Barbara Morris

In 1997 my friend Jan called to tell me that she had a surprise for me, and wanted to make sure I would be home. Now, Jan was the kind of friend that was always welcome, and in that year, even more welcome because I had left the familiarity of our Minneapolis community to move, out of necessity, to the northwest suburbs. I felt out of place and out of sorts. I was raising a … [Read more...] about Seniors: Snap Out Of It! Computers Don’t Bite!

I recently read two articles that should be mandatory reading for those about to retire, or in the early years of retirement. The first article, "Doctors: Is Retirement Overrated?" by Shelly Reese tells about a 63 year old retired doctor Dr. Doug Segan who now teaches part time. He said, "I bought into the cultural mantra that it's this promised land where you do what you … [Read more...] about Retirement: Is It Really Nirvana?

I recently returned from my first cruise, and I have to tell you, I just don't get it. I  know people looooove cruises and many people I spoke with on the voyage were "chronic cruisers". They go on a cruise every chance they get. A week of my life was squandered aboard a ship with activities I could do at home at much less expense and fewer wasted hours. (Yes, I know I'm … [Read more...] about Cruising: The Ultimate Insanity

While most of the discussion about school violence centers around gun control, other suggested reasons for gun violence include mental illness, lax security, lagging emergency response, bullying, violent media games and videos. Another potential contributor routinely ignored is adverse effects of psychiatric drugs. How often have you heard that a reason young people kill … [Read more...] about Overlooked Cause of School Violence?

A reader questioned  my use of the word "old" when I could have used "older".  It concerned her because she doesn't consider herself "old" but rather, an "older" woman. I completely understand. I share her angst. So, when is it appropriate to use one or the other designation? When talking about women "of a certain age" how do you differentiate between a healthy woman who is … [Read more...] about Words Have Meaning: The Difference Between “Old” and “Older”

So, why do we do it? Here’s my top 10 list: Someone said we need to eat 3 meals plus snacks every day, or we’ll die. We have nothing else to do so we eat. We’re addicted to sugar and we just eat more sugar. Comfort food is yummy. To deal with our stuff. To be social – someone took the time to make something, so I better eat it. The clock said so or see … [Read more...] about Why Do We Eat When We’re Not Hungry?

We hear that “Change is a constant” and “People resist change.” What a conundrum we find ourselves in because of this clash. We tend to approach what we want for ourselves and our lives by looking at what we want to change. Considering that many of us react to or resist change, maybe that’s not the better or best approach to aim at a targeted outcome. What if focus on what … [Read more...] about What Do You Want to Change vs. What Do You Want to Do

I remember as a child, loving to lead. Just give me a pretend marching band, or a line of my dolls and I would become an instant leader, teacher or whatever the occasion called for. As a teen, I was the leader on our debate team which segued into teaching a class of second graders while I was still in high school and this moved me into many positions of leadership. Through … [Read more...] about The Lone Cheerleader