As retirement approaches you must face the question, "What is the best age for me to claim Social Security?"
"We both started receiving Social Security at age 62 ... when the Great Recession of 2008 swept away our careers and much of our net worth."Experts declare that you should avoid taking reduced payments at 62 unless you need the money immediately or have health issues that may shorten your lifespan.
They almost unanimously advise waiting until full retirement age (66 and 6 months in 2024) to receive 100% of benefits earned. Postponing until the maximum payout at age 70 is even better, since 8% is added to your monthly check for each year you delay.
A Missing Term in the Equation
From a purely financial perspective, the logic is irrefutable. But there is another asset often ignored. One that could be considered even more valuable than money because it is constantly being spent and can never be saved.
Time.
We both started receiving Social Security at age 62, and it has turned out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made. Well, actually the choice was made for us when the Great Recession of 2008 swept away our careers and much of our net worth.
It is said there are three phases of retirement — Go-Go (age 60 to 70), Slow-Go (70 to 80) and No-Go (80 and up). 
Had what seemed at the time like a calamity not happened, we would have most likely followed conventional wisdom and kept working to save more money. Instead we took a leap of faith, moved abroad to a lower cost of living, and found ourselves staring at a blank canvas titled "Our Future" far sooner than planned.
It is said there are three phases of retirement — Go-Go (age 60 to 70), Slow-Go (70 to 80) and No-Go (80 and up). We hit the ground running at the beginning of our Go-Go period, and what an unexpected blessing those extra years have turned out to be in the following important aspects of life.
Improved Health
It is estimated that 7 out of 10 Americans aged 65 and older will need some form of costly long-term care. The most proactive way to be among the 30% who avoid this expense is by optimizing your health.
Full-time workers have trouble finding enough hours in their schedule for fitness and healthy food preparation. A recent study reveals only 25% of American adults meet CDC exercise standards, while another indicates a paltry 10% eat enough vegetables.
Leaving behind financial worries by retiring early has rewarded us with bonus years to expand our social network and pursue long-postponed activities and new interests.
Early retirement provides an opportunity to jump start improving one's health. In addition to our pedestrian lifestyle (we haven't owned a car for 14 years), devoting time each week to strength training, yoga and cardiovascular exercise keeps us in outstanding physical condition. Creating nutritious meals filled with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is a fun activity instead of a chore.
Less Stress
According to the American Psychological Association, stress is at an all-time high in the United States. At the same time, research from Age Wave and Merrill Lynch reveals that retirement is the happiest and most content period of our lives.
Our experience certainly mirrors those findings. Leaving behind financial worries and the daily grind by retiring early has rewarded us with bonus years to expand our social network and pursue long-postponed activities and new interests.
More Time with Grandchildren
Before moving to Ecuador we lived three time zones from our family. That travel distance combined with limited vacation days made visits shorter and less frequent than we desired.
Now, even though our residence is on a different continent, we have been fortunate to spend weeks at a time each year being with our grandchildren as they've grown from infants to pre-teens. This level of connection would have been difficult with only occasional long weekend trips.
Active Travel
We can share from a travel perspective that the Go, Slow and No-Go periods are accurately described. During the first decade of early retirement we flew back to the States multiple times each year as our four grandchildren were born. Between visits we explored Ecuador, cruised around the tip of South America, and spoke at conferences throughout Latin America.
Our bank balance would without a doubt be higher if we could have waited until age 67 or 70 to begin collecting Social Security. 
Post-Covid, we recently concluded a full-time travel adventure of 2½ years to Mexico, Europe, Colombia, Argentina and locations within the United States. Now squarely in the Slow-Go years, we are acutely aware that the level of activity we sustained for over a decade is no longer possible despite being in excellent health.
Our bank balance would without a doubt be higher if we could have waited until age 67 or 70 to begin collecting Social Security. Yet looking back, how thankful we are to have retired early and been able to share so many priceless memories during those initial retirement years.
How Long You Live vs. How Much
As you contemplate when to begin receiving Social Security benefits, carefully envision your ideal retirement. What do you want to accomplish, see and do? If you intend to work until the maximum retirement age of 70, keep in mind that the Social Security Administration estimates that American men who reach that age are likely to live another 13½ years, on average; American women, almost another 16 years. 
Keeping this information in mind, be realistic about your physical capabilities when making plans. Do you really want to spend the most active years you have left in the office and your entire, extended retirement in your Slow-Go and No-Go years? How unfortunate it would be to devote your Go-Go years to the workplace, only to find yourself having to use the extra income to pay for health issues instead of enjoying those activities you've looked forward to.
It is tempting to fear you can never accumulate sufficient assets to retire comfortably. Instead, consider asking yourself, "How can I manifest the future I've dreamed of with what I have?"
Discovering ways to make more money in retirement is possible. But you can never create another minute of precious time.


Why We Are Glad We Started Social Security Benefits at 62

Edd and Cynthia Staton

In the fall of 2022, jazz flugelhorn player Jeff Oster was looking forward to spending winter 2023 on Mexico's Pacific Riviera with his new beloved, Petra Kaufmann. A regular at the San Pancho Music Festival since 2007, he was thrilled to have her by his side. He had also just retired from his day job, a financial planning practice.
Jeff Oster and Petra Kaufmann in WinnipegLife looked golden for the mid-life lovers, but it had something else in store. A stage 4 ovarian cancer diagnosis derailed everything they longed to do together. Instead of gazing at tropical sunsets, Oster found himself staring at blankets of snow and down the daunting path of caregiving for his partner. They hunkered down for medical treatment in her native Winnipeg.
"I was living in a new country and watching this woman I had recently fallen in love with deal with ovarian cancer."
Everything in their lives was put on hold. However, becoming Kaufmann's full-time caregiver eventually influenced his music in ways he never expected.
Improvising at Life
At 66 years old, the well-traveled tireless performer and recording artist had to shift gears. Best known for contemporary, ambient jazz and New Age music, Oster earned a GRAMMY® nomination in 2021 for his work on the Best New Age Album, "Brothers," a collaboration with GRAMMY® award-winning guitarist Will Ackerman and multi-instrumentalist Tom Eaton.
The chops he developed improvising on brass would serve him well. Settling into Canada, which felt insular to the former Californian, his days were fraught with a quiet terror around Kaufmann's illness.
"My whole life became about improvisation."
"My whole life became about improvisation," he says. "I was living in a new country and watching this woman I had recently fallen in love with deal with ovarian cancer. I was emotionally raw and open. I'd never done this before. It was uncharted territory."
Throughout winter in Manitoba, Oster found himself a student all over again, doing exhaustive scientific research with Kaufmann. They were relentless, poring over clinical trials, meeting oncologists and learning how to manage medications. After her surgery, he slept for ten days in the hospital on a sofa next to her. Nine chemotherapy treatments followed.
Life became contained in ways unfamiliar to Oster. The pair lived in a three-bedroom apartment. Sometimes, Kaufmann's adult children would visit to provide additional support. 
"There wasn't much to do while she was weak and immunocompromised," he recalls. "The sun rose at 10 and it got dark at 4. The darkness was womb-like."
For Oster, slowing down, staying indoors, and being in the dark was like revisiting the pandemic. But isolation during Canada's winter helped him see music – and life – in a new light. "I gained a heightened degree of appreciation for things," he says. "I had to let go of any control."
A New Musical Journey
Concerned about caregiver burnout, Oster took some cues from the patient, a trained physician and practicing family therapist well-versed in holistic living. His first step toward self-care was eating healthier and joining a gym.
At night, in the doldrums of winter, he began recording simple melodic riffs over pre-recorded loops. Music became his refuge.
Reinventing himself as an artist wasn't precisely on Oster's mind when his distributor suggested he explore something new; lo-fi music. The former had rights to the Miles Davis catalog and had already worked on a lo-fi album based on the jazz legend's melodies. 
With an ethereal, deliberately unpolished quality, lo-fi appealed to that part of Oster that enjoyed New Age and Pink Floyd. "The sounds and people talking in the background were fascinating to me," he says. "It's all condensed in 3-minute tracks that sound glitchy and over trap beats. The overlay of vinyl crackle is intentional."
Late Night Inspiration
Around 3 a.m. one night, Oster woke up from a dream that prominently featured the words "howling loon." He immediately exited the room, registered the website name and returned to sleep.
Interestingly, Oster would not hear a loon's loud call until later that summer in Canada's famous Lake of the Woods. But he always carried Canadian loonies, or one-dollar coins, in his pocket, which he needed for releasing shopping carts every time he went to market.
Jeff Oster"Everything's so orderly in Canada," he says. "I always marveled that people leave shopping carts all over the lot in the states. I always made sure I had loonies."
A Caregiver's Respite
Before moving to Canada, Oster had packed some recording equipment on a hunch he might make music. Heeding his distributor's suggestion, he dusted it off. At night, in the doldrums of winter, he began recording simple melodic riffs over pre-recorded loops. Music became his refuge. Exploring something new helped Oster deal with being in a bubble.
He'd often take these musical respites at night while Kaufmann was sleeping. She didn't mind. "She knew how this was my therapy," he said. "She had empathy for me as a caregiver." 
Neighbors were also generous. As a courtesy to them, he brought sheet music for "O Canada" and played the national anthem for his accidental audience.
Old Dog Learns New Tricks
Lo-fi music is rarely a solo effort. After working on his tracks, Oster contacted four lo-fi artists for collaborative remixing. They were much younger, ranging in age from 16 to 29. 
The result was Howling Loon, a nine-track album released by Oster in August, 2023. Since he needed a new identity for this unique style, he called himself Howling Loon in the credits. 
"One of my friends told me: 'Hey, Jeff, that's your most intimate playing.'"
Collaborating with a younger generation during Kaufman's healing and eventual remission helped him expand musically. "I was an old dog learning new tricks," he recalls. "I learned how to embrace whatever was in front of me. I was much more willing to listen as a musician. I had to let go of preconceived notions and take risks."
The multigenerational work also helped expose his audience, which skews over 50, to a genre that is much more popular with people under 30. Crossover is rare for older musicians. "We tend to stay in areas where we've had commercial success," Oster remarks. Lo-fi became an unexpected refuge in the middle of an intense caregiving path.
"A flugelhorn is full sound and this music asks for restraint, simplicity and quiet to fit in the dark winter vibe and the fear of not knowing if Petra would die," he explains. "It was like an unintentional unfolding of something unknown." 
The experience brought the couple emotionally closer. "One of my friends told me: 'Hey, Jeff, that's your most intimate playing,'" he says.
Love Yourself and Your Loved One Through Illness
Oster took a little break in February to fulfill his obligations with the music festival. But Mexico wasn't the same without his beloved. Life is golden again, however. Today, Oster and Kaufmann are back in Mexico, filled with gratitude and slowly adapting to life in remission. Looking back, Oster reflects on his newfound wisdom as a caregiver.
At first, he set aside his work to help his partner but then recognized that he needed music to help him help her. 
"While you're in the middle of this new process, it's scary," he says. "You feel 100 percent helpless. But don't lose the thing you love doing while loving your loved one through illness. It might be sports. Or going to the theater. For me, that thing was my music."


'Old Dog, New Tricks' Jazz Musician Improvises at Caregiving

Maria De Los Angeles

Ginny Corbett, 56, founder of Salúd Juicery, in Sewickley, Pa, has worked hard to build an Instagram following to connect with customers. She now has over 9,413 followers. And it’s free. Sort of.
“If you count your time as money, I have spent thousands of hours,” Corbett says. “I have also used professional photographers to get a good library of posts for our specials, and it can cost $300 to $700 per month for a social media assistant.”
Ginny Corbett, founder of Salúd JuiceryFor midlife entrepreneurs like Corbett, who I profiled in my book, Never Too Old to Get Rich: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business Mid-life, traditional advertising and marketing methods can be out of reach financially. But social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube can boost your business by getting the word out virtually for little or no money.
Free Services That Social Media Offers Entrepreneurs
You can, for example, create a Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter page for your business without charge and post content as you please. It might be an expert blog post or a link to your website or Amazon book page (if you're an author). You can also jump to the next level and create a paid advertising campaign.
“Insta is rather addictive,” Corbett says. “It is a bit like a slot machine when your phone starts dinging up a storm after a good post as people like it.”
When you create an ad on Facebook or Instagram (owned by Facebook), for example, you start with creating your objective — such as growing the number of people visiting your site or encouraging people to follow your page. Then, you can then slice and dice who is going to see your ad.
“Insta is rather addictive,” Corbett says. “It is a bit like a slot machine when your phone starts dinging up a storm after a good post as people like it.”
You can choose your target audience by age, gender, interests and location, among other variables. You set your ad budget — a total amount you want to spend daily —and can edit it at any time.
When Your Ads Will Appear on Social Media
The social media sites estimate the number of people you can reach each day and your selected audience. The ads in your campaign stop running once they've reached your spending limit or the date you set to end it. You can determine how often the ads appear, say, once a day, week or continuously.
LinkedIn works in a similar social marketing fashion. You begin by create a business page. “The first 2-4 weeks on a new platform are an investment in testing and learning,” according to LinkedIn’s tutorial. “We recommend testing with at least $100/day or $5,000 total (generally in a month).”
That seems expensive to me. As an author and speaker, I have mostly only dipped in with Facebook and Twitter ads and free posts, plugging my books or speaking services. I’ve never spent more than $100 on any platform campaign in the last five years. But I have seen book sales bump up and have had calls for speaking engagements that I attribute to that marketing avenue.
It’s fun from an analytic standpoint since the sites let you track through your dashboard how many times your ads have been seen and actions that have been taken.
On Twitter, for instance, you can dig down to audience insights such as: they’re interested in dogs, like to buy online, have a household income between $75,000 and $100,000, are married, own a home and so on. And you can respond to comments, allowing you to engage with potential customers.
2 Caveats When Using Social Media for Your Business
Two caveats:
The first is that virtual marketing can require a thick skin. Behind the computer screen, reviewers can lack a filter of kindness at times or may simply be out to cause trouble.
The second is that what’s working for you today might not tomorrow.
Says Corbett: “When I launched my business, I worked very hard on Facebook and had a good following. Then they changed the rules, and it was really inconsistent as to how many followers would be exposed to a post we would put up.”
Advice From a Social Media Strategist
Miriam Salpeter, owner of Keppie ConsultingTo learn more about how a small business owner can best use social media, I reached out to Miriam Salpeter, a social media strategist and owner of Keppie Consulting. Here are highlights from our conversation:
Kerry Hannon: Why is tapping social media a great strategy for entrepreneurs? 
Miriam Salpeter: If you are a legitimate business, people expect you to have a presence online. It helps demonstrate credibility. Someone may be more likely to buy from you if they see you have a presence and followers online. More importantly, they may be interested in if you respond to customer inquiries. Social media provides a platform to speak directly to people.
Another important reason to use social media is because it allows you to help determine what people will find when they Google your name or your business name. You can tap into this aspect of social media’s benefits by simply posting content regularly on the networks you choose and making sure to tag it so Google indexes it.
Any additional benefits of using social media?
Brand awareness; being discovered by new people. You can establish yourself as a thought leader by publishing consistent information relevant to your industry. Social media also allows you to stay top-of-mind for those who may purchase from you or refer others to you. You can generate leads without having to do more than share useful and relevant content online.
On a social media platform, you create a two-way conversation with your audience, which can inspire them to become brand advocates for you.
And you can manage your reputation by encouraging people to post online reviews, which continue to have a strong influence on purchasing decisions. And it lets you keep an eye on what people are saying about your business.
Which types of social media platforms are best when you're launching a business and which are better once you are up and running and why?
There is no hard and fast rule about what networks to use. Business owners need to identify their target audiences.
For example, if your business targets teenagers, you may want to investigate using TikTok [a video sharing network] or Instagram to reach them. On the other hand, if your product or service is more suitable to an older audience, such as the parents of teens, Facebook may be a better use of your time.
YouTube, and video in general, continues to be an important avenue for reaching customers and clients. If your business lends itself to ‘how to’ videos or you can be creative in demonstrating your product via video, this mechanism could be perfect for you.
If your product or service is particularly visual in nature, Instagram is probably your go-to network. LinkedIn maintains its place as the business network, so it is an especially important network for anyone targeting a business audience.
Should entrepreneurs create paid campaigns by buying ads or hiring someone to manage their use of social media? 
In many cases, businesses will want to create a paid campaign to help extend their reach. However, it is a good idea to establish yourself on the network prior to creating paid ads in many cases.
It is also important to have a strategy and a reason for a paid campaign.
For example, Facebook advertising is relatively inexpensive, but it may not be worthwhile paying money to encourage people to simply ‘like’ your Facebook page. Instead, you would want to consider ads that will help you directly sell a product or service or create a system to collect email addresses of people targeted in your ad.
One strategy that continues to be popular is to leverage influencer marketing. This involves contracting with someone you believe is influential with your target audience to help promote your product or service.
Maybe you are picturing a big celebrity, with a big price tag, as an influencer. However, ‘micro-influencers’ have become popular targets for campaigns. For example, if you are marketing a local event to parents of small children, you may want to connect with individuals who have an audience you want to reach. That may mean winning over the director of the largest preschool in town.
How do you measure if your social media plan is successful?
Clicks, likes, comments, reach, impressions, engagements, actual sales — all of these can be measured on social media.
The most important aspect of a successful campaign is having a goal in mind and creating a campaign for that goal. If your goal is actual sales, you can measure based on number of sales. If your goal is for more people to be aware of your organization or to provide contact information, you can measure success based on those results.
 (This article is part of America’s Entrepreneurs, a Next Avenue initiative made possible by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and EIX, the Entrepreneur and Innovation Exchange.)


Social Media Tips for Midlife Entrepreneurs

Kerry Hannon

Jeff Bentoff is just one person among two million Americans who started birding during the pandemic. It began with Facebook. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, resident began to notice photographs popping up of colorful birds taken by friends and neighbors.
Bonaventure Island is home to one of the world's largest colonies of northern gannets. Tens of thousands of the dark gray juveniles and mature white adults migrate to the island every year."I realized that there were all of these amazing, colorful birds all around me ... I didn't know they were here, so it really piqued my interest. It made me wonder what am I missing," Bentoff said.
"I want to know what's happening around me in the natural environment. To me, that's really exciting."
Bentoff bought himself a pair of binoculars and decided to join a neighbor on a jaunt to their neighborhood park. A black-throated gray warbler, unusual in the area, had been spotted, and news had spread through the local birders' network. Bentoff knew they were hot on the warbler's trail when they came upon a gathering of people, including several photographers poised with their signature long lenses.
Since then, Bentoff has invested in a camera specifically for birding, downloaded several helpful apps (like the Merlin app that will identify a bird based on a bird call), and connected with several walking groups for birders. 
He compares birding to learning a language or a musical instrument. His goal is to gain more knowledge through practice.
"I want to know what's happening around me in the natural environment. To me, that's really exciting," Bentoff said.
With travel back in full swing, birders like Bentoff have taken to the skies. If considering a birding trip of your own — or visiting a special spot where you can enjoy a variety of activities including birding — the following four destinations are certain to spark your interest.
The Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec 
Those who love the energy of a crowd — of birds, that is — will love the Gaspé Peninsula's Bonaventure Island. One of the largest colonies of northern gannets in the world resides on this uninhabited isle during the summer months. 
Begin your adventure at Percé wharf where you can pick up a ferry to the island. First, however, the captain will encircle another of the area's draws, Percé Rock. Measuring nearly five football fields in length, the rock is an iconic monolith. It rises out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, just offshore from the charming village of Percé. The ferry ride will give you a chance to see this natural work of art up close and personal.
Next, it is on to nearby Bonaventure Island and a zoomed-out look at the northern gannets. Appearing cigar-shaped in flight, the birds have a long pointy beak on one end and jagged tail on the other. Their pearly white plumage starkly contrasts with the crisp blue of the Northern Atlantic sky and sea as well as the clay-colored cliffs where they nest. 
Their cream-colored heads and blue eyes come into focus, while at the same time, their multitude blends into an alabaster blur.
The ferry ride is a great opportunity to see the birds in action. Starting as high as 100 feet, they circle the waters looking for prey and then divebomb the water at a high rate of speed.  
After arriving at the dock, take the 3.5-mile colony trail for a look at the northern gannet outpost. You will know that you are close when you hear a cacophony of cawing birds. The wooded trail empties out into a wide-open area on the edge of the island, and it is here that tens of thousands of northern gannets nest. 
They are as captivating to watch on land as they are in the air. Their cream-colored heads and blue eyes come into focus, while at the same time, their multitude blends into an alabaster blur. And as entertaining as their fishing technique, the birds engage in what looks like a sort of sword dance, mated pairs facing each other and scraping the edges of their long bills back and forth.
Percé is located just south of the Gaspé Peninsula's tip, an eight-hour drive from Quebec City. If that seems like a long trek, know that the scenery on the way up the peninsula is as lovely as the birds.
Gulf Shores, Alabama 
Alabama's Gulf Coast is the place to set your eyes on a myriad of species rather than a single colony. (Although you do stand a good chance of seeing northern gannets in Gulf Shores during the northern hemisphere's winter months.) To help pinpoint areas ripe for birders, The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail offers six loops of over 200 miles.
In fact, over 170 species of birds winter along the 53 miles of Alabama coastline, according to the Alabama Ornithological Society. Many others pass through the region as they travel the Mississippi Flyway. 
In the spring, the beaches are a good spot to view permanent residents who nest on its sandy shores. This includes snowy plovers, least terns, black skimmers, American oystercatchers and Wilson's plovers.
You may also want to try your luck watching an aviary phenomenon in action on Dauphin Island, aptly named "America's Birdiest City" for three consecutive years by the National Audubon Society. The barrier island is a short ferry ride from the western tip of the Gulf Shores peninsula. 
A brown pelican comes in for a landing at Gulf ShoresCalled a "fallout," birds, like indigo bunting, fall from the sky following a particularly arduous journey from Mexico across the gulf. Adverse weather conditions require great effort from the birds to the point that they fall out of the sky from pure exhaustion.
However, it is the shorebirds that most enthrall Alabama's visitors. To really get a good vantage point of Alabama's finest in their natural habitats, get off the well-trodden birders' path and kayak the waterways instead. 
Wild Native Tours offers half-day kayak trips through Oyster Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway and Bon Secour Bay and River. Not only will you see brown pelicans, blue herons, great egrets, cormorants, ospreys and belted kingfishers, you will learn about their habits and other fun facts from owner and guide Kristian Aboud. In addition to the birds, you also stand a good chance of kayaking alongside a pod of dolphins.
Pinnacles National Park in Central California 
Pinnacles National Park sits quietly in the shadows of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (145 miles west) and Yosemite National Park (130 miles northwest). All the better for the California Condor that frequents its canyons and the tourists who don't need to fight the crowds when coming to see them.
California condors are the largest land birds in North America with a wingspan of more than nine feet and a weight typically reaching 20 pounds. Their longevity is hefty, too; California condors, an endangered species, live over 60 years. Seeing them in their natural environment is a treat, and Pinnacles offers one of your best bets for doing so.
California condors are the largest land birds in North America with a wingspan of more than nine feet and a weight typically reaching 20 pounds.
If you don't mind a bit of an adventure, getting to Pinnacles is fun, too. The park has two entrances, neither road connected to the other. To reach the western entrance requires a seven-mile drive down a remote, winding road that narrows to one lane. To reach the Visitors' Center or campground, enter from the east. 
Each side of the park offers a hiking trail that will take you past the spires that Pinnacles is named for and to a group of talus caves, one of its finest features (aside from the California condor). Hiking through the caves is a bit like hiking through slot canyons: dark, extremely narrow with some mild climbing required. The caves have formed over time as boulders have fallen from cliffs forming a giant pile of rubble.
If you take the western route out of the park following a day of hiking and searching for California condors, consider a stop at Chalone Wineries for a rest and a glass of their signature Chardonnay while sitting amidst the stark beauty of the Gabilan Mountains. The drive is mere minutes from the park's boundary.
Costa Rica's Oca Peninsula 
A toucan perches on a branch at Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica's Osa PeninsulaIn the southwestern corner of Costa Rica lies the remote Osa Peninsula, once an island in the Pacific. A mere 700 square miles, it houses 2.5% of the world's biodiversity including over 460 species of birds. An array of 16 species of hummingbirds are among them.
However, the scarlet macaw is, by far, the peninsula's biggest showstopper. In fact, the Osa Peninsula is the site of Central America's largest population of this colorful bird. Their loud, distinctive crooning often alerts visitors to their presence long before their bright ruby red feathers come into view. In addition to their namesake color, they also boast canary yellow and bright blue on their wings. 
The bird's size gives them away as well. The largest parrots in the world, the scarlet macaw can measure up to 33 inches from beak to tail. In addition to scarlet macaws, guests stand a good chance of catching sight of cotingas, pelicans, cormorants, boobies, antbirds, Amazon parrots and toucans. 
A great place for a guided hike is Corcovado National Park. Keeping an ear tipped to the treetops, the guides quickly throw down their tripods equipped with high-resolution magnifying lenses when they spot a bird of interest. 
In addition to the birds, you will likely see two and three-toed sloths and spider, capuchin, titi and howler monkeys. Be sure to adjust your gaze to ground level from time to time. You stand a good chance of seeing tapirs, wild peccaries, coati and more.


Flock to These 4 Feather-Friendly Destinations

Jenny Wisniewski

I blew hard into the pink whistle hanging on a cord around my neck. Wearing cutoff jeans and a tank top, I wasn't dressed like a traffic safety officer. But that's the role I'd given my 9-year-old self that summer.
Diane Daniel biking in DenmarkMy dad had tried to teach me a few times, trotting just behind me while holding me up under my armpits.
In front of me was our red brick house, at the intersection of Dublin and Shawood in Eden Forest, our neighborhood in Raleigh, North Carolina. Nearly every house had kids, and nearly every kid had a bike. So did I. Mine was a blue Schwinn Breeze standing at attention in the shed. Santa had delivered it two years earlier upon my written request.
But I was afraid to ride it.
My dad had tried to teach me a few times, trotting just behind me while holding me up under my armpits.
As soon as my feet engaged with the pedals and the handlebars started to swerve, I would scream.
"I'm falling! Stop! I can't do this!"
"Diane, I know you can," he said matter of factly, looking me in the eye. "Want to try one more time?"
I stared at the ground, shook my head and cried.
A Tentative Biker 
To cover my shame, I pretended to love being a traffic cop. I stood firm, even when the Nicholson boys cut tight corners around me and shouted, "Get out of our way, you idiot!" Most of the kids just ignored me.
The next summer, when I was 10, I'd had enough of feeling stupid. I begged my dad to try again.
We stayed on the grass in the back yard, which had a slight incline.
"Pedal, pedal, pedal!" Dad shouted enthusiastically. "Don't stop pedaling!"
He let go. Somehow I stayed upright.
"I'm doing it, Dad! I'm riding a bike!" I shouted, not daring to turn my head to see his expression.
I pedaled up Shawood and turned down the Stones' driveway. My heart pounded. Tears filled my eyes. I didn't remember how to use the brakes. Eventually I rolled into Mrs. Stone's flower bed, which didn't hurt so bad, though I had to apologize for crushing her snapdragons.
Once I mastered braking, I joined the kids going up and down Dublin and Shawood. I would stay behind, riding tentatively. But at least I could keep my balance and stop when needed.
After I started driving, at 16, I rarely used a bike except to borrow one during college to get around the flat, sprawling campus.
While living in Boston in my 30s, I saw a used hybrid for sale and bought it for exercise. During the summer, I cycled the four miles to work. I loved starting the day feeling the sun and wind in my face. I worked hard to power up the hills and relished the sweet reward of coasting down. I enjoyed the admiration of my co-workers.
Hitting My Biking Goals 
After that, I was all in. My calves grew along with my confidence.
I started cycling with my friend Kristin. In 1996, we declared that we would join that year's AIDS Ride from Boston to New York — a charity event that covered 275 miles over three days.
After that, I was all in. My calves grew along with my confidence.
For the feat, I upgraded to a sleeker Bianchi touring bike and learned to ride with shoes that clipped into the pedals. For months, Kristin and I trained nearly every weekend, cruising along the coast and over hills and even mountains.
After completing the AIDS Ride, anything felt possible. My friend Alice introduced me to bike touring, where we carried our own gear, camped and cooked for ourselves.
As a mostly unattached woman into my 40s, cycling became my constant companion. If I was invited to a weekend away, my bike came with me. I plotted my own rides and often rode solo, which magnified my sense of freedom and adventure.
On my first date with my wife-to-be, in 2003, I took her to my favorite bike shop. Lina had just arrived from the Netherlands to work in Boston. Like most Dutch people, she had grown up on a bike, and it turned out that she was as crazy for two-wheeled explorations as I was. Every trip we took included or revolved around cycling.
Lina and I moved to the Netherlands in 2014 because it was her turn to be home. I was up for the adventure, especially in a country that boasts the world's best cycling infrastructure.
An Unexpected Fear 
But something happened that neither of us expected.
I got scared. But this time I was in my late 50s.
Instead of embracing the newness, I was overwhelmed by it. The language, the customs, even the cycling. The traffic rules were not always intuitive. At busy intersections, the crush of cyclists moved unpredictably, like wet spaghetti landing in a colander. Not only did I often lose my way, I lost myself.
When Lina and I went for rides, I slowed or stopped at every intersection she had already gone through, not knowing if I had the right of way. After I'd successfully crossed, my heart pounding, I would scream at her, "How could you just take off like that?"
Over the past eight years, life in the Netherlands has become familiar. As for cycling, I finally understand 95% of the traffic rules. At lights, I stay in the rear so the cluster of waiting cyclists can't engulf me when the signal turns green.
But something else had begun to gnaw at me. Lina was the one to always map out and lead our rides. I didn't even understand how to use the "fietsknooppunten," the Dutch system of bike routes that we always followed.
Making the Bike Route My Own 
In the summer of 2022, I'd had enough of feeling stupid.
I started paying more attention to the route signage and asked Lina to teach me how to plot trips. One weekend I designed our ride and led the way. It wasn't the prettiest scenery, but I didn't get us lost. The next weekend I did the same thing just for myself. Finally, I was ready.
On a Thursday morning in July, I rolled out of the driveway for a four-day cycling tour of my own design. I fought back tears as I left because I was so nervous, but also so proud. At the same time, I was amused that, at age 64, I could feel this way. But I know that courage comes in many forms, at any age. 
I can't reverse the effects of aging, but I can stay active and keep riding. 
Within an hour, I'd missed one of the numbered signs. I backtracked and found it. Every day brought frustrating and usually laughable mistakes. One afternoon, I cycled 10 miles out of my way to rejoin the route I'd lost, but I knew I was strong enough to go even farther if I had to.
But most of the time, on that little trip, I felt exuberant. I was a cowgirl astride my mechanical steed. I galloped atop riverside dikes, watching sheep graze and herons hunt for prey. I trotted across dark forests with few people in sight. I slowed to a walk through towns bustling with life. 
Over the years, my pace has slowed, and I have to pedal harder to get up the hills, but I always make it. I can't reverse the effects of aging, but I can stay active and keep riding.
When I think about cycling in the far future, I suppose my challenge will be to trade in my two-wheel bicycle for a more stable "adult trike." They're a common sight in the Netherlands. I admire the riders as I watch them pedal slowly, often carrying shopping bags in their rear baskets. I imagine them enjoying the sun and wind in their faces. I hope I'll be brave enough to join them.


An Uphill Course With Downhill Rewards

Diane Daniel

More than feeling sad, Maggie Go-Yu started experiencing depression after her son was diagnosed with myeloid leukemia in 2019. After a bone marrow transplant, her son underwent two rounds of chemotherapy and spent 28 days at the hospital in Stanford, California.
The demands of caregiving can lead to significant stress, emotional strain, and a sense of burden, which can contribute to the development of depression"It was so depressing watching my once vibrant and energetic wife slowly deteriorate and rely on me for almost everything."
"The ongoing care, constant worry and lack of sleep took a toll on my emotions," says Go-Yu. "My increased stress and anxiety led to depression that was treated by my primary care doctor." 
Gordon Krueger also faced depressive symptoms after his wife Robin was diagnosed in 2003 with a non-cancerous tumor that had been growing in her brain for over a decade. 
Despite undergoing brain surgery, Robin experienced short-term memory issues that eventually turned into physical challenges, like needing assistance to walk. "It was so depressing watching my once vibrant and energetic wife slowly deteriorate and rely on me for almost everything," says Krueger.
Caregivers are at higher risk of experiencing depression compared to the general population. "The demands and challenges of caregiving can lead to significant stress, emotional strain, and a sense of burden, which can contribute to the development of depression," says Dr. Richa Bhatia, director of psychiatry at Santa Rosa Community Health in California and author of the book "65 Answers about Psychiatric Conditions."
The prevalence of depression among caregivers ranges from 25% to 70%. The rates may be even higher among specific groups, such as caregivers of individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's. 
"Caregivers who are themselves experiencing health problems or have limited social support networks may be at even higher risk," says Dr. Holly Prigerson, professor of geriatrics and co-director of Cornell's Center for Research on End-of-Life Care in New York City.
Caregivers are at higher risk of experiencing depression compared to the general population.
Symptoms of depression vary among individuals but commonly include decreased productivity, diminished interest in socializing or activities, fatigue or decreased energy, irritability, decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, and overall feelings of worthlessness and sadness.
"At the first signs of any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor about what might be causing these emotions and whether or not you are experiencing depression," says Bhatia. After an evaluation, your doctor may recommend treatment with antidepressants or talk therapy with a psychologist. 
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common therapy to help people recognize and manage negative thoughts and gradually change their behavior to improve their outlook.
Despite the possibility of developing depression, caregivers show incredible resilience during and after losing a loved one. A New England Journal of Medicine study followed 280 caregivers whose loved ones were admitted to a hospital ICU. Initially, 67% of caregivers were experiencing depression, but within a year, only about 16% still lived with serious symptoms.
A separate study measured depressive symptoms in 661 caregivers of advanced cancer patients. The researchers reported in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management that the majority of caregivers stopped experiencing depressive symptoms during bereavement, but there was a smaller group of individuals who still experienced depression for a prolonged period of time.
Strategies To Help Manage Depression
When left unmanaged, depression can worsen and affect your interest in jobs, hobbies and spending time with family and friends. Experts recommend that doing some activity can go a long way toward boosting your mood — physical, mindful, social, spiritual, creative and therapeutic.
Having a close family member or friend to talk to about feelings of sadness can make the biggest difference. 
For mild depression, doing moderate exercise, stress reduction and mindfulness-based interventions may help improve depression in conjunction with psychotherapy. Having a close family member or friend to talk to about feelings of sadness can make the biggest difference. 
In moderate to severe cases, getting help from a professional is the best way to manage depression. To find a psychologist, explore the psychologist locator tool the American Psychological Association developed.
There are several activities to help manage depression and elevate your mood, including exercise, mindfulness, relaxation, socializing, spirituality, music, creativity and talk therapy. Moreover, regular exercise has the greatest impact on depression, according to health experts. "Exercise releases feel-good brain chemicals that change how the body functions and elevates mood," says Bhatia.
The Benefits of Exercise 
Several studies have proven that regular exercise, such as walking, can ease depression and improve mood by taking your mind off your worries. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research reviewed more than 25 studies and found that moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise had a significant effect in reducing symptoms of depression.
There are several different exercises to choose from; some examples include walking, jogging, dancing, bicycling, swimming, and weight training. 
Exercise does not have to be all-consuming, but experts recommend picking something you'll enjoy doing so you'll stick with it. To be effective, exercise should be done every day or about five days a week for about an hour. Exercising outdoors combines at least two depression-modifying aspects: physical activity and nature. 
Exercising outdoors combines at least two depression-modifying aspects: physical activity and nature. 
In two separate studies published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2021 and 2022, researchers found that activities that included exposure to nature, such as walks in natural environments, reduced depressive symptoms in patients with clinical depression and improved various aspects of health and wellbeing, including cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical strength and sleep routines.
The exciting news about exercise is that it protects against developing future depression, according to a large, long-term study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers followed nearly 34,000 adults for over a decade and found that even small amounts of physical activity bestowed significant mental health benefits that prevented future depression.
Exercise should be complemented by sleep and rest – two of the best depression-prevention activities. "If you can regulate your sleep, mood, hormones, appetite and energy level will be optimized," Bhatia says. "This means going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at roughly the same time every day, regardless of whether it is a weekday or weekend."
One study in Sleep Medicine Reviews examined almost 50 studies for depression symptoms after sleep interventions. The paper showed that healthy sleep practices effectively reduce the severity of depression, especially among those with mental health problems. 
You can do several things to improve sleep quality to help reduce depression, including a regular sleep routine, avoiding late-day or evening caffeine, sleeping in a cool, uncluttered environment, and turning off cell phones.
Mindfulness meditation has become highly popular and is perfect for beginners. "Mindfulness is paying attention to our present experiences with openness, curiosity and a willingness to be part of that experience," says Diana Winston, director of mindfulness education at the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center in Los Angeles.
It's normal not to pick up meditation right away immediately. Winston says it may seem impossible to keep your thoughts from racing all over the place, but with time and practice, it becomes easier. "Like anything, you have to stick with it. Affecting your mood in a positive way will take time and persistence."


A Silent Crisis: Depression and Caregiving

Paul Wynn

While scrolling through Netflix suggestions one winter evening, I noticed an odd title: "Crash Landing on You." The premise: a South Korean businesswoman, blown by fierce winds while paragliding, crashes just across the border, where a North Korean captain decides to help rather than report her.
Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin in 'Crash Landing On You.'A rom-com set in the DMZ? I stumbled onto the show that is, for many, the gateway to Korean drama, or K-drama. I gobbled the 16-episode story like popcorn, pulled along by a thrilling plot with a graceful mix of drama and comedy. One year later, I had 22 K-dramas under my belt. Many of them, like "Crash Landing," (or "CLOY," in the lingo of drama fans), left me emotionally intoxicated.
These were stories with so much heart and great story arcs, about wisdom and growth, family connections, respect for elders, with minimal sex and violence. The characters might face pain, poverty, estrangement, injustice or a zombie pandemic. There might even be a heartbreaking ending. But in the end, you felt uplifted, wiser, hopeful.
What Makes a K-Drama? 
The term K-drama refers to a Korean television series, and they've been booming in popularity on Netflix in particular. They usually consist of 16 episodes, each lasting roughly an hour, and only one season. Most fans appreciate seeing one entire story arc in a season, with resolution at the end. A K-drama also features original soundtrack music (called OSTs) by top Korean composers and performers.
These were stories with so much heart and great story arcs
The South Korean entertainment industry, with the aid of government investment, has poured substantial resources into K-pop and K-dramas. The acting and the production values have leapt in recent years, with thoughtful, movie-worthy cinematography. "They've come up with a winning formula: the right number of hours, beautiful OSTs and a feel-good message," says Dafna Zur, associate professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and scholar of Korean literature at Stanford University.
Before "CLOY," all I'd known of South Korean entertainment was the term "K-pop" and the name of its most influential band, BTS. I'd gathered it was teenybopper stuff. The global explosion of Korean pop culture is often thought of as a youth phenomenon. But, by inquiring, I learned that a sizable number of fans, like me, are older than 50.
As for me, I had grown weary of American TV series that were artistically good but left me feeling empty. Korean dramas were a balm for tough times. I found I wasn't alone.
Dr. Dafna ZurPlenty of Us "Ahjummas" and "Ahjussis" (Middle-aged Women and Men 
… as well as "halmeonis" and "harabeojis" (men and women of grandparent age.) I put up a post on the large and active Reddit K-drama group, asking for thoughts from fans who were over 50. I expected a mere handful of responses and was shocked to receive roughly 150 well-thought-out, enthusiastic comments.
Steven Ho, 52, of New York, has been watching K-dramas as a "chaser" for "heavier, cynical western dramas." They fill a void left by American streaming services. Ho also appreciates the "comfort shows that aren't too maudlin."
One young woman said that her parents, in their late 70s, have watched K-dramas since their retirement and evangelized their friends to watch. It was, she thought, a way to rebel against the trends of entertainment at the time, such as shows — "Breaking Bad," "Dexter" and "Mad Men" —fronted by anti-heroes, or never-ending serialized procedurals.
Inspiring and Universal Themes 
K-dramas appear in every genre: romance, comedy, rom-com, thriller, slice of life, drama, historic, legal, medical, sci-fi and horror. They're not preachy, but wholesome virtues predominate: the values of sacrifice for others, the healing power of love, honesty, integrity and community.
"Audiences are delighted to see how underdogs overcome challenges and come out as winners at the end." 
"I believe there is a powerful nostalgic imagination of innocence in Korean drama," said Saena Dozier, Ph.D., Korean Department head consultant at LanguageBird, a language program for secondary students. "Innocence that is less associated with nationhood and national identity but more associated with a universalistic and utopian way of existing within a collective community." 
"Another reason for Korean drama's global popularity," Dozier said, "is its narrative focus on society's underdogs. Audiences are delighted to see how underdogs overcome challenges and come out as winners at the end."
Respect for Elders, and a Woman's Outlook 
Korea, like other East Asian countries, is built around Confucian values, one of those being filial piety. As a western viewer, I was struck by the integrated role of elders in K-dramas and the respect with which they are treated. Grandparent figures are often the anchors for a troubled main character or for the community in general.
In "Navillera," a 70-year-old man pursues his lifelong dream of performing ballet, and not just as a hobby. He is as serious as his 24-year-old teacher, who aspires to the world stage. He provides much-needed moral support to his troubled teacher, and together, they help fulfill each other's dream.
In "Navillera," a 70-year-old man pursues his lifelong dream of performing ballet, and not just as a hobby.
The majority of K-drama writers are women, and this is reflected in the storytelling and the development of characters. Many viewers say they appreciate the healthier view of masculinity depicted in K-dramas. Men show tenderness and the full gamut of emotions. And it's not uncommon for the female lead to be older than the male lead.
Romances tend to be very slow burn, where the touch of a hand in episode 12 packs more voltage than a bedroom scene in episode 2 of a western drama. In thrillers, men and women, both, often literally take a bullet for each other.
Korea: The Particular to the Universal 
Many viewers develop a broader interest in Korean language and culture. Sometimes fandom is shared between generations. Lisa Craig of Mt. Juliet, Tennesee, is one of two Redditors I spoke with whose interest in Korea began with sharing their daughters' enthusiasm for super-K-pop band BTS. Craig and her daughter Chelsea are traveling together this spring to visit filming sites, eat Korean food and absorb the history and culture.
So how did a country the size of Indiana develop such an outsize global footprint in business, technology and entertainment? Dafna Zur explains that South Korea, like Japan and Israel, is a resource-poor country that relies on the ingenuity of its people to be prosperous. "They have no natural gas or oil, so the nation counts on people's creativity as well as their work ethos, on which they pride themselves."
K-drama snacksEducation is highly valued. Speaking of her students who are fans of Korean entertainment and culture, Zur said, "Our students today know what took me years to figure out: Korea holds the key to economic, political and cultural puzzles today."
It's Just Good Stuff
Above all, K-dramas are good stories, well told. Randy Burleigh, of Opelousas, Louisiana, had a long list of what he enjoys about K-dramas, among them: main characters who strive to do the moral thing, "no quick fix to everyday problems, you'll be in for the long haul to get any resolution (and what a payoff it is!), and most importantly, wholly entertaining. I know without a doubt that I will be thoroughly entertained throughout the life of the show: I will be invested in the characters, I will laugh, cry and smile with them, and be cheering by the end!"
When people face adversity in K-drama stories, the solution generally lies in the healing power of love and community. That message is a great gift from the South Korean entertainment industry to a hurting world.
Recommendations
"Crash Landing on You""My Mister""Navillera""Mr. Queen""Hometown Cha Cha Cha""Dear My Friends""Hospital Playlist"
MyDramaListThe Reddit groups r/kdrama and r/kdramarecommends


Crash Landing on Me: A Surprise Passion for Korean Drama

Barbara J. Tuttle

Just yesterday, it seems, we were 16, talking about sex all the time — what it feels like to tongue-kiss a guy (great with a good kisser, like slurping oatmeal with a bad one), how to know when you're ready to "lose your virginity" and how not to get pregnant. We groaned in horror when my friend Susan told us that her father had condoms in his bedside table and laughed a bit uneasily when someone asked if you were supposed to swallow the birth control pill or put it you-know-where.
"Now, all these years later, our medical conversations range from $4000 dental implants to endlessly debating the pros and cons of straight Medicare versus Advantage Plans,"We talked about fashion — go-go boots, fishnet stockings, Twiggy-like baby doll dresses and puffy-sleeved peasant blouses. My friend Bonnie Schacter, now Barchichat, who lives in Redondo Beach, California, and I used to go shopping at "big Macy's," formerly the world's largest department store.
When you've reached a certain age, you know a lot of dead people and you wake up most days happy that you're not one of them.
Bonnie and I would go all the way to the top floor just to ride the ancient rickety escalator with wooden steps. We'd eat lunch at Tad's, a now-defunct steakhouse where, for under $5.00, we'd each get a charbroiled steak, a baked potato and Texas toast dripping with butter. Mouths full, we'd talk about the meaning of life, why we were put on this earth and was there really a God.  
Fiber Capsules and Brain Games 
And now. We still talk about the meaning of life, but more often we talk about death. When you've reached a certain age, you know a lot of dead people and you wake up most days happy that you're not one of them. We chat about things like death cafes (where people get together and discuss thanatopia — their fear of dying — while munching on no-salt potato chips washed down with a good craft beer) and green funerals and composting, and why would you even get buried in a cemetery when the kids hardly come to visit you when you're alive.
We talk about fiber capsules versus powders, about playing brain games like Spelling Bee to stay sharp and how terrifying it is when you get a callback after a mammogram (even though, in the vast majority of cases, it turns out to be a big nothing.)
We talk about moving our older parents who live in other states closer to our homes so we can be nearby if they need us.
Thirty or forty-some years ago, we talked about our wonderful OBs who wore huge smiles as they placed our squalling newborns into our arms. Now, all these years later, our medical conversations range from $4000 dental implants to endlessly debating the pros and cons of straight Medicare versus Advantage Plans, and ways to find a new chiropractor when our old one moves to Santa Fe to become a yogi.
We talk about moving our older parents who live in other states closer to our homes so we can be nearby if they need us. My mother, who lived alone until she died at 96, never allowed herself to be "moved" anywhere. She had a fit when I tried to take her elbow crossing the street — "I'm not disabled, I'm just old," she had yelled once — and she had no interest in "being brought back to NYC."
Bringing My Mother Back to New York 
Even in her early 90s, my mother was perfectly happy living in Florida, going to the mall with "the girls," browsing through the shops, and then eating her beloved meatball subs on crusty bread. Some of the "girls" had ill-fitting dentures and had soup for lunch, telling my mom how lucky she was. My mother usually offered them a bite but no one ever took her up on it.
I make everyone laugh telling them about how I finally got my mother back to New York. After her death and cremation, she (or rather her ashes) sat in a cardboard box nestled in a Publix supermarket green bag. I was going through security before boarding a flight home from Florida and had to explain to the airport security person what was in the bag. 
Stammering and sputtering, I finally said, "It's my mother. My mother is in there." Not knowing what to say, the flummoxed attendant let me, and my green bag, and my mother, onto the plane. It was the first and only time my mother flew without worrying about dying in a plane crash.
When we're done with gruesome, we discuss things that make us smarter or make us laugh. My friend Evelyn Bennett, of Kew Gardens, New York, and I recently talked about her "grand-dog" who's a blood donor. (There is such a thing as doggie blood transfusions. Google it.) 
Another week, my friend Susan of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and I talk about married date nights, the kind you have when you've been married for 30 or 35 years. (Don't ask.) They may involve flannel pajamas.
The 'Magic' of Married Date Nights 
In my neck of the woods, date nights entail dimming the lights (although with our ripening cataracts they're dim enough already) and settling down with a good bottle of wine and crackers dotted with gourmet, sometimes smelly cheese — Stilton or Roquefort are favorites. We might watch a movie. The date part is that we sit on the couch together (without the cats wedged between us) and every once in a while, one of us will absently stroke a thigh or kiss the top of our spouse's head. 
The date part is that we sit on the couch together (without the cats wedged between us) and every once in a while, one of us will absently stroke a thigh or kiss the top of our spouse's head. 
We go to bed around eleven, put in our matching night guards, and give each other chaste good night smooches (It's impossible to have deep, passionate kisses with those things in your mouth, even if you wanted to.) Most likely, after murmuring what a "nice date night" it's been, we're asleep by 11:15.
Some of us probably are having sex on date nights, but we don't talk about it. If we did, it might be a very short conversation. One of my friends who's been happily married for more than forty years says that geriatric sex is an oxymoron. I'm not sure what that word even means, but there can't be something particularly good about anything that contains the syllables moron and sex in the same sentence.
And eventually and inevitably we talk about gratitude. Our arthritic knees may ache but they still allow us to bowl or swim or even, as my friend and her now over 80-year-old husband did, to climb — slowly, cautiously, but ecstatically — to the top of Machu Picchu. We talk about being grateful that we can have an extravagant lunch with lobster salad, a good glass of Sancerre and a gorgeous but pricey dessert without having to worry about paying the monthly mortgage bill.
We're happy that our children text us, pretty often actually, even if we have to remind them that we still have a phone (a landline, too, if anyone remembers what that is) and that an occasional phone call would be a welcome interruption, even on date night. 
Not that they know about that — they would be horrified beyond belief to think that their "elderly" parents engage in anything except reading the newspaper, sipping their chamomile tea and watching their financial portfolios burn and crash while eating up the children's eventual inheritances.
Expressing Our Gratitude 
We're grateful that we've lived long enough that we can now freely use expressions like "in my day" or "nothing is the way it used to be" or "I don't know what's with the young people these days."
We have lived and loved and lost and loved some more, and that gives us plenty to talk about.
We're thankful we have pointy tweezers to pluck out the unwelcome gray hairs that proliferate under our chins, and that our (slightly) arthritic fingers are still nimble enough to use said tweezers effectively.
We feel appreciative of the fact that our neighbor told us about gummies and that we now sleep better than we ever have before. Of course, you have to make sure you take your gummie before you brush your teeth and put your night guard in.
We feel immense gratitude for having survived the pandemic, being able to attend our 50th high school reunion (held two years late, but what a blast it was) and actually getting to dress up for the first time in three years. I wore my size 16 "little black dress" (talk about oxymorons!) and tottered around in heels, feeling happy, attractive and so glad to be alive.
I, personally, feel so lucky to have met the man I married when I was on the cusp of turning forty. After thirty-one years of marriage, he still says "I love you" every night when we go to bed, and I know he means it. It doesn't get any better than that.
So yes, our conversations are different than when we were young and innocent. They're more depressing at times, but they're also more nuanced. We have lived and loved and lost and loved some more, and that gives us plenty to talk about. And so, so much to be grateful for.


Conversations With Friends of a Certain Age

Barbra Williams Cosentino

You may associate muscle with six-pack abs, bulging biceps and exceptional feats of strength, but it does much more than provide a toned body. Skeletal muscle makes everyday movement possible, including grocery shopping, gardening and getting out of bed, and its metabolic prowess takes on new meaning as you age.
Strength training activities like weightlifting, using resistance bands, yoga, pushups or squats, can help offset age-related muscle decline.Muscle For Your Life
Between 30% to 40% of the body is skeletal muscle, which is connected to bones and allows you to move on command and protects your joints by holding them in place. According to the National Institutes of Aging, muscle mass increases from birth to age 30 to 35. After that, muscle maintains a slow and steady decline until age 65 for women and 70 for men, when loss accelerates.
Sarcopenia, characterized by muscle tissue loss caused by aging and other factors, is linked to weakness, fatigue and difficulty with everyday activities. It's also tied to your health in several ways.
Muscle: A Metabolic Machine
Every cell in the body requires energy in the form of glucose. After a meal or snack, the pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that facilitates the movement of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. Given its sheer mass, skeletal muscle guzzles the most glucose and is mainly responsible for maintaining average blood glucose concentrations. 
Therefore, low skeletal muscle can result in elevated blood glucose levels that the body repeatedly tries to reduce by releasing more insulin. With time, this scenario can cause insulin resistance, a condition linked to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Low muscle density is linked to reduced muscle function.
Less muscle causes metabolic mayhem, and excess belly fat exacerbates it. Men and women tend to accumulate more fat around the midsection with age. Belly fat, technically visceral fat, spells trouble for muscle tissue.
"Visceral fat secretes hormones and other compounds that negatively affect muscle in several ways," says Douglas P. Kiel, M.D., professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center. 
Kiel was one of the authors of a 2022 study that found people with the most significant six-year visceral fat accumulation had significantly lower muscle density surrounding the spine. Low muscle density is linked to reduced muscle function.
The brain may also suffer from muscle loss. For example, a 2022 study involving nearly 8,300 older adults over three years found low muscle mass was associated with a decline in executive functions, which include problem-solving, attention and working memory. One reason for the link is that muscle releases beneficial compounds for tissue regeneration and repair and facilitates communication between brain cells.
Use It or Lose It
While some loss of skeletal muscle loss is unavoidable with age, it's possible to preserve and produce muscle tissue in midlife and beyond. "Regular exercise results in larger muscle fibers, better coordination, better synchronization from the nerves to muscle contraction and better insulin glucose uptake from the muscle," Kiel says.
Resistance training, also called strength training, is particularly important to offset age-related muscle decline. Resistance training activities include weightlifting with machines or free weights, resistance bands, and activities that use your body weight, including yoga, pushups and squats.
A recent review of 16 studies found that resistance training was associated with a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung cancer and death from any cause in adults 18 and older. Just 30 to 60 minutes weekly was enough to produce positive results. 
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days weekly in addition to at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, spread throughout the week.
People should engage in regular physical activity according to their abilities and avoid inactivity as much as possible.
The good news is that you don't have to join a gym or do complicated workouts to get or stay fit. "People over 50 should preserve muscle mass by eating a well-rounded diet with protein and doing exercises of any kind such as walking or simple weightlifting," says Kiel.
People should engage in regular physical activity according to their abilities and avoid inactivity as much as possible. Check with your doctor before changing your physical activity, particularly if you have certain chronic health conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure or a disability that may limit movement.
A Winning Combination
A balanced eating plan and regular exercise work together to protect against muscle tissue loss, according to Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., a sports dietitian and owner of Active Eating Advice. She suggests putting protein front and center on the plate, particularly as you age. 
"Optimizing protein intake at every meal while including enough carbohydrate and healthy fat is key to skeletal muscle production and preservation," she says.
Regarding protein, many older people are behind the eight ball. About half of all women and 30 percent of men 71 and older living in the U.S. fall short of protein recommendations. To make matters worse, many researchers say the current suggested protein intake is too low to protect aging muscle. In addition, experts argue that total protein intake isn't enough — you must also keep leucine in mind.
Leucine is an amino acid in food that's notable for its ability to stimulate muscle cell production. Research suggests eating at least 25 to 30 grams of protein and 2.5 grams or more of leucine at every meal hedges against the loss of muscle loss.
That amount of protein may sound overwhelming, but Bonci says it's easy to assemble meals and snacks with muscle-making in mind. "The good news is that certain high-protein foods have a significant amount of leucine," she says. Four ounces of cooked meat, poultry, or seafood supplies about 2.5 grams of leucine and 20 to 30 grams of protein. Other protein-rich foods with leucine include plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk.
If you can't eat enough food to satisfy your protein needs, Bonci suggests whey protein powder, which is rich in protein and leucine, to bump up nutrition in meals and snacks without increasing the amount of food. Add whey protein powder to cooked oats, smoothies, sauces and soups. 
However, protein contains calories, and it may be necessary to cut back on low-nutrient foods, such as snack chips, ice cream and cookies, to accommodate more protein in your eating plan.


Muscle Matters: Beyond Biceps and Brawn

Elizabeth M. Ward

When I saw The New York Times Magazine headline saying that I was subverting art-world economics $100 at a time, I must admit, it sounded like something I might do, but really, I was just trying to make a living selling paintings to other artists and musicians on Facebook.
If anything, the subversive part of my project is in setting aside funds from painting sales to open the Free Artist Residency for Progressive Social Change, where writers, musicians and artists of all kinds will work on projects that intend to change the world.
From left, Bathing Cap #18 (11 x 14 inches acrylic on canvas panel), Bathing Cap and Phone #7 (11 x 14 inches acrylic on canvas panel), Jean SmithI have, for almost 40 years, participated in culture where art and activism collide. The artist residency is a continuation of Mecca Normal, the rock duo I started in the mid-'80s to raise social justice issues. In part, my lyrics inspired the co-founders of the mid-'90s social movement known as Riot Grrrl.
In 2016, at age 56, I decided to post a $100 painting every day on Facebook. I had a decent number of musician friends, but few would be able to buy expensive art. That's where the low price came in.
Why Portraits?
I planned to paint landscapes, but to grab people's attention, I posted a painting of a friend in a wide-brimmed hat. It wasn't for sale, but someone immediately wanted to buy it.
I've looked at a handful of properties in person, securing three accepted offers on properties that could have functioned as artist residencies, but wouldn't have been ideal.
Before I could unconfuse things, there was a line-up of comments from people wanting whatever portrait I painted next. Someone even offered to pay me in advance! I ditched the landscape idea and have been painting women's faces ever since.
Four years into the daily painting project, I was making more than I needed to live on, but my living situation was, and still is, very fragile. I can be evicted at any time, as the older property owner allows the building to fall apart. This lack of security is what prompted me to consider buying a place away from the city with lots of room for visiting artists.
I've looked at a handful of properties in person, securing three accepted offers on properties that could have functioned as artist residencies, but wouldn't have been ideal. As a first-time home buyer, I've learned a lot about issues from building materials to flood plain insurance. Being single without kids, I plan to bequeath the property to a yet-to-be-named group of cultural activists. This may be the most subversive element of all.
When gloomy news of the COVID pandemic took hold in 2020, my Facebook page became a focal point for inspiration, beauty and hope. Every day a new painting depicted a woman with a distinct sense of personhood. The artist residency became financially feasible, but pandemic-related concerns interrupted my plans.
In August of 2020, I got an email from a journalist asking if I'd be willing to tell The New York Times my story. He'd been a music critic, so he knew my band's history. We spoke on the phone twice for an hour each time.
The second call was mostly about the artist residency. To me, this was the exciting part of the story, so I was baffled when a fact checker went through the final draft with me without mentioning it.
"What about the artist residency?" I asked her.
Pioneer of Aviation #103 (11 x 14 inches acrylic on canvas panel), Jean Smith"I don't know," she said. "Maybe there wasn't enough room."
"But it's important," I said. "It's not like I'm saving up to buy a Lamborghini!"
The Project Takes Off
Then it was a long wait of four months before the Times published the article. In that time, CBC interviewed me on a national radio program out of Toronto.
Talking about paintings on the radio seemed like a bit of a stretch to me, but something about the price, The New York Times and the free artist residency created a perfect storm. Several thousand people piled onto my Facebook page ready to buy paintings. I started selling larger canvases at higher prices while maintaining the daily $100 painting.
Sales were already wildly high when The New York Times article sent my story into the stratosphere. I received thousands of messages, one of which was from a retired art museum director (a Smithsonian, a Guggenheim and the Whitney) who said my paintings were terrific, adding that I'm a great colorist who captures character so well. She bought three paintings for her collection, mentioning that they'd be included in art tours she hosts in her Manhattan home.
I was thrilled to see a reference to the artist residency at the end of the article, but somewhere in the middle, it sounded like one day I quit my part-time job and decided to become a painter, whereas I've pretty much always been a painter. Both my parents were painters. I was steeped in it. I began doing self-portraits at age 13, went to art school to study painting, and subsequently worked as a graphic designer.
In 2000, I made laser copies of my early self-portraits, and included them in my touring classroom presentation about how art and music can change the world. The paintings were an example to inspire students to start creative projects and stick with them, even when they couldn't see where things were going. I'm glad I took my own advice. Almost 50 years after I had painted the self-portraits in my bedroom as a teenager, The New York Times came calling.
Support Floods In
The article resonated with thousands of people, especially those who knew how low my prices were, and how exceptional it is to have a painting career take off at my age. Buyers were keen to let me know they wanted to support the artist residency.
The Hat #139 (11 x 14 inches acrylic on canvas panel), Jean Smith For the better part of the following two years, I was painting, selling, packaging and shipping seven days a week. It was extremely intense. The paintings were a hit, but the overwhelming success felt like 40% fluke and 60% hard work.
Month after month, accepting huge payments hand over fist became routine. I was selling twenty-four to thirty large (16 x 20 inch) paintings a week in sets of six. I had art supplies and groceries delivered. Mercifully, the post office was across the street.
Working Relentlessly
I saw no one and slept on a bed I shared with packaging supplies, making it so narrow I felt like a rotisserie chicken when I turned over.
I focused on painting and put aside the retreat idea because making hay while the sun shone seemed smarter than slowing down to buy over-priced real estate. By holding off, I have significantly more funds to work with. While house prices have come down, the shift in the economy has halted the sale of my larger paintings, putting the grandest version of the artist residency out of reach.
I'm aiming to purchase property within the next six months. Ideally, artists will be staying on an island close to a beach. That's the goal, but it will depend on how my painting sales are at the time.


Rebel Artist With a Dream

Jean Smith

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