A recent post from *TIME Magazine’s online feed tells about yet another Northern European lifestyle trend—this time courtesy of Dutch culture—that might be useful for those of us facing hassled or hurried lives. It’s called niksen, which can be translated literally as “doing nothing.” The Dutch researchers and sociologists quoted in the article promote something easily named but not easilyMORE...
One of the possibly least-appreciated attributes of old age is perseveration—the continual revisiting of familiar tropes, stories, worries, ideas or hopes. Like dementia—with which it’s associated—perseveration is a neurological condition that can’t be controlled. In a clinical setting, it’s associated with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. People who perseverate can’t seem to shakeMORE...
Wise sayings stick in my mind, some from when I was young: “Measure twice, cut once” was my father’s advice when addressing a piece of lumber with a saw. STOP/LOOK/LISTEN was emblazoned on all railroad crossings, especially those without gates and flashing lights. “Look both ways before crossing the road” was my parents’ advice about walking to school. (When I started driving, those words laterMORE...
Ordinarily, you and I would think of “teething” as a remnant from our earlier parenting or pet-ownership days, when Little Ashley and Bergdorf were cutting their baby teeth, incisors, canines, bicuspids, molars, wisdom teeth or fangs. Recent experiences, though, have made me wonder whether teething might also describe the vagaries of tooth-related matters in my later years—when my adult teethMORE...
Recently I had the pleasure of worshipping in two small churches whose members took seriously the matter of praying for/about each other. These congregations were comprised mostly of older adults, good folks who genuinely loved each other in word and in deed. What I observed in both cases, though, gave me some pause. At the invitation of the pastor congregants offered prayer requests thatMORE...
Pursuing an identifiable mission, vocation or calling is good for you. *Some recent research has shown that a practiced sense of purpose contributes as much to longevity as exercise. Although the parameters of “sense of purpose” can be loosely defined, the conclusion of researchers was definite: **”Finding a direction for life, and setting overarching goals for what you want to achieve can helpMORE...
One of my enduring mantras goes something like this, “There’s no such thing as an idle conversation.” That’s why many of my verbal interchanges with other people end up being more than an exchange of pleasantries. In that vein of thinking, I’m pretty sure that there’s such a thing as “holy conversations,” those rare times when earnest exchanges become inspiring and inspired. It might evenMORE...
A question from high school geometry: How many diameters are there in a circle? One answer might be “an infinite number”. Another might be “only one”. In the first answer, you’re thinking that any two directly opposite points around the perimeter of a circle could be a diameter. In the second answer, you’re responding that because any diameter is the same as all others, there is actually only oneMORE...
You may have noticed that these blogs have stopped coming your way regularly. If so, you deserve an explanation for the long silence. For the past two years, these blog entries have helped me hold onto a sense of purpose. Writing has always come easily for me—even though it has always been hard work. The presumptions by which I’ve operated are these: Someone somewhere—preferably older folks likeMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.