DID YOU DODGE A BULLET?

It happens to everyone, sooner or later. Someone or something lets you down, dashes your hopes and dreams. You may get over it quickly, after a long while, or not at all. But the truth is, when things don’t turn out the way we expect, it’s often a blessing in disguise. Did you dodge a bullet yesterday, last month, or years ago?

The first example that comes to mind is a failed relationship. Someone you love, decides that they don’t love you. It may happen gradually, over years. Or you’re totally blindsided. One moment you’re happy and content , the next minute you’re getting dumped. Unless you got married right out of high school, you’ve probably experienced at least one episode like this. And yet, when it’s finally over, and you’ve gone on with your life, you realize the person wasn’t right for you at all.

Here’s how the urban dictionary defines Dodged a Bullet: “When you come close to dating a person but for whatever reason it falls through, and then later find out that person is batshit crazy, you’ve dodged a bullet..

Ok, the person wasn’t crazy, so that doesn’t apply. . But you may look back and realize you actually had nothing much in common, or the one you loved was emotionally abusive. It may take a long time, but you finally realize it would never have worked out well.

The next big downer is getting turned down for a job. When you’ve written a great resume, and sat through a seemingly positive interview, you’re confident you’ll be offered a position.

And then, you hear nothing back. Or you receive a tersely written letter that they’re sorry to inform you—you didn’t get the job. And they don’t even leave the door open, asking you to keep on applying. This is almost more of a blow to your self esteem than the failed relationship. What did you say or do wrong? Was there spinach on your teeth? Doggedly, you keep trying, not getting your hopes up again after the next interview. And all of a sudden, you land a dream job with a great organization. After you’ve settled down, you look back and feel immensely grateful that you got turned down after that first job interview. . It wasn’t about you—it was on them. Their loss. Ha Ha.

Did a business deal fall through? Someone stand you up for an important meeting? Miss a plane that ended up six hours on the tarmac? . The next time you’re feeling upset about a rejection or missed opportunity, remember this: You may have dodged a bullet.

July 21, 2021July 23, 2021

COVID GENERATION WILL DO FINE

Parents in Indiana got quite a shock last week. The results of the spring ILEARN exams showed that only 28% of elementary and middle school students passed both the math and English portions of the test. It’s not surprising. In some cities and towns, children had access to classroom learning. Other school districts were forced to on-line classes 90% of the time, due to the Covid-pandemic. My own grandchildren out in Washington DC never saw the inside of a classroom for most of the school year. Next year is going to be a struggle for everyone, but especially the teachers. What will happen to these children? Will they every catch up, go on to college, or achieve success in life? As someone who attended high school with World War II refugees, I believe the Covid generation will do fine.

My brother went to high school with a Jewish boy from Germany. When he was 15 years old, his mother pushed him from a death march, and urged him to hide out in a nearby barn. I’m not sure how long he stayed there before he was found by a US Army officer, and brought to our city. When he entered high school, I don’t know how many school years he had missed, but I’m sure it was more than one. At the same time, he’d lost his mother to the gas chambers in Nazi Germany. He finished high school, graduated from Purdue, and became a successful pharmacist.

I went to a parochial school with two sisters who’d escaped from Poland. When they started school, they could barely speak a world of English. For whatever reason, both of them were in my sophomore class. One of them was two years older than the rest of us.. She had probably not gone to school for a long time. Both were very bright, but had a lot of catching up to do. And guess what? They graduated high school, which meant they could have gone on to college if they so desired. I’m don’t know what happened after that , as I went away to college and lost touch.

I’m not sure how these refugee children caught up with their fortunate American classmates. As foreigners, they were outsiders who didn’t enjoy a normal, 50’s social life. No double dates, hanging out at the drug store, or attending private parties. They were serious, vastly more mature than we were, and determined to succeed. I would imagine they spent a lot of hours studying at home on weekends. There were thousands of youngsters like them, spread throughout the United States after World War II. But they caught up in their studies faster than anyone would have dreamed. So now, instead of worrying about our kids’ dismal test scores, let’s have some faith in their youthful resilience. With our support and understanding, the Covid generation will do fine.

July 19, 2021July 19, 2021

ARE THEY RUNNING OUT OF NEWS?

Watching network news every evening has been a habit for as many years as we can remember. The idea of turning off the TV at the news hour would have seemed unthinkable until now. However, I find myself walking away after a few minutes of viewing. Because now, the lead story is always about the resurging covid-19 outbreak. Even if you didn’t like Trump or Biden, at least the presidential campaign and the fuss over who won the election provided a little excitement. Are they running out of news this week, or just not very interested in what else is going on?

I find the endless reports of new covid-19 outbreaks annoying. If half the people in the United States won’t get vaccinated, I consider them risk takers. They’re really no different than smokers, or people who ride motorcycles without helmets. Yes, we’re sorry that they get lung cancer or are permanently disabled, but they’ve mostly brought it on themselves. It’s unfortunate, but t can’t feel too much sympathy for irresponsible people.

I don’t know why they consider the Covid-19 outbreaks more important than the riots, high crime rate, and number of homicides taking place in cities like Chicago. The people in those areas did not bring their problems on themselves. They’re the victims of a very sick society where children grow up watching violent video games and then proceed to act out, with life-ruining results for small businesses and ordinary people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Or they could take us to the Southwestern Border, where millions of illegal immigrants are overwhelming our resources, and wreaking havoc in the unfortunate cities and towns along the way.

There isn’t a dearth of news in our country. There’s just an unwanted emphasis on the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic which could have been prevented if the people who got sick had been vaccinated. They don’t deserve that much attention.

July 16, 2021July 16, 2021

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME ZUCCHINI?

Zucchini squash this year are big as footballs, thanks to so much rainfall in Indiana. If you’re an apartment dweller in a metropolitan area, you’re not going to have a problem. But for those of us who live near farming communities, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone is going to proudly offer you a free zucchini, fresh from their garden. You have a choice. You can either reject the bounty, or gracefully accept it. Would you like some zucchini? Not really, but it’s hard to resist such a kindly offering.

I don’t especially like zucchini. It’s bland, watery and has very little nutritional value. Maybe some vitamin C which you can get from a zillion sources. But now I’m stuck with it. Brought it home from the office, church, senior center, or wherever they give this stuff away. So I’m going to make the best of it.

I like it raw, sliced up in a salad to give it some crunchiness. It also makes a fairly decent substitute for potato chips with dip. No, not as tasty, but you can feel good, knowing that instead of 100 calories in 10 potato chips, you’re consuming almost nothing with zucchini slices.

If you’d like to serve it as a side vegetable, you can jazz it up with fresh corn. Just scrape two or three ears of corn, combine with zucchini slices, cover with water, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain, add salt, pepper and butter as desired. It easy, fresh, and summery.

Would You Like Some Zucchini? It's plentiful this year.. — Would you like some zucchini? It can be served in various ways.

Let’s say you want to use it for a family meal.. Just to make sure they will enjoy it, you can prepare a cheesy zucchini casserole. (Cheese makes everything better). Serve it as a main dish for vegans, or as a side dish. If the zucchini is a normal size, you can simply slice it. But if it’s very large, you’ll want to cut it into one or two inch pieces.

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups sliced zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick.

½ cup chopped onion

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 eggs

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9 inch baking dish.

Add sliced zucchini to baking dish’; sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, parmesan cheese, garlic, basil, and nutmeg.

Layer 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the zucchini. Pour the cream sauce over the zucchini. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until bubbly and browned. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy your garden fresh zucchini!

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021

CITY CAN’T MANAGE TRASH CANS

Should someone be paid if they don’t do their job? Obviously not, in ordinary circumstances. The lawn service get paid when the grass is cut. A food server gets paid for the hours they’ve worked. But when it comes to city contracts, it’s a different story. In the case of trash pick up in our city, the Waste Management contract is awarded by the Board of Public Works. I’m not sure what those people do after the contract is awarded. Apparently, they turn the whole thing over to an office administrator, and that’s who you call if you don’t have enough trash cans. Trouble is, that person seemingly has no control over what the Waste Management company does or does not provide. If you complain about busted or missing trash cans, the reply is: “all I can do is e mail them.” And if they don’t do what you pay for? Repeat: “all I can do is email them.” Why such a flaccid response? Obviously, the city can’t manage trash cans.

The Board members, themselves, are appointed by the Mayor, but the entire process is shrouded in mystery. If you go to the Board of Public Works website, you can’t find the names of the board members. I did see a notice on the internet from 2009 that a new man had been appointed to the board after someone retired. But that was twelve years ago. Actually, the decision on who to hire for trash services is a fairly major decision, amounting to more than half a million dollars. But do any of these four people feel responsible for the efficacy of local trash pickup? Do they care if you have busted trash cans or fewer than you need for your rental property? Who holds the Waste Management Company accountable ? Some cities fine companies for violating contracts.

The company won’t empty overflowing trash cans, but the cans are overflowing because there aren’t enough of them. As Winston Churchill once said, “ It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma” Why does our Waste Removal contractor have such a stranglehold on the Department of Public Works? Seems to me that the city can’t manage trash cans. Or maybe they don’t want to.

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

BEWARE OF SUMMER SCAMMERS

When you’ve lived in a small town for awhile, you know a lot of people who’ve held a variety of jobs. Sometimes, gossip about former employers reaches you through the grapevine. Here’s what you may hear if they’ve worked for an air conditioning company: A customer calls on a sweltering hot summer day because the A/C went out. Repair man shakes his head and says it can’t be fixed. You’re miserably hot, unable to sleep. You believe him when he tells you that you need a new unit. They do you a favor and get the new one installed the very next day. And remove the old unit at no extra charge. Then, guess what? Instead of taking it to the junk yard, they replace a minor part, then sell your old unit to another customer. Yes, it happens. Beware of summer scammers! .

Summer is when folks get serious about roof leaks, chimney repairs and other outdoor jobs. Have you ever gotten bids to fix a roof? The price range is nothing short of amazing. Half of them refuse to do a partial roof install. They will tell you that unless you get a whole new roof, they can’t guarantee it won’t leak. And if you start getting bids on a roof replacement, you’re bewildered. The bids may differ by as much as ten thousand dollars—or more . Now is the time to pause before making a decision. Talk to people, call different roofers, check BBB ratings and online reviews. You’d be surprised what you can find over the internet. Just gather the facts on your own. And beware of summer scammers.

But scamming can also occur in other professions. There are doctors who convince you that your backache cannot be cured unless you undergo expensive surgery. Tire salesmen who say they can’t fix a low tire.. They feed on your desperation: Afraid the back pain can’t get better, or of what you’ll do without a car for a day or so.

When you sense that a provider is pressuring you to make a quick decision, it’s time to stop and think. Get bids from other companies. Get second and third doctor’s opinions. Check with another tire company and see if a nail can be removed.. Beware of summer scammers.

July 10, 2021July 10, 2021

CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT SINGLE-USE PLASTICS?

Everyone agrees that single-use plastic is one of the worst things that’s happened to the environment. Plastic sticks around for ages, threatening wildlife and spreading toxins. Activists have banned the use of plastic bags in a few American cities, but the trend really hasn’t taken hold. Even though I bring cloth bags to Aldi’s because I have to, I will admit to laziness when it comes to supermarkets who provide multiple plastic bags. It’s so much easier to let them do it. Environmentalists insist that the day must come when we stop jamming up our oceans with piles of plastic trash. But the question is, can we live without single-use plastic?

Let’s start at the bottom with disposable diapers. There are charitable organizations that provide free disposable diapers to low income women. Can anyone of child bearing age believe that you can do without them? Well, I did. Used cloth diapers, which could be thrown in the washing machine and reused for years on end. However, by the time my third child was born, I succumbed to the lure of disposable diapers. Which are actually coated with plastic.

Disposable baby diapers form a sizeable portion of non-recyclable landfill waste. They also contain many harmful chemicals that are subsequently dispersed into the environment.

Let’s move on to packaging. Half the products on our shelves are in plastic containers. Laundry detergent, ketchup, mustard—the list goes on and on. They used to sell such products in either cardboard boxes or glass bottles. I guess that was a lot more expensive than using plastic.

According to the National Geographic:

“The conveniences plastics offer a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side. Today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years.”

Take the time to look around your house—the kitchen and bathroom, in particular. How many of the items you use every day are packaged in plastic? The alternative, of course, is paper. Paper and cardboard are renewable materials that are easy to source. They are also inexpensive and can be used for a variety of different packaging elements.

Can we live without single use plastics? Decades from now, our descendants may wish that we had.

LIVING WELL AFTER 80

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