Apathy: the art of not knowing and not caring. This may not rank as an official definition, but it certainly capsulizes how many of us seniors are beginning to feel It may be a self delusional practice, but apathy is a growing phenomenon which seems to protect persons from the troublesome negatives of this time. Head in the sand behavior is often found to stave off all the garbage that swirls around us on any given day.

When, with friends recently, we recounted how we had been so absorbed by the last national election. We were caught up in the spirit of the thing, the call for change, the hope for something better, more health and vitality within the body politic. Then came the elections of 2010, and the hope that had been generated headed south, downhill, off the cliff. The courage and foresight that seemed to have been promised were now

It is not a natural assumption that because a family is a family peace will prevail. Most disagreements and divisions originate within families. Often over very petty, generational and power play issues, conflict comes on because of a loose word, a missed connection, a blown fuse. Keeping peace in the family is a priority of enormous importance. Because peace is a requisite to calm, serenity and harmony, without it patterns of behavior may be prompted which create the very opposite of the desirable.

It is quite easy for the presence of peace to be interrupted. It really doesn’t take much. Strong feelings, convictions that have been weighed in the balance and found wanting, posiitions on issues which spark sudden disagreements, outbursts,” this is how I feel (or believe) and that is final attitudes” can render the environment compromised to the point of silence and

During the time we lived in Omaha, my career included providing psychotherapy and counseling to couples having difficulty with their relationships. A lot of the focus in therapy was on helping them learn to communicate effectively. That kind of communication had to be based on mutual respect and affirmation for each other. I thought about this as I listened to President Obama’s words last night in Tucson, the memorial service on the University of Arizona campus.

I don’t know why we have such difficulty communicating with each other in this country. Husbands and wives, political opponents, church members, brothers and sisters. Estrangement is common-place. Communication is enabled hundreds of times over via the cell phone and Internet. Yet we cannot seem to talk with each other in civil ways that promote effective and productive relationships.

I don’t have the answers to those issues. But I do have some ideas about how to learn to communicate more effectively.