By Jean Mlincek
(Editor’s note.  This is the first column in a series explaining why the author was almost void of humor this past year.  You will find her restored sense of humor elsewhere in this newspaper.)  
I hit my “Stop -the-world-I-want-to-get-off” moment early in 2021.  Nothing seemed funny to me anymore, so I “retired” from writing humor for Senior Voice. It felt as if my soul had flat lined.
Our world is changing.  People are changing.  Norms are changing, and it isn’t pretty.  It is hard to believe, considering how the masses function today,  that man and woman are God’s highest creation. We alone are created in His likeness, His image.  We often forget that wonderfully astounding fact.
You look at people today and you know something has gone sideways. Too many people are rude, violent, selfish, unkind.  And so ignorant of the fact that they sabotage themselves, so needy that they compromise self-worth, so bent on power and “perfection” that they ruin the original work of God.  I hate what I see.
One thing that troubles me a lot is the rampant abuse of our own bodies.  It’s not just the internet ogres who are body shaming; we do it to ourselves, especially women.  The death of Lisa Marie Presley is a classic and tragic example.  She lost 50 lbs. in 6 weeks so she could “look good” at the Golden Globe Awards.  Dear God, she looked terrible:  frightfully pale.  eyelids half shut, steps precarious.  Was her attempt to “look good” a case of stupid vanity, or was she just another victim of our cultural demand that women must look beautiful 24/7?  Either verdict still is cause for an untimely and unnecessary death
I grew up hating my nose, my thighs, my big ears, my rounded shoulders, my inability to grasp left-brain tasks.  I wasn’t born with this self-hatred.  It came from the outside, one blow after another. Even now, I am still beating myself up because I fall short of “beautiful” per my culture, the  beauty industry, Hollywood, the Kardashians, and everyone else who dictates what beautiful looks like. I hate my body.  No, in reality, I  hate ME--the one graced with the image of God!   My body works hard for me, but I rarely sing praise about it. .  And I easily dismiss my true beauty--the twinkle in my hazel eyes, my soft hands, my creative mind, my nurturing spirit, my deep empathy.  Thanks to my body, I can walk, talk, touch, laugh, hug, pray, share kindness, encourage.
I never realized how brutal, how unforgiving I was of my own body until I read Jen Hatmaker’s wonderful book titled “Fierce, Free and Full of Fire; The Guide to Being Glorious You.”  Women in particular consider their bodies an “it.”  And we are unmerciful towards “it.” Hatmaker says we should address our bodies as “she” or “her”--because our body is us, not something we are forced to drag around.  She is so right.  My body IS glorious; “she” has served me well.  She deserves daily celebration.  I need to cut her a break.
I hate that we have been pummeled into self-loathing.  We need to find joy in being ourselves, in being accepted “as is”, in loving and being loved.  Unfortunately, our world has become too dark, too demanding to allow those rights. 
​
Next: The clowns in Congress.
Jean Mlincek is a free lance writer who resides in St. Petersburg, FL.
jean.mlincek@seniorvoiceamerica.org

https://www.seniorvoiceamerica.org/
​https://www.seniorvoiceamerica.org/featured/category/jean-mlincek

In one year alone, seniors lost over $3 billion to scammers, and it’s gotten worse every year. The 60-69 age group was bad enough, but the dollar losses rose even more after age 70, and much more after age 80.
​
Why are we targeted?
The thieves believe two things about us: We’re all rich and have great credit, having worked our whole lives, and, worst of all, that we won’t tell anyone if we lose money to them. Those two things alone make us constant targets.

All scammers have to do to turn us into victims, according to a study by Stanford and AARP, is raise our emotions. Whether happiness or anger, it doesn’t matter, because either will push us to hand over our information or our money.

For example, scammers will say we’ve won a big prize, like the lottery, but to claim that prize we need to send them processing fees in advance. We think about that prize and our good sense goes out the window.

Emotions come into play when a scammer calls pretending to be a grandchild in trouble. We’re asked to send money right away. We’re upset, and we do. But the emotional pleas for money don’t end there. Romance scams are huge, and too many lonely seniors send cash to their new love without questioning it.
​
Scammers who pretend to be from the government, such as the IRS, who frighten us into paying money, raise our emotions as well.

The list of scams directed at the elderly is nearly endless: investments, lottery wins, IRS tax bills, low-cost prescriptions, charities, tech repair, cemetery debts, romance, reverse mortgage, help signing up for Medi-care, auto warranties ...
Beware. If you allow yourself to be scammed once, they will be back, because you’ll be on a list of people who can be fooled.
© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
https://www.seniorvoiceamerica.org/featured/why-are-seniors-targeted-for-scams
https://www.seniorvoiceamerica.org   813-693-5511​​

Grandma’s Kitchen Table
  by Pam McAloon   
    During my lifetime I have had many interesting discussions with my parents, teachers, and others in authority who instilled good values that will never be forgotten. I had the fortuitous opportunity to live with my grandparents for 6 months and attending 2nd grade. My parents and sister were getting settled in another state as my dad had been transferred to Nebraska. We were a military family. I had already started school in Tampa and begged my parents to let me stay, which they did.

DEAR PAW'S CORNER: What is the value of training dogs using a clicker? I have tried using a clicker to train my dog Atlas, but he didn't listen very well. When should I click at him -- when he's misbehaving? Or when he's doing something right? And how can he tell? -- John H., Springfield, Massachusetts
DEAR JOHN: Clicker training, or "mark and reward" training, can seem almost magical in terms of how quickly and enthusiastically a dog learns. But that magic only happens when it's being done correctly.
Basically, you press the clicker device when your dog does precisely the thing that you are trying to train him to do. And you follow up immediately (like, within a second) with a reward -- usually a little bit of a treat. So, here's how it is done:
-- Decide on one behavior that you want your dog to learn in your training session. Start with a basic behavior, like "sit," "come here," "lie down" or "give paw."
-- Give Atlas the command. If he doesn't follow the command, don't click. 
-- As soon as he follows the command, click once and give him a little treat.
-- Repeat the process again and again until he follows the command immediately.
By associating the clicker noise with a command and a reward, Atlas will quickly build a positive association with the command. This works for many types of training, from basic obedience to agility to job-specific commands. But you start with just one command at a time.
Also, consider working with a trainer, either one on one or in a group training setting. You'll pick up many training skills quickly. It's worth the investment. Send your tips, comments or questions to 
ask@pawscorner.com.(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.