Senior LifeStyle with Eileen O’Brien

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SENIOR LIFESTYLE

THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE US FREE!

(Sung to the melody of the Birthday tune)

So what, you might ask, through the previous yr has made us on Planet Senior LifeStyle  free? So let’s do a fast evaluation as all of us blow out our large one yr candle! We all first met in August, 2025 shortly after a match made in heaven between this author and the brand new RCT Managing Editor, Sierra Lidén. It’s just like the previous joke that begins with two girls strolling right into a bar solely this was a café and instantly connecting like they’d identified one another perpetually!

Now for these of you who’ve been my “wing readers” from the very first column, I had dipped my toes into the world of writing a column for SINGLES, no much less, roughly 40 years in the past in land generally known as Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Who would have imagined that these two girls sitting in that café, one older than dust with a imaginative and prescient and the opposite so stuffed with concepts and power have been undoubtedly the image of an odd couple dreaming their goals and hoping that their collaboration may be a profitable flight slightly than a crash and burn. It was undoubtedly a leap of religion for each a Baby Boomer and a Gen Z!

By September nonetheless, after publication of the primary column in August, phrase was out on the road concerning the “senior power” column which might be finest characterised as a eclectic mixture of Dear Abby, Erma Bombeck, Andy Rooney, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Martha Stewart and native Rockland hero, John R. Maloney. The promise made was that the month-to-month column would inform, educate, encourage, entertain and find out about you. It would possibly make you snort. It would possibly make you cry. It would possibly make you offended. But it will ALWAYS make you assume and replicate. The first actuality tackled was SENIOR DISCONNECTION, which we as seniors expertise and generally actively take part in anyplace, all over the place and . It was the story of Joan, a widow in her 70s and Alex, a younger lady in her 20s assembly and connecting in a nail salon no much less! It was additionally a shove for the remainder of us to disconnect from the social media monster in our palms and CONNECT with our time, expertise and cash to the varied nonprofits that may welcome us with all we’ve to supply…In different phrases, “The world is filled with nice people. If you can’t find one, be one!”

October took us to the “tenth” circle of hell, which Dante by no means anticipated – Self Checkout. It’s an inferno that we’re discovering ourselves caught in on account of  grocery shops, large field shops, greenback shops, residence enchancment shops, pharmacies, espresso retailers “helping us.” Corporate greed takes away our alternative, provides us no reductions for doing a paid workers’ work and sells us on faux information that they’re serving to the shopper! Through this column, you bought to fulfill Denise, Tomas, Aleesha, Jordan, Anita, and Robert – entrance line warriors understanding and aiding their prospects with kindness and persistence as we negotiate our every day obligations. Now right here’s the remainder of this story whose ending you don’t know but… This author personally revisited each featured entrance line warrior (and their mangers) and gifted them with a duplicate of the RCT that includes the article about them. I can’t start to let you know in regards to the shock, shock, and gratitude of those warriors. This author skilled the employees tearing up, requesting further copies of the newspaper to proudly share with their households and pals, however the most effective half was the managers, speechless, after anticipating a criticism after I requested to talk with them after which seeing their employees and their retailer acknowledged positively in print on this very hyper native newspaper.

November introduced elections, injections, veterans, household, pals, meals, Daylight Saving Time and “World Kindness Day.” December targeted on an quaint story, a story as previous as time on your vacation pleasure. January burst forth with the thought of what the New Year brings to you’ll rely a fantastic deal on what you carry to the brand new yr! You realized about ideas and tips of how you can get entangled, keep concerned and luxuriate in a beautiful journey into the yr forward. February, the month of affection, highlighted friendship loss, the way it comes about, and efforts you can make to speak with the residing slightly than the useless. March, hopefully, reminded you of YOUR immigrant historical past and the significance and obligation of welcoming and serving to all of the onerous working and trustworthy people coming after you to this excellent land of Rockland County. Now April, if I used to be requested to selected, was in all probability my favourite column. It featured a beautiful group of Vietnam Vets, now seniors, sharing their knowledge, pleasure and ache with an entire new era of younger American college students. My two days, embedded with this excellent crew of Vets, introduced me perception that shall be with me for years to return. According to legend, May supposedly brings us flowers however it additionally brings us Mental Health Awareness Month and as we found, psychological well being is a 24/7, 52 week, 365 day job which our native NAMI Rockland is perpetually tackling. June featured a stunning revelation that one other very long time service from an previous and revered establishment that everyone knows and belief, was on the chopping block. Your column appealed to the CEO and are retaining our fingers crossed that company minds will probably be modified. July was then upon us that includes an age previous query, which stirred various buzz – So which one have been you? A GOOD or BAD Neighbor?

Now as we have fun our first yr, what can we count on for Round 2? To start with, if you wish to sustain with our month-to-month “SENIOR STYLE” adventures, SUBSCRIBE to this weekly newspaper. Yes, I do know it’s out there at all of your native haunts, however too lots of you share with me that the newspaper just isn’t at all times on the spot the place you often count on to choose it up. Folks, it’s not that it wasn’t dropped off. Problem is, it was dropped off and snatched up inside hours of supply. In case you haven’t seen, the RCT is the ONLY newspaper left that’s ROCKLAND CENTRIC!! In yr two, one of many missions of this column will probably be to acknowledge personally these people who assist us be the most effective that we might be. Kind of like an area “Candid Camera” (How lots of you truly bear in mind this TV present in addition to who Allen Funt was? If you do, you’re one in all us!). Now it’s your flip to assist make our second yr even higher. Let me hear from you (through my Managing Editor Sierra at editor@rocklandcountytimes.com) about what intrigues, excites, puzzles, even angers you…As a sensible particular person as soon as wrote: In honoring voices and experiences, we’ll foster a group the place inspiration thrives and constructive change will take root in methods each seen and unseen.

Hello September… and on to Year Two!