How many times when you was moving through the decades of raising a family and building a career did you say that you were going to write the great American novel when you retired?  Now as you settle into a life of retirement and the lifestyle of a senior citizen, do you wonder if now might be the time?  After all, this is the time of life when you always promised yourself you would uncork all of that creativity you have been keeping pent up all these years and let it spill out onto the world.  So why not give it a try?  Nobody ever got hurt trying for greatness.

But even if you don’t achieve “greatness”, your years as a senior citizen are a wonderful time to explore the creative side of you.  It might not be “the great American novel”.  That phrase really is a way of expressing that we all have something creative and unique to give and our senior years are a great time to let them out. 

The idea that writing, or painting, or acting or any of the creative arts are the venue only of the young has been proven wrong time and time again.  It seems creativity and creative expression really knows no age limits.  In the last few years we have had Haley Joel Osment, Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood all vying for the Academy award.  That makes a 10 year old, a man in his late middle ages and a senior citizen all being evaluated by the same criteria for greatness in acting.  The young boy didn’t win that year but keep your eyes on him.  He has plenty more to give.  

In fact, it is notable that a few years later when Clint Eastwood won the Oscar for directing, he remarked that much older directors than him were still making their masterpieces.  So he was a youngster in his 70s just getting started striving for greatness.  These are just a few examples to show that if these senior citizens can shine in their creative work late in life, so can you.  

Don’t be afraid to get out there with the youngsters and take the introductory classes in the art form you want to try out.  You may have always dreamed of painting.  You know that Picasso and Rembrandt did some of their finest paintings as senior citizens.  So go ahead, go to the junior college or the local museum and enroll in classes.  You may be the Grandpa or Grandma of the class but once the other artists see that you have something burning inside you to express artistically, they will respect you as a fellow artist and peer in the artistic community.

This is not to say that writing the great American novel or other forms of creative expression are not going to take work to master.  But in that department, you also have the inside track.   As a senior citizen, you are not stranger to hard work.  You worked hard to raise a family, succeed in a career and provide for others all of your adult life.  Now its time to use some of that work ethic to let your own light shine and for a little while, let it all be about you.

By Roy Deng

Wearing Medical ID bracelets may save your life. And they are not for older people only. Anyone who has a medical condition, is taking certain medications that could be dangerous or interact with other medicines, or has a severe allergy to something should consider investing in one of these bracelets. Medical ID bracelets come in many shapes, sizes, and styles and are fairly inexpensive when compared with the cost of one’s life or health being damaged.

The increasing illness in the baby boomer population is one reason. A higher than ever diabetes rate is another. There are no outwards physical signs that indicate “I have a heart condition.” There is not always a way to tell what a person is allergic to in the event of an emergency. Truthfully, all of these are reasons for the existence and importance of medical ID bracelets. But what are they, what is their purpose, and how can they help people with different needs?

Medical ID bracelets come in many different styles, shapes, and designs so that a person can choose one that is not only suitable to their tastes but works well within their lifestyle without hindering it. The idea behind medical ID bracelets is that they serve as a functional piece of jewelry while also alerting those who may help in a medical emergency to a person’s medical conditions. Things that are typically found on medical ID bracelets include heart conditions, being a diabetic, allergies to medications, allergies to bees, foods, or latex, or other medical conditions that can be considered life threatening or important for medical personnel to know in the event of the person needing treatment.

Medical ID bracelets are not fashioned just for older people who might be more likely to need them. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes to even accommodate children who have special medical needs and might be in need of treatment at some moment in time and not able to communicate their health needs in a way that is important. Some bracelets are tag-style and information is engraved directly on them while others are made to be more discreet.

Some have a panel that slides open and reveals a person’s personal information while other bracelet styles have a removable piece where a person can type out a full description of their medical history or precautions, which is best suited to those with a complicated medical history. Some types like the latter are changeable as the person’s medical history changes too, and obvious advantage over the other style.

Depending on what one desires the bracelet to be made out of will determine cost. For basic medical ID bracelets that come pre-engraved at most pharmacies with common descriptions such as “diabetic” and “heart condition” a person can expect a relatively low cost. The next expense level would involve ordering a custom engraved bracelet that might take several days or weeks to get, made of stainless steel, and can be purchased for approximately twenty dollars. The more expensive varieties are the medical ID bracelets that allow for the storage of complicated ID papers telling a person’s medical history or that have a little compartment to keep information concealed from prying eyes while still bearing a medical symbol on the outside, and the most expensive of this variety are made of gold rather than some other material.

Buyers can expect to pay as much as seventy or eighty dollars for a gold bracelet with this kind of structure to it, if they decide this is what they desire. But no matter what type of bracelet a person decides on, if they have a serious medical condition or are taking certain medicines, any money spent might be a small cost and the little bit of money that saves their lives.

TARRING JEWELRY CO., LTD is a leading manufacturer of fashion health jewelry. We offer magnetic therapy jewelry, stainless steel bracelet, Titanium Bracelet, Men jewelry, hematite jewelry, Medical ID jewelry, Stainless steel watches, Fashion timepiece, Cufflink, 925 sterling silver, finished jewelry (necklace, bracelet, earring, ring), and so on.

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Who says that growing older means you can no longer do the things you enjoy? There are many activities for seniors that most anyone can enjoy. You also have the opportunity to learn new things, try new activities and just enjoy common activities for seniors. When it comes to activities for seniors, we are not only talking about leisure. There are many other activities that seniors need/want to participate in. For example, how do they get their groceries, get to doctor’s appointments, visit family, buy needed home items and more? Many of the activities that make up daily life for us become more difficult when you become a senior.

However, there are many options for activities for seniors and many ways that you can still get done the things you need to accomplish. You also don’t have to give up your fun. Here are some ideas for leisure activities that most any senior can take part in- health allowing.

1. Go for a walk- the great thing about walking is that you can do it anywhere, anytime. It is great exercise, allows you time to think or talk with friends that may walk with you, keeps you in good health and allows you to see the neighborhood or area that you are walking in. You can enjoy the outdoors (or indoors) wherever you are at.

2. Visit the library- You can literally spend hours getting captivated in the library. There is a wide selection of books and magazines to read. You can also look up periodicals, use the computers if you know how and feel comfortable with them and surf the internet. Often communities hold meetings at the library as well.

3. Attend literary readings- Many new authors hold literary meetings when they are promoting a new book. You can attend, meet the author, sample new work and just enjoy the company of others. And – it’s free!

4. Join a book club or discussion group- These types of groups usually have weekly meetings which allow you to have contact with other people that share your same interests. It also gives you something to look forward to and something to keep your mind occupied. You can meet new friends, learn new things and enjoy the pleasure of having somewhere you are “scheduled” to be.

Activities for seniors will vary according to the person as well. There are some common-sense things you need to keep in mind if you are looking for fun activities for seniors. There are some activities you should probably not partake in due to health reasons. Always ask your doctor if you are very concerned about whether or not to partake in a particular activity. If you have a heart condition, skydiving and roller coasters might be out of the question. If you are in suitable health, you can still enjoy boat rides, fishing, dancing and similar activities.

So why do we do it?  This may be a question your children ask when they see you going after such an ambitious goal so late in life.  But when you think about it, we as senior citizens have a right to be a bit offended by the question.  Where is it written that we are denied the right to better ourselves just because we are in the later years of life?  Implicit in the question is the implication of, “What is the point of you getting a degree since you are not going to do anyting productive in retirement and you are so close to death?”

The last thing we as senior citizens want is to be seen as people who are just sitting around waiting to die.  Many a senior citizen has started an entirely new career and accomplished great things after 50.  With the advances in medical science today, it’s perfectly logical that you could live 20-30 years or more “in retirement”.  That is plenty of time to accomplish great things.  And starting out this era of life with a good education makes just as much sense as a youth doing so as they start out on their first career.

This is not to say that going back to school is going to be easy.  If finishing your high school degree is the goal, you are going into an alien world and one that was probably pretty hostile the first time you were there.  Your presence in the high school or college classroom is going to be the source of some humor and you might take some teasing for being there.  But those same kids will come to admire what you are doing and enjoy having “grandpa” in class with them each day.

On top of the social situation you may create in a high school or college classroom, school is a challenge.  You will have to get used to being in the classroom and listening to lectures, reading textbooks, taking notes, doing papers and taking exams all over again.  If you go after an advanced degree and take several classes, you will be a very busy senior citizen just keeping up with your studies.

But there are some joys you can expect from going after an advanced degree.  College life and being on a college campus each day is by itself a very stimulating environment.  And you may find yourself at a few pep rallies and enjoying campus life just like the other students.  Being with young people each day can be energizing and you may find yourself looking and acting as much like the youth you “hang out with” as you do your fellow senior citizens.

But the greatest benefit of getting that advanced degree is the pride or accomplishment you will get.  If you are finishing your high school or bachelor’s degree, it no doubt nagged you all your life that this was something that you started and didn’t finish.  So by going back and finishing it, you close that door and take away the power of that nagging voice.

Don’t be surprised if you fall in love with academic life.  Learning is tremendously addictive and you may wish to go on for yet more studies in fields of learning that have always fascinated you.  Nobody will turn away your tuition dollars if you just want to be in college for the pure joy of learning.  And you will be an inspiration to your fellow students when they see you succeed and they tell themselves, “If Grandpa over there can do it, so can I.”

There are a lot of reasons by senior citizens find themselves raising their grandchildren.  The nature of the problem will say a lot about how you approach the many issues of child rearing.  The reasons range from death of the parents to situations of abuse, drug or alcohol difficulties or if your child had the baby out of wedlock.  So the extent to which you can have the birth parent active in the life of the baby will be driven by the severity of the reason you are being asked to become a parent a second time around.

Probably the biggest question you will is what to tell the child.  Honesty is so important in raising children.  It wont take them long to figure out that his or her “parents” are a lot older than the other children’s parents.  So if you can be honest, while that creates other anxieties in the child, those are much healthier for him or her to confront than dealing with being deceived about parentage issues.

If you have the birth mother living with you as well, that can be good or bad.  As the girl’s parents, you will be doing her a favor if you enable her to serve in her own parental role as much as she possibly can.  The ideal situation would be if the child knew this was his or her mom rather than go down the road of saying she is an older sister.   Then you can serve in the capacity of caregivers and facilitators but still allow that natural mother/child bond to help both grow into those roles.  It may be hard in the short term but as the child grows older, you and your daughter will be glad you made the effort to handle the issue this way.

The availability of other family members will also be a factor in the demands of parenthood.  Children are active little creatures and they love to run and play actively, especially with their parents.  But sometimes senior citizens are not as much the run and play as much as the cuddle and read a story kind of parents.  If the child has uncles or aunts living nearby who can step in and provide that kind of support to the child, that will take some pressure off of you to try to keep up with the kiddos.

As you step into the role of parent of your own grandchild, it’s proper although a bit frightening to look down the road 18 years and wonder, will I make it?  It’s a fair question and one you need to make provision for.  Any parent provides for their child in the event of their death and in the case of seniors raising children, those provisions are even more important.  But the provisions don’t just end with financial support.  If Grandpa and Grandma both pass away before the child is done growing up, there should be a natural and acceptable home for that child to go to that will be comfortable for them and where they can continue to grow and learn with as little interruption as possible.

Short of the death of your children, don’t discount the return of your child to assume the role of parent again.  You don’t want this to be a hostile interruption.  If there was abuse or substance problems, there will be legal oversight and a case worker will have to be involved to determine if your son or daughter is capable of being a parent.  But if they can accept that responsibility and they are prepared to both love and care for the child, then you can hand that responsibility over and feel fulfilled that you did your part to assure your precious grandchild was properly cared for when he or she needed you the  most.