boomer Generation was born 1946 to 1964. Boomers grew up in a time of change, music was changing, we ushered in rock n roll and we proved it was here to stay. There were many societal changes whereby we were called "The Me Generation, If It Feels Good Do it". Well, it still feels good to dance and the Baby Boomers Social Club is meeting that demand and making it happen for hundreds of Boomers. Music is good for our soul and dancing is good for our hearts. Most all health organizations tell us we all need to exercise more, what better way than meeting a group of your peers and dancing to the music you love. The Baby Boomers Social Club provides this form of recreation and entertainment.”As we get older, our children leave home, our parents or a spouse pass on, or we could be in a rut and need change. There is emptiness and we all deal with change differently. The Baby Boomers Social Club is here to help us get out of our comfort zones, go out and meet new and old friends, to establish new relationships to last our lifetime. The Baby Boomers Social Club provides an atmosphere where friendships can be cultivated and members feel they have an extended family. We want to grow into our old age and beyond "in our own way". As always, we are changing the definition of middle age and old age. We are not going to age quietly.

“Everyone has their own reasons for coming but many are saying, "We really needed a place like this", "we needed a place for our age group, our time and our music". Some have run into friends they had not seen for 25 years.

“We can be ourselves, aging rock n rollers out to have fun, dance and remember the good times. We are now making more good times. We have left our inhibitions, clicks and attitudes back in high school, now we just have fun.”.

Ladies in Red Hats

Have you noticed older women running around in red hats and purple outfits? They are members of an organization called The Red Hat Society. I went to their website (http://www.redhatsociety.com/) looking for information about the group. I found the following poem. I have reprinted it here is all the disclaimers. Thank you ladies, for brightening my day.

"Ode to the Red Hat Society"

by Sue Ellen Cooper
A poet put it very well. She said when she was older,

She wouldn't be so meek and mild. She threatened to get bolder.

She'd put a red hat on her head, and purple on her shoulder.

She'd make her life a warmer place, her golden years much golder.

We read that poem, all of us, and grasped what she is saying.

We do not need to sit and knit, although we all are graying.

We think about what we can do. Our plans we have been laying.

Instead of working all the time, we'll be out somewhere playing.

We take her colors to our hearts, and then we all go shopping

For purples clothes and hats of red, with giant brims a-flopping.

We're tired of working all the time, and staying home and mopping.

We order pies and chocolate fudge, and rich desserts with topping.

We crown ourselves as duchesses and countesses and queens.

We prove that playing dress-up isn't just for Halloween.

We drape ourselves in jewels, feathers, boas, and sateen.

We see ourselves on television and in magazines.

We laugh, we cry, we hug a lot. We keep each other strong.

When one of us goes out for fun, the rest all go along.

We gad about, we lunch and munch, in one big happy throng.

We've found the place where we fit in, the place we all belong.

We do own the rights to this poem, and we share it with our members freely. The "Ode to the Red Hat Society" may not be used on product for sale or in the promotion of product for sale except by express written permission from the Red Hat Society.A beautiful bookmark with this poem on it may be found on sale at the Red Hat Society Imperium.

Nancy, I miss you so

Nancy,
I miss you so!
I have become just
a shadow in the
chambers of my mind.
I have nothing
but old letters,
cards, emails
and memories
to keep me company.

There is a lonely
wind blowing
cold within me,
searching within a
heart made empty
Of song.

I am missing you
with a madness
that wrenches my
soul and renders
me incapable of
living in this
world of walks, sunsets,
full moons and
endless nights

Perspectives - an email story

This arrived by email this morning from a good friend. The author is unknown. It's too badpeople don't give credit where credit is due. I did a web search and checked the Urban Legend site (www.snopes.com) without success. I'm going to go ahead a reprint the story here. Enjoy.


One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

Please pass this page on to friends and acquaintances to help them refresh their perspective and appreciation.

"Life is too short and friends are too few."

Welcome Home

Welcome Home

I found this in my inbox this morning. It was from an old friend who forwards a dozen or so emails each week. It got me thinking about my homecoming 37 years ago. I arrived home from the USS Sanctuary (AH17), a Navy hospital ship, on February 28, 1968. There was no cheering.

I checked out this story on the Urban Legend site (www.snopes.com). The status is undetermined. Maybe it really happened. Maybe it is an exercise in creative writing. It is however, the kind of homecoming that every one of our returning men and women should receive. Tom

Welcome Home

I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 waiting for everyone to hurry and stow their carry-ons and grab a seat so we could start what I was sure to be a long , uneventful flight home. With the huge capacity and slow moving people taking their time to stuff luggage far too big for the overhead and never paying much attention to holding up the growing line behind them, I simply shook my head knowing that this flight was not starting out very well.

I was anxious to get home to see my loved ones so I was focused on "my" issues and just felt like standing up and yelling for some of these clowns to get their act together. I knew I couldn't say a word so I just thumbed thru the "Sky Mall" magazine from the seat pocket in front of me. You know it's really getting rough when you resort to the over priced, useless sky mall crap to break the monotony. With everyone finally seated, we just sat there with the cabin door open and no one in any hurry to get us going although we were well past the scheduled take off time. No wonder the airline industry is in trouble I told myself. Just then, the attendant came on the intercom to inform us all that we were being delayed.

The entire plane let out a collective groan. She resumed speaking to say "We are holding the aircraft for some very special people who are on their way to the plane and the delay shouldn't be more than 5 minutes. The word came after waiting six times as long as we were promised that "I" was finally going to be on my way home. Why the hoopla over "these" folks? I was expecting some celebrity or sport figure to be the reason for! the hold up.........Just get their butts in a seat and lets hit the gas I thought.

The attendant came back on the speaker to announce in a loud and excited voice that we were being joined by several U. S. Marines returning home from Iraq!!! Just as they walked on board, the entire plane erupted into applause. The men were a bit taken by surprise by the 340 people cheering for them as they searched for their seats. They were having their hands shook and touched by almost everyone who was within an arm's distance of them as they passed down the aisle. One elderly woman kissed the hand of one of the Marines as he passed by her.

The applause, whistles and cheering didn't stop for a long time.

When we were finally airborne, "I" was not the only civilian checking his conscience as to the delays in "me" getting home, finding! my easy chair, a cold beverage and the remote in my hand. These men had done for all of us and I had been complaining silently about "me" and "my" issues. I took for granted the everyday freedoms I enjoy and the conveniences of the American way of life I took for granted others paid the price for my ability to moan and complain about a few minutes delay to "me" those Heroes going home to their loved ones.

I attempted to get my selfish outlook back in order and minutes before we landed I suggested to the attendant that she announce over the speaker a request for everyone to remain in their seats until our hero's were allowed to gather their things and be first off the plane. The cheers and applause continued until the last Marine stepped off and we all rose to go about our too often taken for granted everyday freedoms.........

I felt proud of them. I felt it an honor and a privilege to be among the first to we! I come them home and say Thank You for a job well done. I vowed that I will never forget that flight nor the lesson learned. I can't say it enough, THANK YOU to those Veterans and active servicemen and women who may read this and a prayer for those who cannot because they are no longer with us.

Sweet Dreams

The following is from Joe Tye’s Spark Plug for February 25, 2005.

Joe has a hypothesis, but it’s a hypothesis based on facts. These are the facts:

Fact 1: The average American is chronically sleep-deprived, to the tune of upwards of an hour per night.

Fact 2: The average American spends between 3 and 4 hours per day watching television.

Fact 3: Long before you become physically dysfunctional, you begin to lose mental and emotional capacities. The first thing to go is usually the ability to think creatively. Shortly thereafter, you lose the capacity to be enthusiastic and optimistic.

Fact 4: People who are sleep-deprived have impaired judgment that causes them to do stupid things such as running up big credit card bills through shopping therapy as a replacement for real joy (debt can put a real damper on love within a household).

Fact 5: Sleep deprivation causes reduced energy levels, resulting in people ignoring their loved ones and not undertaking enjoyable but strenuous activities in favor of less emotionally-taxing activities such as couch vegetation.

Here’s his hypothesis: If that average American would replace just one hour of daily TV watching with one extra hour of sleep, there would be a lot more love, a lot more joy, and a lot more prosperity in this world.

How about it, are you getting enough sleep? I know I’m not.

Certified Organic Pot

It was bound to happen. Medical-marijuana is legal in California (along with ten other states) and now Mendocino County officials want to be able to certify the locally grown pot as organic.

According to an article from the Associated Press article, the officials in Mendocino County are simply responding to the request of two local growers. There is also concern of reports of people getting sick from pesticide treated pot.

It seems to be the next logical step as medical-marijuana moves into the mainstream. The states with medical marijuana laws are issuing “user” cards. According to the article at least one insurance company paid a claim for a stolen pot plant.

Certifying pot as organic will open all the doors:

County fairs will be revived as pot growers compete for the best in county and the best plants will go on to the state fairs. Will the judges get to smoke the pot as part of their evaluation?

The state agriculture research centers and state agriculture colleges will be able to conduct research on improving the pot plants.

Will we see pot growing 4-H clubs? How about a pot growing merit badge for Scouts?

What fun is it to just look at the plants in the fair. Will pot we have pot tasting parties like we do wine? Why should the judges at the county fair have all the fun?

Counties, such as Josephine in Oregon, would be able to advertise that their pot is the “best in Oregon”. Please note, I lived in Josephine County for six years and never smoked any of their pot. Experienced second hand smoke – yes.

Of course all of this leads to the final acceptance by the state – the taxing of pot. It would just be another sin tax that would help balance the local budgets. It might even replace the declining alcohol and tobacco tax revenues.

Thoughts of Gary Hann

I made my first posting to my Faces of Oregon Blog. I decided to use an article I had written about a high school classmate we lost during the Vietnam War.

In the process of rebuilding my computer files I came across an article I had written about my best friend in high school.

I wrote this in September of 2001. An email from one of my twin daughters, talking about her first day of high school, reminded me of a similar day, 41 years ago. It was on the first day of school at Stayton Union High School, in Stayton, Oregon, that I met Gary Hann. I don’t remember the class, but we were sitting in alphabetical order and this redhead from Aumsville starting bugging me right from the beginning.

We remained friends through our 4 years of high school. During our junior year I decided to join the Naval Reserve. I was planning to join the Navy upon graduation. By joining the reserves I figured I could gain experience and have a step ahead of my classmates. Gary decided to join also. His father had been a Marine during WWII and refused to allow Gary to join the Marine Corps. He decided that the alternative way to the Marines was via the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps, whose members provide the medical support for the Marine Corps.

During the summer between our junior and senior years we spent two weeks at a reserve boot camp at the Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, California. The San Diego Naval Training Center had been closed due to meningitis outbreak and a temporary two-week boot camp was set up across the bay. After those two weeks, we spent two weeks aboard a Destroyer Escort, stationed at Treasure Island, San Francisco. Those two weeks included a weekend cruise to Monterey Bay.

Upon graduation Gary and I reported to the Hospital Corps School in San Diego, California, for a sixteen-week course in instruction. During this time the Gulf of Tonkin incident was stages, which lead to the buildup of U.S. forces in Viet Nam.

Corps School was crowded. We were together 24 hours a day for those sixteen weeks. He had the bottom bunk in and I had the top one. When Gary found out I was writing Wanda, who was a year behind us in school, he started writing her too. When he didn’t write, she would ask about Gary and would also let me know when he did wrote.

Those sixteen weeks went by fast and we all realized that we had a good chance of going to Viet Nam with the Marine Corps. Close friendship drafted apart during this period. I think that deep down we knew that many of the class would not survive. We saw the reminders everyday. The halls of Corps School were lined with the pictures and citations of the members of the Hospital Corps who had been awarded the Medal of Honor. Most had been awarded while serving with Marine Corps units and most had been awarded posthumeriously. We were young, invincible and didn’t dwell on such things.

Upon graduation I was ordered to the Naval Hospital on the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California. Gary went to the Naval Hospital, Oakland, California. After six weeks of ward duty, Gary volunteered for duty with the Fleet Marine Force and his offer was accepted. The Field Medicine School is at Camp De Mar, on the beach at Camp Pendleton. I saw Gary and couple of times. He spent a weekend with me in the barracks at the hospital.

Every month another 25-30 corpsmen were drafted from the hospital and every month my name was missing from the list. I lasted until December, when my name was finally on the list. I believe there were 25 of us on the list. 23 sets of orders came from the Bureau of Personnel: Fleet Marine Corps. Two of us waited and waited. I remember joking with a nurse that I was going on a Mediterranean cruise. We were both shocked when I got orders to the USS America, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier and she was on her first Mediterranean cruise.

So, while Gary went west to the Fleet Marine Force and duty in Viet Nam, I went east and joined the USS America at Nice, France.

It was another classmate, Wanda, who wrote and told me that Gary had been killed in Viet Nam. It was a shock.

That was in 1966 I have not forgotten Gary and his friendship. For years I felt that it was my fault that he was killed. He joined the Navy because I did. He went to Hospital Corps School because I did. It has taken a long time to realize that Gary would have joined the service and would have found his way to Viet Nam.

I stayed in the Navy and dedicated my service to the memory of Gary Hann.

I moved to Gresham, Oregon, in September 2000 and on a clear spring day I made my way to the Oregon Viet Nam Memorial, in Washington Park, above downtown Portland. Here, on a series of marble tablets, are the names of 741 sons of Oregon, who gave their lives during the Viet Nam War. I said goodbye to Gary that day. I have taken others and introduced them to Gary.

Thank you Gary, for being such a great friend. You will always be a part of my life and you the first of the Faces of Oregon.

Second Wind Dreams

A couple of years ago I became away of an organization called Second Wind Dreams (http://www.secondwind.org/) They have goal of enhancing the quality of life for those living in eldercare communities.

The program began with the work and passion of P. K. Bevill, PhD. Who co-wrote Second Wind, a heart warming book about life within nursing homes. Today the program reaches facilities in 38 states, Canada and India, and is changing our perception of aging one dream at a time.

According to their website there are basically five categories of dreams: (the following is taken from the website)

·Relationship Based Dreams: So that the resident can reunite with friends and family members that they may not have seen in many years. One resident had not seen his brother in over 40 years! Approximately 12% of the dreams are this kind.

·Life Long Dreams: Learning to play the piano, swimming with the dolphins or going to Graceland are just a few of these powerful dreams. Approximately 6% of dreams fall into this category.

· Dreams to Relive Past Experiences: A simple trip to a favorite restaurant, paint supplies so that a resident can go back to creating paintings make the difference, feeling needed when they can relive their jobs. These are 14% of the dreams.

·Dreams for Fun: An unbelievable 46% of the dreams fulfilled are just for fun. Our residents want to go to the Price Is Right, ride a go-cart and ride all the roller coasters at an amusement park.

·Need Based Dreams: Imagine needing something as simple as a cup holder for your wheelchair or a dress so that you can attend church again and no matter what you do you will never be able to get it. This is a humbling 22% of the dreams.
Seniors who are living in eldercare communities are most need of assistance. Family support may be non-existent, money can be at a premium, especially for our Medicaid supported seniors, and these senior adults are often our frailest— the ones who need a dream fulfilled.

The lack of dreams and goals can have serious physical and mental consequences. By fulfilling dreams we improve the quality of the residents’ lives by stimulating residents both physically and mentally while giving them the special attention they deserve.

According to Second Wind Dream, older adults and their dreams shine much brighter than anything we will do. “As each dream unfolds, the local community sees the wonder of older adults and understands that each stage of life is unique and bountiful. Long after the dream has been fulfilled, the effects linger on.

Organizations, such as Second Wind Dreams, cannot do it all. According to the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, 60% of nursing home residents have no visitors.

What have you done to reach out to the eldercare residents and other elderly citizens in your community. Take a minute and post a comment or send me an email.

Down but not out!

For the past two days I have been experiencing major computer problems. Not all is lost. A recent backup will allow me to recover much of my work. It's just the pain of having a good friend die.