Columnists

I was a lucky kid; I grew up in “Small Town America” during the 1950s. And although my Colorado hometown wasn’t “small” by most standards (roughly 100,000 people), it felt that way because we were encapsulated within our close-knit neighborhoods.

Q: We recently adopted a white kitty-cat from our neighbor’s back yard. She’s about 4 years old and she has two different colored eyes (her left eye is blue and the right one is green). How often do cats have different eyes? Is this rare? Do they have any problems with their vision?

The June 5 primary ballot is a simple affair. It should take just a few minutes to mark my choices on my absentee ballot. But I’m stuck on one vote: Proposition 29, which would levy a $1 per pack tax on cigarettes to fund cancer research.

OK, gotta set the scene, get a mood going; see, it’s one of those TV commercials to which we are subjected approximately every 10 minutes day and night intended for men of a certain age and condition to make us – I mean, them, not me, no sir – believe (1) that there is something, ummm, missing in our, I mean their, lives and (2) how truly miraculous it is that there is a handy pill which will, ummm, bring it all back. So … Barry White music in the background, a homey scene bursting with potential romance, a handsome guy with a slightly loopy smile, and action! – which means a soothing voiceover.

The American public mostly seems to take our freedom of religion for granted. Although this nation was founded by pilgrims from England seeking religious liberty, the colonial Puritans soon turned to persecuting other colonists who disagreed with their beliefs (going so far as to outlaw the celebration of Christmas). Over time, our government has usually attempted to remain neutral in religious affairs, though Muslims may say that increased scrutiny of their community since 9/11 has had a chilling effect on their ability to freely practice Islam.

The historian Thomas F. Madden described the United States as “an empire of trust,” a phrase he fashioned to compare modern America with the golden era of the ancient Roman Republic. According to Madden, both the American and the Roman republics grew into sovereign powerhouses because external threats stimulated the drive to expand their boundaries of geopolitical influence by means of superior military might, used to transform enemies into allies.

I have been thinking a lot lately about what can only be described as the schizophrenic nature of the teaching experience in America today.

People who are getting ready to wrap up their careers and leave the working world often refer to retirement as “a new chapter” or “the next act” in their lives – and rightly so. As a pre-retiree, you may have even used those analogies yourself. That said, it’s helpful, and often invaluable, to play a leading role in determining how your retirement story will unfold.