Retiring Retirement

Retiring Retirement Pandemic connections

This is the first in a two-part series. room. Admittedly, Fast went Making wise choices doesn’t stop for the mature person and nowhere has this been more accentuated than in the past year. through a learning curve. But techniques, such as configuring the size of his head on the screen so that it’s similar to real life and peering into the camera’s eye instead of looking down at the computer screen, helped bring it

Psychologist Brian “home.” Fast, 66, of Delmar’s CCAHope faced these challenges head-on and borrowed from his experiences to promote growth in his patients. by Robert LaCosta One of the great senior citizen pandemic fronts was technology. Many elders had rarely used Zoom and social media platforms. For example, he was skeptical about telehealth until he realized that emotions and tears and growth flow because of his relationships with his clients – not simply because he was physically in the same “If you opt out of technology,” Fast said, “you could be accepting isolation. And what is a worse punishment than solitary confinement? You can make a good choice many times a week to go to a dinner Over the past year, Psychologist Brian Fast, 66, has used technology to connect with his patients and his grandchildren, pictured at left.

at a family member’s house or to emotionally risk inviting someone to share mealtime together through Zoom.”

Fast points to a classic contrast that people in New York City can be isolated while folks in the country can be more connected than ever before. It’s all about daily decisions.

“Intimacy is emotional or spiritual or physical closeness with another person,” said Fast. “And it occurs as much – or as little – in virtual settings as it does in ordinary in-person life. There is always risk in drawing close or allowing someone close to us. So we typically avoid it and opt for pseudo-intimate interaction that feel less risky but are also less satisfying. We can Continued on Page 17

from all of us at: NowFamily GENERATIONS TOGETHER CAPITAL DISTRICT

Clues Across

1. Isodor __, American Nobel physicist 5. One a day keeps the doctor away 10. Extents 12. Noticing 14. Scriptural 16. Star Trek character Laren 18. “The Crow” actress __ Ling 19. Not good 20. Measures gold 22. TV network 23. Wasting 25. Money in Ghana 26. Young girls’ association 27. Title of respect 28. High schoolers take this test 30. Crunches federal numbers 31. Wild or sweet cherry 33. Celestial bodies 35. Fruit of the oak tree 37. Royal Navy ship during WWII 38. Of cherished symbols 40. Satisfy 41. 5th. day (abbr.) 42. Swiss river 44. Royal Albert Hall (abbr.) 45. Cool! 48. Flat metal shelves 50. Enclosed 52. A way to pass 53. City in Iraq 55. Printing speed measurement 56. Twitch 57. Indicates position 58. Made lawful 63. Took down 65. A way to travel on skis 66. North winds 67. Tunisian metropolis Puzzle Answers on Page 18 Clues Down

1. Seafood 2. Incan god of mountains 3. Ritzy LA neighborhood __ Air 4. Line that connect points of equal pressure 5. Audience-only remarks 6. Chest muscle (slang) 7. Pointed top 8. Lavender 9. Linear unit 10. Knifes 11. 2016 World Series champs 13. A way to arrange 15. Talk 17. Serving no purpose 18. Container 21. Breathes new life into 23. Beloved dog Rin Tin __ 24. A bag-like structure in a plant or animal 27. Yemen capital 29. Sacred book of Judaism 32. Make a mistake 34. Wrestlers wrestle here 35. Respiratory issue 36. In league 39. Resinous insect secretion 40. Unhappy 43. Turbulent area of a river 44. Neglectful 46. Sours 47. Calendar month (abbr.) 49. Grooves 51. Sony Pictures Television 54. Monetary units 59. Command right 60. 1,000 cubic feet 61. Expression of triumph 62. Dinner jacket 64. The first two

CRYPTO FUN

Solve the code to discover words related to BASKETBALL.

Each number corresponds to a letter. (Hint: 24 = o)

WORD SEARCH Courtside

BASKETBALL OFFENSE ASSIST

HOOPS TEAM MADNESS

BUZZER INTERCEPTION GOAL REBOUND LEAGUE MARCH

BRACKET BOUNCE CHAMPIONSHIP

DEFENSE TOURNAMENT COACH

n Learning Center

continued from Page 4

and provide useful information.

Stay in touch with your child’s teachers and counselor.

Keep an open line of communication with your child’s teacher. Explore other resources offered by the school, such as tutors, homework centers, classes outside the normal school day or online subject support.

The link between home and school is vital. Your school’s counselor can request periodic progress reports between grading periods, and set up conferences with teachers, parents and students when necessary.

Evaluate home and school routines.

Creating set routines for homework, study time, bedtime, family time and curfews are a great way to keep everyone in check, but it’s OK to monitor and adjust if you realize a child needs more time for something and less for something else. And, we could all use more sleep, so maybe earlier bedtimes would help with focus and mood.

Get help immediately if you see a problem.

Don’t fall prey to your child’s promise to do better. Kids may not be able to correct certain issues without help from the adults in their life. For students learning virtually especially, many of the usual sources of help may not be available or as useful as they were in years past. Hoping things improve on their own is a mistake – action must be taken before a minor struggle with foundational work today leads to an inability to master more complex skills that will be taught later on.

Patrick McNamara is the owner and executive director at Sylvan Learning of Albany and Clifton Park. For more information, visit SylvanLearning.com.

n Patriot Remembers

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history. I umpired for 25 years and did many games in the Albany Twilight League which is, some say, the oldest semi pro baseball leagues in the country. It is 91 years old in 2021, and hopefully the pandemic will not stop the 2021 season as it did in 2020. The league had many players advancing to the minors. However, there are five players I umpired who made it to MLB.

With the help of the Twilight League Veteran’s Club, the Schenectady Old Times Club, the Twilight League Officers, Historian Dick Barrett and other contacts, I hope to track down these players. In my baseball book “Where Are They Now” of old ball players, I have a story about a former MLB and Twilight League player I spoke to last spring. I intend to feature him and others in future articles over the baseball season. Please help with this venture by contacting me at (518) 439-9265 or e-mail fomservice@aol.com.

The author is a Capital District resident and freelance writer and guest speaker.

n Retiring Retirement

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go there if we want to, online or in the same room. And we feel more connected when we do.”

He and his wife, Jean, have been practicing what they preach. They’ve grown closer to their grandchildren virtually leading them through Sunday School lessons and zooming through books.

Ironically, Fast has found he can take his own advice from the comfort of his own counselor’s couch… at home, of course.

The author’s books, blogs and music are available at robertlacosta.com.

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