AGING: Get It Right

• Two elderly residents in a mobile home park became good friends years after their spouses died. One evening, both went to a party and he finally mustered the courage to ask, "Will you marry me?" After pausing, she said: "Yes,." But the next morning, he couldn’t remember what happened,  so he called and asked "did you say yes?" To his delight, she answered, "I said yes, and meant it with all my heart." Then she added, "And I’m so glad you called because I couldn’t remember who had asked me.”

• While chatting on a park bench. one old man asked the other, "How is your wife?" The second man said , "I think she might be dead!" Shocked, the first man asked, "What do you mean?" The second man replied, , "Well., the sex is the same, but dirty dishes in the sink are starting to pile up."

• "OLD" IS WHEN 
• Your sweetie says, "Let's go upstairs and make love," and you answer, "Pick one; I can't do both!"
• Friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you're barefoot
• A woman catches your eye and your pacemaker opens the garage door.
• Going braless pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.
• "Getting lucky" means you find your car in the parking lot.
  An "all nighter" means not getting up to use the bathroom.

• "OLD" IS WHEN 
• Your sweetie says, "Let's go upstairs and make love," and you answer, "Pick one; I can't do both!"
• Friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you're barefoot
• A woman catches your eye and your pacemaker opens the garage door.
• Going braless pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.
• "Getting lucky" means you find you car in the parking lot.
• An "all nighter" means not getting up to use the bathroom.

The costs of higher education keep rising, and so does student debt.

Cassie Murphy’ accepts a hefty scholarship offer from a public  university , thinking tuition will cost her about $400 each semester. But after school tuition increases over three years, the student has to pay almost four times as much in her final years and faces almost $15,000 in student loans upon graduation, a number she expected to be near zero.

Mounting expenses have countless students stressed about tuition, living expenses, getting good grades and finding a career that pays well, Some consider online classes or skipping a four-year degree altogether when they can’t pay the college sticker price, the survey of 3,000 found.

Student debt has more than tripled in the past two years from an average of $10,205 to $31,370, according to the TD Ameritrade study. Total student loan debt in the United States reached almost $1.5 trillion during the first quarter of 2019, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Almost 60% of Gen Zers plan to receive scholarships or grants, and 46% will work a summer job to cover tuition, according to the study. About 4 in 10 also plan to take out student loans, apply for financial aid and work at least one parttime job while in college.

Gen Zer s and millennials are also considering cost-effective pathways outside a four-year degree. Half are considering online classes, and one-third are considering community college before a four-year degree, according to the report.

About 20 percent of young people may opt out of college entirely.

Students draw from many sources including parents, loans, scholarships, grants, part-time work and their own savings accounts. 

TD Ameritrade’s Luber has suggestions for both parents and students to get ahead of student debt early on.

❚ Start saving early and regularly:

Luber suggests that parents start a 529 or similar college savings plan for their children as early as possible. For holidays, family members and friends can choose to send cash to save for collegerather than give a physical gift, as the impact will be more far-reaching.

“Even if it’s a small step today, take advantage of the collegesavings vehicles that are out there,” Luber said.

❚ Talk about debt before choosing a path after high school: Student debt can have substantial effects after monthly payments and interest rates are taken into account, Luber said. This can delay major adult milestones like buying a home, getting married or saving for retirement. Taking these factors into account may affect when and where students choose to attend college.

❚ Be ready for a trade-off: Not every family can afford to send its children to their dream college.

Even after scholarships, grants and savings are factored in, the numbers still might not add up, Luber said. Be prepared to have tough conversations about choosing a more affordable college, pursuing a two-year degree or working a part-time job to help cover costs.

“It’s a team effort between young people and their parents as they successfully prepare for college,” Luber said. “It’s really important to communicate and talk about your expectations.”

"SAY WHAT YOU MEAN, AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY."  

-- Alice in Wonderland

 "IF YOU HAVE AN IMPORTANT POINT TO MAKE, DON'T BE SUBTLE OR CLEVER. HIT THE POINT ONCE. THEN COME BACK AND HIT IT AGAIN. THEN HIT IT A THIRD TIME -- A TREMENDOUS WHACK ."

  -- Winston Churchill, British prime minister 

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Successful relationships at home, school and elsewhere require solid skills in speaking, writing, listening, reading, and questioning. 

Here are some suggestions 

• When you speak or write, make it as easy as possible for people to understand your message, goal or purpose. Keep sentences simple and limit your number of ideas in every one. That way, people are less likely to "read between the lines" or make assumptions which could be wrong.

• Stick to the point and be brief.  If you are careful, you can avoid repeating yourself and use of unnecessary sentences or words such as "for instance," "you see," "kind of," "literally," "basically," or "I mean."

• By using appropriate details and facts such as names, places and times, you can be more specific and create images of what you want to  communicate. 

• Proofread everything to avoid errors when you write.

• Try to be "logical" by connecting your points -- and be sure they are relevant to your main idea. 

• Seek to be friendly, open and honest with people -- by respecting their viewpoints and by being empathetic to their needs.