Welcome to the Shoe! Every fall it fills with fans. The band marches down the ramp, onto the field, and into the pregame show. Then the coach leads the team on the field too. Just in time for the National Anthem, the Coin Toss, and the Kickoff!
​

But before that first game, the coach is busy; recruiting, practicing, and rebuilding the Buckeyes. Ryan Day has coached them since 2019. It’s a huge job that he’s grown into, and one that pays well. In college football, only Kirby Smart from Georgia is paid more
​
My source for Coach Day’s salary: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ohio-state-football-coach-ryan-day-earns-six-figure-bonus-for-team-gpa-in-2025-26/ar-AA246DVK?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&cvid=4501c8c59b0d492cb3c6f4b0ff62389f&ei=14


​

Did you know college coaches get paid for academics? I didn’t. They get bonuses when their teams get good grades.

​
​Any year the OSU football team earns a 3.0, B average for the year, Coach Day earns a $50,000 bonus. In both 2023 and 2024 the team’s GPA was above 3.2. That’s $100,000 for the coach!
​
Last year Coach Day got his highest academic bonus ever. The team’s GPA topped 3.3, so his bonus, $100,000! Good for the athletes, and good for Coach Day! If the team ever reaches a 3.5, A average, his bonus rises to $150,000. That’s a great reward, but it’s also super hard to achieve.

Welcome to the Shoe! Every fall it fills with fans. The band marches down the ramp, onto the field, and into the pregame show. Then the coach leads the team on the field too. Just in time for the National Anthem, the Coin Toss, and the Kickoff!

​But before that first game, the coach is busy; recruiting, practicing, and rebuilding the Buckeyes. Ryan Day has coached them since 2019. It’s a huge job that he’s grown into, and one that pays well. In college football, only Kirby Smart from Georgia is paid more.

My source for Coach Day’s salary: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ohio-state-football-coach-ryan-day-earns-six-figure-bonus-for-team-gpa-in-2025-26/ar-AA246DVK?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&cvid=4501c8c59b0d492cb3c6f4b0ff62389f&ei=14


​

​Part 1: How the Coach is Paid
​

I’d never thought about Ryan Day’s salary, or any other coach until last May. I found an article online from The Columbus Dispatch. I tucked it away for the first game day, this Saturday, September 5.

I didn’t realize there are two parts to a coach’s salary; base and incentive pay. His base for the 2025 season, a cool $12.5 million. Coach Day is worth it—In 2024 his team won the National Championship, and in 2025 they beat Michigan!

His incentive pay for 2025, only $450,000 for winning the Big Ten championship and a spot in the College Football Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes lost the first game. Season over, but winning the National Championship in 2024, that earned Coach Day $1 million. WOW! Winning IS everything!


​

Part 2: A Surprising Bonus for Coach Day
​

Did you know college coaches get paid for academics? I didn’t. They get bonuses when their teams get good grades.

Any year the OSU football team earns a 3.0, B average for the year, Coach Day earns a $50,000 bonus. In both 2023 and 2024 the team’s GPA was above 3.2. That’s $100,000 for the coach!
​
Last year Coach Day got his highest academic bonus ever. The team’s GPA topped 3.3, so his bonus, $100,000! Good for the athletes, and good for Coach Day! If the team ever reaches a 3.5, A average, his bonus rises to $150,000. That’s a great reward, but it’s also super hard to achieve.

​                                   1. Q: What should I do first if a newborn medical bill looks too high?
A: Call the billing office and ask for an itemized bill. Then check that the claim was processed in-network. Next, ask your insurer for the Explanation of Benefits. Compare the dates, codes, and what went toward your deductible. If something looks wrong, file an appeal. You can also ask the hospital for a payment plan while they review it.

                              2. Q: How can I guess delivery and newborn costs before the baby comes?
A: Ask your insurer for a written estimate for pregnancy and delivery. It should include your deductible, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum. Then call the hospital to check that the facility, anesthesiologist, and pediatric team are in-network. Write the estimate on a simple checklist. This helps you avoid last-minute surprises.

                       3. Q: When should I set up parental leave so my paycheck doesn't drop too fast?
A: As soon as you know your due date, ask HR for the paperwork and deadlines. Find out how leave benefits work with short-term disability or state programs. Confirm how you will pay your health premiums while on leave, so your coverage does not stop. If part of your leave is unpaid, set up a small automatic savings transfer now for a "leave buffer."

                                          4. Q: How can we get help with childcare costs if money is tight?
A: Ask licensed daycare centers about sliding-scale prices, work partnerships, and sibling discounts. Ask for a written price sheet. Check if your job offers a dependent care FSA. Also check if local agencies offer childcare vouchers or discounts. Get on waitlists early to have more choices.

                                                           5. Q: What tax breaks should new parents look for?
A: Update your tax withholding after the baby arrives. Keep a folder for childcare bills, provider tax IDs, and medical receipts. Tax rules change with inflation almost every year. Do a quick check midyear with your payroll system or a tax expert. This helps make sure you get every credit you qualify for.


​

​Baby costs can feel non-stop. Diapers, medical bills, and childcare deposits often come faster than a paycheck can adjust. The best plan treats these costs as ongoing, not one-time guesses. Families who check their budget often tend to feel less stressed and more in control. A calm baby budget comes from a simple plan, updated often, with help along the way. Pick two steps this week. Fix one budget habit. Check one benefit or refund you may be missing. Then use community help and support groups as your needs change. This flexibility protects your health, your family, and your future. 


​

​
​Andrea created Elders Day to remind everyone that getting older isn’t synonymous with slowing down. Everyone has their own pace, but age shouldn’t be what stops you from fulfilling dreams, goals, and desires.

New parents and parents-to-be often feel the same worry. This is common for first-time parents or growing families who also pay rent, childcare, and take unpaid leave. Baby costs do not come in one neat list. They show up as surprise bills and pressure to buy "everything" right away. This can turn happy planning into stress and late-night math. A clear plan for baby costs can help. It gives parents more confidence and more peace of mind.

​
​

​These simple terms help you guess your real costs for pregnancy, delivery, and newborn care. They also help you ask better questions and avoid surprise bills.
​

●Insurance premium: This is the monthly cost you pay to keep your insurance. Plan for it in your regular budget.

●Deductible: This is what you pay for care before insurance starts to help. It affects how much cash you need early in the year.

●Co-payment: This is a set fee you pay for each visit or prescription. It helps you guess routine costs for your baby and yourself.
​
●Coinsurance: This is a percent of the bill you pay after you meet your deductible. It can add up fast for hospital or specialist care.

●Out-of-pocket maximum: This is the most you will pay for covered care in one plan year. It caps your worst-case cost.

●Flexible spending account (FSA): This is a work account that lets you save pre-tax money for health costs. It can stretch your baby budget further.
​

​
​Andrea created Elders Day to remind everyone that getting older isn’t synonymous with slowing down. Everyone has their own pace, but age shouldn’t be what stops you from fulfilling dreams, goals, and desires.

​New parents and parents-to-be often feel the same worry. This is common for first-time parents or growing families who also pay rent, childcare, and take unpaid leave. Baby costs do not come in one neat list. They show up as surprise bills and pressure to buy "everything" right away. This can turn happy planning into stress and late-night math. A clear plan for baby costs can help. It gives parents more confidence and more peace of mind.


​

●Start with simple budgeting steps to plan baby costs and lower stress.
●Check your insurance early so you know what is covered.

●Shop smart for baby items. Buy what you need first.
●Use workplace benefits to lower costs and protect your paycheck.
​
●Use community support for help with costs and stress.

​

2. Build a One-Folder Paperwork System for Baby Bills​       
​                    

Once you know your biggest costs, the next step is simple: keep every paper in one place. Put your insurance forms, receipts, benefit papers, and budget notes in one folder. This can be a real or digital one. This helps you see what you paid, what you still owe, and what help you can use. It makes decisions easier and less rushed.
​
Saving files as PDFs helps too. PDFs work the same on every device. They are easy to store, search, and share. This helps when you need to check a charge or send in a form. Sometimes your paperwork changes, like your coverage or your work benefits. When that happens, it helps to edit a PDF document instead of starting over. Once your papers are in order, it's time to learn the money and insurance words you'll see on your forms.


​

These simple terms help you guess your real costs for pregnancy, delivery, and newborn care. They also help you ask better questions and avoid surprise bills.

●Insurance premium: This is the monthly cost you pay to keep your insurance. Plan for it in your regular budget.

●Deductible: This is what you pay for care before insurance starts to help. It affects how much cash you need early in the year.

●Co-payment: This is a set fee you pay for each visit or prescription. It helps you guess routine costs for your baby and yourself.
​
●Coinsurance: This is a percent of the bill you pay after you meet your deductible. It can add up fast for hospital or specialist care.

●Out-of-pocket maximum: This is the most you will pay for covered care in one plan year. It caps your worst-case cost.

●Flexible spending account (FSA): This is a work account that lets you save pre-tax money for health costs. It can stretch your baby budget further.
​                              
​
​​                                 Once you know these terms, common cost questions get easier to answer.

​Baby costs can feel non-stop. Diapers, medical bills, and childcare deposits often come faster than a paycheck can adjust. The best plan treats these costs as ongoing, not one-time guesses. Families who check their budget often tend to feel less stressed and more in control. A calm baby budget comes from a simple plan, updated often, with help along the way. Pick two steps this week. Fix one budget habit. Check one benefit or refund you may be missing. Then use community help and support groups as your needs change. This flexibility protects your health, your family, and your future. 

​

“My Generation” is a song from 1965, and the title for this post. I was five when it came out. I knew three generations: my grandfathers, my parents, and the kids in my kindergarten class. But I had no idea what a generation really was.

​By 1969, I realized it was a way to group people by age, and by what they did when they were young. From their clothes to the music, to the slang words they used, it showed their generation.

An online article caught my attention and made me want to write about it. It said your slang shows your generation.  Link: https://wordsmarts.com/slang-generation/?lctg=c4d2fe5b-125d-41db-a63c-ea78909f2d82
​
I also found another article that lists slang by decade: Link: https://people.howstuffworks.com/53-slang-terms-by-decade.htm

​
​
                                                                            1. The Silent Generation

I’d never heard of them, but both of my parents belonged to it. Its members were born between 1928 and 1945. My parents were children of the 30s, growing up during the Great Depression. Today’s affordability issues aren’t even close to what my parents suffered growing up.

They listened to the radio or went to theatres to see movies. No TV! Another member of the Silent Generation, Joe Biden. He was born near the end of it, in 1942. 

Wordsmarts.com picked slang from the 50s. I’ve heard of ‘daddy-o.’ I thought it was a cute word for dad, but it’s actually anyone who’s cool. Moms too! I’ve used ‘cruising for a bruising’ if someone was looking for trouble. ‘Made in the shade’ is one of my favorite ways to say success, and it’s from the 50s, according to howstuffworks.com. But don’t worry; you’ll find slang starting in the 1920s, going all the way through today.
​
 
​

2. The Baby Boomers
​

​I’m a boomer, one of the later ones. To be a boomer, you had to be born between 1946 and 1964. Things were better for my parents in the 60s, but they worked hard to save and buy a house on a single income. Dad worked, and Mom took care of me, my brother, and the house.

I grew up with black and white TV. I remember when we got color and could watch Saturday morning cartoons. Heaven! And movies, you could stay home and watch them on one of the three TV channels. Four of the last five presidents were boomers: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barak Obama, and now Donald Trump. Boomers have been a dominant force ever since the 60s, thanks to the glut of babies born after WWII.
 
I think the boomers had the best slang. Words like ‘threads’(clothing), ‘dig it’ (love it), or ‘groovy’  (cool) are gone. I’m so glad ‘ticked off’ (angry) has hung around, and thanks to Pete the Cat, groovy is back. It’s in every single book, at least once. Pete IS groovy!
​

​

​​My little sister is thirteen years younger, and she’s a Gen Xer. They were born between 1965 and 1980. They haven’t become president yet, but eventually. Marco Rubio, Florida senator and our current Secretary of State ran in 2016, and some think he’ll run for president again. 

Gen X was the first to grow up with computers.  This one is an 8-bit 1977Apple II. I graduated from high school that year, and very few people had one. By the time I started teaching in 1981, computers were beginning to show up in classrooms. They were primitive compared to today’s.
 
And Gen X slang, it was as grungy as the music of the late 80s and early 90s. Songs were either ‘gnarly,’ or they ‘rocked.’ Teens called each other ‘dude’ or told each other to take a ‘chill pill’ and calm down. And best of all, I still understood their words. 


​

My three kids are all Millennials, or Gen Y. Who knew?! They were born between 1981 and 1996, and a Millennial, J.D. Vance is our current Vice President. Some people think he’ll run for president in 2028. Who knows? He could be our first Millennial president. 

My kids and J.D. grew up with the internet, and it changed everything. You could email anyone, anywhere. I remember having to run down the hall to talk to another teacher. If they weren’t around, I’d have to try again later. With the internet I could email and move onto something new. That rocked!
 
Slang changed too. Think initials like ‘OMG’ (oh my god) or ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out). I’ve had it for years but didn’t know. I love ‘adulting,’ That’s the stage my kids are in now, but they’ve rarely ‘slayed’ me (said I did something well) or said they were ‘keeping it 100’ (by telling me the truth). I’m glad I can still learn new things.
 
 

My only Gen Z relative is my nephew, my sister’s son. He’s one of the Zoomers born from 1997 to 2012. The oldest, 29. The youngest, 14. They’re beginning their careers. I looked but didn’t find them in politics. Not yet, but they’re in sports and entertainment. I googled celebrities and found Coco Gauff. I remember her from tennis and the Paris Olympics. 

Zoomers grew up with technology, from iPhones to TikTok, so they’re comfortable with devices. They’ve helped older generations, like mine figure them out. But I never thought about their slang, not until I started writing this post. It’s like a foreign language I don’t understand.
​
When something is ‘cheugy,’ it’s old and outdated. If it’s ‘sus,’ be careful—something’s fishy. I’ve seen ‘cap’ on Facebook but ignored it, until now. Cap is false, ‘no cap’ is true, and ‘capping’ is lying. Fascinating! I love words, so I’m glad Zoomers are giving me new ones.

​

5. Generation Alpha
​

​My three grandchildren, they’re Gen Alpha, so they were born from 2011 through 2024. Poor Gen Z! They lost everyone born in 2011 and 2012 to the Alphas. The oldest ones, 15, and the youngest, only two. I found a famous alpha, Prince George. He’s 13, and his parents are the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Like Gen Z, Alphas have grown up with technology at their fingertips. Just look at the two girls sharing a computer. They look comfortable, like they don’t need adult supervision. Alphas are so connected to their devices that doctors and parents are pushing them outside to play.

Their slang reminds me of Gen Z; it’s like a foreign language I can’t understand. Take ‘rizz.’ It’s their way of saying someone has charisma. I’ve heard of ‘sigma’ and ‘beta.’ They’re Greek letters, but Gen Alpha made sigma mean good and beta, weak. Go figure!

The craziest word in any generation, Skibidi,’ I can’t pronounce it, and it has two opposite meanings—cool and bad. It started with a meme from a YouTube series featuring a head singing in a toilet. Crazy! It went viral and has its own dance.  I’m not ready for Alpha slang yet—I hope it grows on me!


​

​​The newest generation, Beta, arrived last year. They’re babies and toddlers who were born in 2025 and 2026. I don’t have any Beta relatives, but maybe someday.
 
As babies, they’re just learning to speak, to interact with the world. So who knows the slang or other contributions they’ll bring to us. Here’s to their future! And ours!
​

Catherine, Princess of Wales really knows how to keep a secret. She planned, trained, and completed the National Three Peaks Challenge without anyone finding out. That’s a very big deal in the United Kingdom. 

Catherine filmed a video message before she climbed the three peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales. Plus, she drove across country before she climbed each one, all in 24 hours. The world found out a week after Catherine finished the challenge.
​
Why did she do it? Two reasons: the first for herself. “I’m so grateful to be here, to be strong enough to walk these hills.” But she also wanted to “give something back,” especially to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity who does extraordinary work for so many, including the princess.
​
If you’d like to hear more from Catherine about her challenge, check out this video link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/news-of-the-week-catherine-princess-of-wales-releases-new-message-about-cancer-journey/vi-AA27cVjg?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=5c51b8d18f904c09de5907fbf0d305c0&ei=5


​

On June 27, Catherine climbed Ben Nevis in Scotland. Then she drove to Scafell Pike in England. After another hike, Catherine finished her challenge at Snowdon in Wales. She managed all three within her 24-hour deadline.

This is her family in 2022. They stood waiting for Catherine at the bottom of Snowdon with her parents and younger brother. They all kept the challenge a secret until July 5, when Catherine gave Kensington Palace permission to release the story and her photos.

                                                               If you’d like to see them, check out this link:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/princess-of-wales-shares-family-pictures-after-mountain-challenge/ar-AA27gA1V?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=73396bb4289642db88cf01fd7ecec471&ei=8

​
Part 2: Mapping the Challenge

​
Welcome to the UK, the United Kingdom. Catherine is the Princess of Wales, the pinkish part of the UK, but that’s not where she started the challenge. That was Scotland, the peach-ish part at the top of the map. I’ll try to use Scotland to give you an idea where I think the first peak might be.

Find the diagonal that slashes across Scotland. Follow it southwest. When you get near the bottom, close to the islands, you’ll be close to Ben Nevis. That’s where Catherine climbed her first peak. If you’d like to check my accuracy, click on the Wikipedia link. The map near the top shows the peaks, but not the boundary lines between Scotland and England.
​

From there Catherine drove southeast to Scafell Pike in England. To find it, follow the border between Scotland and England all the way to the sea. Go a little south, and that’s where Scafell Pike should be. Check Wikipedia again to see how I did on directions.  
​
And now for the final stop, Snowdon. Catherine probably drove down the English coastline until she reached Wales. Then she must have turned west and driven toward the two peninsulas on the northwestern edge. Snowdon looks like it’s somewhere between the two. Wikipedia’s map can show you how close I got. 
​
                      Wikipedia Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Three_Peaks_Challenge


​

Catherine’s first peak, Ben Nevis. At 1,345 meters, it’s the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. That’s a big number, but I can’t picture it, and I can’t picture 1,470 yards. How about 12. 3 football fields? Now, I can imagine it!

​Three fun peak facts: #1. About 100,000 people climb Ben Nevis each year. #2. About ¾ of them use an old pony trail that begins in Glen Nevis on the south side of the mountain. #3. When you reach the summit, you’ll find the ruins of an old observatory that operated from 1883 through 1904.


​

Catherine’s next peak, Scafell Pike, is England’s highest mountain at a mere 978 meters. That’s about 1070 yards, or 9 football fields. The best part, she had three fewer fields to climb. 

Three fun peak facts: #1. Scafell Pike was created out of igneous rocks from the Borrowdale Volcanics. The volcanoes are now extinct. #2. The summit is a field of boulders and shattered bits of rock. #3. Some scientists believe frost and weathering broke the rocks into bits. Others think earthquakes did it. It’s probably both.
​​

​

And Catherine’s final peak, Snowdon. Approximately 1190 yards or 10 football fields. Snowdon is the middle mountain, taller than Scafell Pike, but shorter than Ben Nevis. 

​Three fun peak facts: #1. Snowdon’s rocks were created by volcanoes and molded by glaciers. #2. There are a number of well-known trails that hikers like Catherine can choose from. #3. If you don’t feel like climbing, try the Snowdon Mountain Railway. It’s been open since 1896.  
​

Source Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Three_Peaks_Challeng

You have great facts. You know your business inside and out. But when you share your message, people's eyes glaze over. Sound familiar?
​

You have great facts. You know your business inside and out. But when you share your message, people's eyes glaze over. Sound familiar?
​

​

1.   What Is Audience-Centered Storytelling?
​It's simple. You shape your message around what your listeners need to hear,
not everything you want to say.

A good business narrative has three parts: a setup, a problem, and a solution. That's it. No jargon. No info dumps. Just a clear story with a point.

              Here's the thing: different people want different things from the same story.

• Customers want to know: "Will this make my life easier?"
• Investors want to know: "Is this a smart bet?"
• Team members want to know: "Why does this matter?"

               Same facts. Different frame. And stories are memorable in ways that bullet points never are.


​

Once your story is clear, you want as many people to hear it as possible. But what if your audience speaks a different language?
​
You don't have to re-shoot anything. Automatic AI voice dubbing tools can translate your video into other languages and even sync the lip movements so it looks natural. Your story stays the same. Your reach gets bigger.


                                                       

3.  A 7-Step Plan for Stories That Stick
​

4. Use visuals instead of paragraphs.
One visual per idea. A before-and-after diagram. A simple three-step flow. A single chart. If a slide needs more than 12 words to make sense, it probably needs a picture instead.

5. Make your customer the hero.
Tell the story from their point of view. What's their problem? What are they up against? Your product isn't the star. It's the tool that helps them win. This works for every audience: buyers, investors, and employees.

6. Practice three 60-second versions.
Tell your story out loud in under a minute for three different listeners: a buyer, an investor, and a new hire. Keep the same core promise but swap the proof. Buyers want results. Investors want growth. Employees want purpose.
​
7. Make small fixes after every meeting.
Write down what landed, what confused people, and what question you fumbled. Many teams set aside up to 10% of their time for this kind of cleanup. Small tweaks add up fast.


​

​1, Q: How do I stop over-explaining?
Give one promise and three proof points, then stop. If someone wants more, let them ask. That's a win.

2. Q: Why do people tune out even when my topic matters?
They can't see the stakes or what you want them to do. Make the problem real, say what happens if nothing changes, and end with a clear request.

3. Q: Can I be persuasive without hype?
Yes. Trust beats theatrics every time. The business of writing is really about building relationships. Be honest, be specific, and be useful.
​
4. Q: When should I use a visual instead of more words?
Any time you're describing a process, a comparison, or a change over time. One chart beats three paragraphs.


​

You don't need to explain everything. You just need to say the right thing to the right person at the right time. Start with a clear point. Keep it short. Make your audience the hero. Then do it again until it feels easy.
​
                                                                                  Clarity wins. Every time.
​

 ​                        Thanks to Guest Blogger, Andrea Needham, for this post and its great suggestions!

During the summer of 2007 I made my first trip to Germany. One of my sons went as part of the Sister Cities exchange program, and I agreed to come along as a chaperone.

Take your finger east across the map towards the light green area. If you go all the way across the German state of North Rhine Westphalia, you’ll run into Bonn. It’s close to Hesse, the next state. It’s in yellow green.

                                                                                             My map source:
               https://printableworldmaps.net/political-germany-map-map-of-germany-with-cities-pdf/
​

​

​Part 1: The Story Begins:   This is the Hardthöhe (hard-though-he) building in Bonn, the headquarters for the Federal Ministry of Defense. It’s like the German Pentagon. I remember the building from 2007, but without the construction.

​There was something important going on that day. Almost 85% of Germany’s generals were meeting inside, and our tour group had to enter through a side door. I felt like a spy in a James Bond movie.
It was odd and rather exciting, but the bigger story happened later.
​
                    Photo and Information Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardthöhe_(barracks)


​                                         

​Part 2: Later—That Bigger Story:   We had a German officer as our tour guide. The only thing I remember, how we sat in a small meeting room and listened to him talk about the Bush Doctrine and the German position on it.

The officer kept pointing out the differences between them and pushing why the German one was better. I kept biting my tongue. My son was in the room, and I knew he wanted my mouth to stay shut, so I tried my very best. 
​​

Then it happened. One of our German hosts said in an all-knowing voice that their position was better. They waited for proof before striking, even if their own citizens and soldiers were killed first.

This is me in Germany, at a different time. I knew I had to speak. I understood why President George W. Bush didn’t wait. I watched the towers collapse on 9/11/01. That fall the entire country lived in fear that terrorists could strike again.

The president sent troops into Afghanistan on October 7, less than a month later. He had to hold the Taliban and al-Qaeda responsible for 9/11 and make sure it didn’t happen again.
​
Then on March 20, 2003, the president again sent in troops. This time to Iraq. Saddam Hussein was threatening the US with weapons of mass destruction (WMD). 
​​

​In the two years between Afghanistan and Iraq, the President created the Bush Doctrine. It said the US could strike if there was an immediate or looming threat. The goal, to stop the attacks on us. President Bush was especially concerned with Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, the nation states most connected to terrorism and WMD. 


​

Part 3: How the Story Ended:   This is me in 2007. I’m not sure exactly what I said at the Ministry in Bonn. Probably that some things can’t wait. That you have to act the minute you spot danger.

I’m a teacher so I told them about the most difficult student I ever had. I could see her temper brewing all day on the first day of school. That’s not normal. She held it in check but hit two kids on her way out to the bus. That’s not normal either. Most kids have a few good days before they act out. She didn’t.

I also told them how I protected the other kids. I didn’t wait for trouble. I always sent another girl with her to the bathroom. Her job, to hurry back and tell me if something happened. Then I’d take care of it. It worked; I don’t remember getting any reports.

My point, it was better to take care of trouble before it started. That’s what I did, and that’s what my president did too.

​ I cornered my German tour guide at lunch and demanded to know what was going on. He admitted the truth…he pushed me on purpose. He’d been stationed in Iraq for a year or two.

​Whenever he had an audience with Germans and Americans, he’d poke us about the Bush Doctrine until we finally defended it. Just like he’d done to me. Why? My guess, he wanted his fellow Germans to hear a different point of view.
​

So why did I decide to tell this story now? It feels like history is repeating itself. This time it’s Iran and President Trump.

​In February US and Israeli intelligence said the Iranians were trying to rebuild their nuclear program, and they were developing long range missiles that could hit Europe and eventually the US. In March we discovered the Iranians could launch a missile 4000 km. That’s 2000 km farther than we thought.

Also, when a country calls the US the ‘Great Satan’ for over 40 years, take them seriously. These people took Americans in the US Embassy in Tehran hostage for 14 months. They released them the day President Reagan took office in 1981. Why? They feared him, not Jimmy Carter, the previous president.
​
Then on October 23, 1983, they saw an opportunity to bomb the US Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. They killed 241 marines and sailors that day in one strike. I remember both acts of terror, and I haven’t forgotten the attacks they’ve made in the years since.

​

BTW, this is not the first post I’ve written about Germany. My trip in 2007, changed my life. I began writing thanks to a bat who flew through the house I was staying in. These are the three posts I’ve written about Germany since then.

1. Me and North Rhine Westphalia: https://www.rindabeach.com/blog/me-and-north-rhine-westphalia?__cf_chl_f_tk=TJzOffqez4eRyK0DUTlru6qTecPYKwYGDOiytV.FFIM-1783191011-1.0.1.1-HBZ4MpF5HhGXUp4keYaw1GcpVKp6V3ROkjC3sGqzJPw
​
2. Stories from the Benderblock: https://www.rindabeach.com/blog/stories-from-the-bendlerblock

3. The Story of the White Rose: https://www.rindabeach.com/blog/the-story-of-the-white-rose

Katharine Esty, PhD, wrote the source article that made me want to write this post. She’s 90, and she interviewed 150 people ages 70-90 from her retirement community and her hometown. Katharine discovered aging is better than it used to be. You don’t have to dread it. Most people in their 80s were happier than 70-year-olds. The same was true for people in their 70s. They were happier than 60-year-olds. 

                                                                   
                                                                    The link to Katharine’s original article:
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/16/i-just-turned-90-this-year-unexpected-joys-about-old-age-i-want-young-people-today-to-know.html?msockid=1eb2843b6b3b664b014e93696a956751
​
​
​

Today most seniors live longer and have a better quality of life than our parents or grandparents. Katharine’s parents were 65 and 72 when they died, but she was 90 when she wrote her article. Katharine is still active—in one week she took three exercise classes and walked over 1.5 miles.

We can live longer and better because we get new parts, like knees, hips, and shoulders. Our hearing aids work, and we don’t have to live with cataracts. I’ll probably get my eyes done in the next couple of years.

We see our family doctor, dentist, and eye doctor, but specialists are easy to schedule and pay for. We can get the right medication for our pain, so seniors like Katharine can stay active.


​

                                                         2.  You continue to learn and develop.  ​

​​Some people say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but I don’t believe them. I’m retired, and I’m still learning new things. Sometimes I write about them, like I did for this post.
 
In the last 50 years, we’ve learned more about the brain and how it works. We’ve also discovered what happens to its neuroplasticity as it ages. That’s my new vocabulary word. It’s about how the brain grows and reorganizes its network of nerves. That means our brains can grow and repair themselves over time.
 
That’s great news for you and me, for senior citizens, and for anyone with a head injury! We can still learn…it might take longer than it once did. Using our brains and trying new things, they sharpen our neurons. Remember the author from my source article? Katharine’s 90, and she’s taking Zumba classes and learning French. WOW!


​

​Do you see a glass as half full, or half empty? Many seniors see it as half full, and they choose to stay positive. I’d never heard of the paradox of aging. It says that as we age; our health and abilities get worse. We lose people around us, yet our mental health gets better. Maybe it’s because we feel happier with what we have, instead of disappointed with what’s missing.
 
As I look at my own life, that’s how I feel. The grandmother I’m named after died at age 40. Katharine said “less than 2% of Americans make it to age 90.” That makes them blessed. If you’re a senior, why complain when there’s still time to enjoy whatever time we have left.
​
     Tomorrow: living in the present, finding joy in relationships, and a final thought from Katharine.
​

Katharine said it’s especially true for seniors in their late 70s and 80s. They stay focused in the present and rarely think beyond the next 18 months. Her reasoning, life is uncertain, so why bother. I hadn’t thought about it, but I tend to plan for the next week or two, and not much farther.

Another surprise, many seniors don’t dwell on the past. Katharine said they’ve left most of their regrets behind. I feel the same way. There are things I’d have done differently, but if I had the chance I wouldn’t go back and change them. It might change something that I’m happy with.
​
Katharine also noted that seniors talk more about sports and TV shows than the past. They focus on little things like taking a walk, looking up at the night sky, or hanging out with friends. I wish I had spent more time doing those simple things, but back then, I was teaching and raising my family. THAT took all my time. 


​

When I was younger, my life revolved around my job and my family. When the school year ended, I was lucky. I could slow down and focus entirely on my family.
 
Seniors like me are retired. We’re downsizing possessions and responsibilities. We finally have time to enjoy family and friends, especially the young ones.
​
When I retired, I lost so many friends, but when I went back to visit, it was different. They’d moved on without me. As I’ve aged, I’ve started to build a new network of friends. Some online; some from volunteer work, and I look forward to the ones I'll make in the future. 


​​

I’ll end the way I began, with Katharine Esty.
This time her advice is for our young friends who are still working.
​

​Katharine said, “Friends, there is much to look forward to as you age,
​ and the research suggests you will be happier, too.”