Dodgers swept by Giants, sink to third in the West

• June 19, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― The Dodgers went into the weekend with the third-best record in the National League. They ended it with the third-best record in their own division.

In between, they suffered an embarrassing three-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. Sunday’s 7-3 loss before an announced crowd of 52,307 at Dodger Stadium marked a new low on a few fronts.

The Dodgers (39-33) have fallen from first place to third in the National League West in the span of two weeks. Their 4-game deficit behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks (43-28) is their largest of the season.

The Giants (39-32) secured their first sweep at Dodger Stadium in a series of three or more games since August 20-22, 2012.

“It’s not the ideal situation right now,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “It’s hard to even put into words. Every day we come in with the right attitude. … And every day it’s another loss right now. It’s one of these trying points in the season where you have to grind, keep coming every single day to show up, and expect to win. Our team is way too good to go through this stretch.”

Friday’s 11-inning loss was a close game. The Dodgers’ 15-0 loss Saturday was not. Sunday’s game was the worst start of Tony Gonsolin’s career.

The right-hander was granted six days of rest between his two previous starts because of a vague soreness he felt after pitching against the Cincinnati Reds on June 6. It helped. Gonsolin threw six shutout innings against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Manager Dave Roberts said Gonsolin was not “out of the woods” after experiencing similar soreness following that game. Because their bullpen had thrown more than 14 innings over the previous three games, a bullpen game was not an option Sunday. And rather than recall a pitcher from the minor leagues and start Gonsolin on Tuesday in Anaheim, the Dodgers trusted the ball to Gonsolin on regular rest.

For three innings, that looked like the wise choice. Despite subpar velocity ― his fastball was sitting 90-91 mph in the first inning, less than his season average of 92.3 ― Gonsolin held the Giants without a hit until the fourth inning. Quickly, a sacrifice fly by Thairo Estrada and an RBI single by Mike Yastrzemski put the Dodgers in a 2-0 hole.

In the bottom of the fourth, David Peralta walked, went to second base on a JD Martinez single, and scored on a James Outman single to bring the Dodgers within 2-1. The two teams traded runs in the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, the wheels fell off.

Gonsolin walked Estrada, who stole second base. Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts made an outstanding stop on a ground ball to his left and threw Estrada out at third base. But Gonsolin allowed back-to-back doubles by Yastrzemski and Luis Matos, before Matos scored on a Blake Sabol single.

Gonsolin struck out Casey Schmitt on a 93.5 mph fastball ― ironically, his fastest pitch of the game. It was also his last. Victor Gonzalez took over and allowed another run before the inning ended. The Giants’ seventh run was charged to Gonsolin’s ledger. He had never allowed more than six runs in a major league start.

“My execution just really suffered after that third inning,” Gonsolin said. “Balls were left up in the zone, they got some soft hits that fell down, and some hard hits that also fell. Overall the execution wasn’t there.”

The Dodgers made the game interesting in the end. They loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth against Giants pitcher Scott Alexander, who was then removed with hamstring tightness.

That prompted Giants manager Gabe Kapler to summon his closer, Camilo Doval. Will Smith took Doval’s first pitch off his left arm, forcing in Jonny DeLuca with the Dodgers’ third run. Doval came back to strike out Peralta and retire Martinez on a flyout to right field to end the game.

Smith, Peralta and James Outman each had two of the Dodgers’ nine hits. The Dodgers out-hit the Giants, 9 to 8, but repeatedly failed to execute in important situations. They went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. One runner was thrown out at home on a routine ground ball to second base.

The Dodgers are 5-10 in June, losing four games in the standings in the process.

“If you look back at this two-week stretch, there’s a lot of things we’re not doing well,” Roberts said. “We’re not playing clean baseball, fundamental baseball. I think it’s going back to, not just trying to win, but focus on the little things: catching the baseball, minimize walks, throwing to the right base, not getting thrown out on the bases . Executing a pickoff play ― those are the things that are coming back to haunt us. Typically we’re much better at that.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita ‘might look at’ adding synthetic surface, GM says

• June 19, 2023

ARCADIA — The debate is on after 12 horses died at Churchill Downs in a six-week span this spring. Bring back synthetic tracks or stick with the traditional dirt surfaces?

According to Santa Anita senior vice president and general manager Nate Newby, Santa Anita officials are always looking at options to improve the product but there are no plans to convert to an artificial surface anytime soon.

“Our dirt track has been very safe, but it’s something we’ll always look at,” Newby said as Santa Anita concluded its 28-day Hollywood Meet and its nearly six-month combined season on Sunday. “Obviously, one of our focuses the last couple of years has been on turf racing. Those fields are bigger and they’re popular at the (betting) windows, driving more handle.

“We’re looking at a couple of ideas to really focus on turf racing, and I think having a synthetic track, even as a training track, is something we might look at to just give the guys some extra options for training and help recruit some more turf horses from around the country and internationally as well.”

Santa Anita faced some challenges this year, most notably caused by Mother Nature. Newby said from December to this past storm, the track was hit by close to 40 inches of rain, causing eight cancellations, some of which were not made up.

“At least the last 15 years that’s the most rain (we’ve had),” Newby said. “When you lose a weekend (day) and replace it with a weekday or a Monday, it’s not apples to apples. You just get back as much as you can. It’s almost like (only) a half day back.”

The wet weather means the track will be flat compared to last year in average daily handle and a bit down in overall handle, Newby said.

“We had to make some adjustments,” he said. “It’s a different set of rules we play by now. Safety is our top priority so sometimes shifting days and canceling cards (is necessary). There’s a cost to that. But Santa Anita Derby day was really strong, so we’ve had some highlights as well. It was kind of a mix of ups and downs this season.”

The pluses included a record opening day, highlighted by the biggest on-track crowd (41,446) in seven years and a record betting handle. Santa Anita Derby day was also a big success.

Field size was included among the minuses. Through last weekend, Santa Anita averaged 7.2 horses per race, up slightly over last year’s 7.1.

“That’s definitely one of the things we’re focused on, trying to improve, and how to recruit more horses and barns to come to California,” Newby said. “We’re working with the Del Mar team to jointly recruit to California together. With it being a Breeders’ Cup year (at Santa Anita), we think that’s a really good opportunity. Obviously, the focus later in the year will be on Santa Anita, and that helps in recruitment as well.”

On-track attendance was capped when Del Mar hosted its two Breeders’ Cups. Santa Anita has never capped attendance when it has hosted the event — a record 10 times — but Newby said no decision has been made yet about this year’s event on Nov. 3-4.

“The Breeders’ Cup folks are coming out next month for more meetings and we’re going to look at how ticket sales are tracking,” Newby said. “A lot of it just depends on what we end up doing in the infield. Tickets are selling really well, especially the premium stuff.”

PLANETARIO WINS

Planetario gave Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella his second victory in the $100,000 Grade III turf marathon, 30 years after 1993 Horse of the Year Kotashaan won the 1-3/4-mile race.

The 5-year-old Brazilian-bred won by 4 1/2 lengths under Hector Berrios, running the distance in 2:48.08 as the 5-2 second choice. Even-money favorite Offlee Naughty finished second, a nose in front of 21-1 longshot Rimprotector, but was no match for the winner.

Once one of the premier turf races in the nation, the San Juan has been downgraded from a Grade I to a Grade III stakes over the years. It once attracted some of the top turf horses in the country, but those days are gone.

“This is what racing should be about,” Mandella said. “Thoroughbred racing should be something like this, and to not push this race and not build it up bigger is a mistake in my mind.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers’ Julio Urías and Daniel Hudson set target for return

• June 18, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― The light at the end of the tunnel for the Dodgers’ beleaguered pitching staff is getting closer, and now they can circle it on the calendar. Julio Urías and Daniel Hudson are set to rejoin the team during its three-game series in Kansas City from June 30 to July 2, manager Dave Roberts said Sunday.

Urías, 5-4 with a 4.39 ERA, has been on the injured list since May 20 with a left hamstring strain. The Dodgers have struggled during his absence, posting a 5.60 ERA ― 29th in MLB ― entering Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.

Roberts said Urías will throw live batting practice Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, then make a minor league rehab start before rejoining the active roster.

Hudson hasn’t appeared in a major league game since March 2022 while recovering from surgery on his left knee. Before undergoing the season-ending procedure on his anterior cruciate ligament, Hudson was among the Dodgers’ most reliable relief pitchers.

The 36-year-old right-hander recently began a minor league rehabilitation assignment. He has made five scoreless appearances for the Dodgers’ Arizona Complex League team, and is expected to transfer his rehab to Triple-A Oklahoma City no sooner than Tuesday.

SYNDERGAARD UPDATE

Noah Syndergaard resumed throwing from flat ground Sunday. The right-hander went on the 15-day injured list with a finger blister June 8. There is no timetable for his return.

In 12 starts prior to the injury, Syndergaard was 1-4 with a 7.16 ERA. The Dodgers’ bullpen has struggled arguably as much as its rotation in recent weeks. Their 5.11 ERA (through Saturday) is 29th in MLB.

Last year, Syndergaard made three relief appearances for the Philadelphia Phillies between September and October, but the Dodgers have no intention at the moment of bringing him back as a relief pitcher.

“I don’t see that happening,” Roberts said. “I know last year in Philadelphia he pitched in the ’pen a little bit. For us, get him back, ramp him up, and see where we’re at as far as a starter.”

The Dodgers signed Syndergaard to a one-year, $13 million contract in December.

ALSO

Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to start for the Dodgers on Tuesday in Anaheim, where he will be opposed by the Angels’ Reid Detmers. … Roberts does not know who will start Wednesday, with the possibility of a bullpen game likely since the Dodgers have off-days Monday and Thursday. Shohei Ohtani will start for the Angels. … Infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor (knee) was unavailable Sunday as he recovers from a cortisone shot. He will be re-evaluated Tuesday.

UP NEXT

The Dodgers have an off-day Monday.

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​ Orange County Register 

Laguna Woods honors ‘Greatest Generation’ of veterans

• June 18, 2023

Michael Brigandi was 18, not long out of high school, when he was drafted into the Army in February 1944.

Four months later, he found himself in England, waiting for transport to Utah Beach in Normandy. That wait took four days, for reasons unknown to him.

“When you’re 18 or 19 years old, all you’re worried about is getting back home,”  he said.

Brigandi was with the 234th Engineer Combat Battalion, whose mission was to build bridges and roads, dig foxholes and “anything else that needed to be done” after the Allied invasion of Western Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944, during World War II.

“The first bridge we built we were under mortar fire by the Germans,” he recalled. “But they got taken care of by our artillery.”

Brigandi survived, he said, because his company followed the 2nd Armored Division inland.

“We didn’t see anybody around anywhere,” he said. “The tank guys cleared the way for us.”

Eddie Hoffman also survived the war, but he came face-to-face with the horrors of Auschwitz: At age 14, he watched, he said, as his entire family perished in the Nazi concentration camp in Poland.

The Nazis then shipped Hoffman to camps around Europe. In May 1945, he was at a camp in Austria when it was liberated by Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army.

As a young man, Hoffman emigrated to America and was drafted into the U.S. military – the 3rd Army. He served in Korea and Japan.

“I loved the Army and felt allegiance to the country and the 3rd Army that liberated and gave me a new life,” he said.

Brigandi, Hoffman and nine other Laguna Woods residents and members of the “Greatest Generation” of veterans were honored at an American Legion Post 257 dinner meeting May 25 in Clubhouse 1.

The meeting started off on a solemn note after Commander Dennis Powell welcomed those in attendance – the veterans, Legionnaires, and members of the American Legion 257 Auxiliary, female family members of Legion veterans.

Pat Burr, president of the Auxiliary, gave the bugle call “To the Colors,” honoring the nation, and Chaplain Alan Clark presented the opening prayer.

Burr then led the POW/MIA ceremony in front of a Missing Man Table set up inside the clubhouse.

It is a small round table laden with symbolism: a single red rose as a reminder of the missing and their loved ones who keep the faith, a lemon slice for the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land, a pinch of salt for the tears of the missing and their families, an inverted glass showing the inability of those missing to share in the toast, an empty chair at the table, and more.

The mood in the room changed after dinner, when each veteran was introduced and asked to share their most vivid memory of the war. A sense of reverence prevailed as guests listened to the 10 men and one woman who endured the war, lived to talk about it and are still alive even as the number of World War II veterans rapidly dwindles.

But it was clear that many of the veterans didn’t take themselves quite as seriously as the guests did. Laughter broke out as the vets shared humorous memories, often poked in the ribs by their wives, prodded to “tell them about the time you …”

Gilbert Rowland was in the Army Air Corps. Since he was a teenager, he said, he was “nutty about learning how to fly.” He finally got to do it at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.

Rowland told the story about having quite a bumpy landing. In fact, his biplane bumped down on the ground several times. When he was finally able to bring the plane to a stop, his superior told him, “You only get credit for one landing.”

Jerry Schur enlisted in the Navy in 1944 at age 17 and was promptly sent to college for one year in Wisconsin to learn how to fix radars. But when he was done, two things happened in rapid succession, he recalled: FDR died (April 12, 1945) and Germany surrendered (May 7, 1945).

Schur was on only one ship, he said: He took a tour of his brother’s vessel when it was docked in San Francisco.

Joe Toifel also was in the Navy and also got in at the tail end of the war, he said, in time to “decommission a couple ships.” But he recalled that in high school he worked on making .50-caliber machine gun bullets that were used in the war.

Roland Davis recalled his Army career as being “like having an office job in Hawaii.” He graduated from high school in 1944 and got into a college program for engineers at Camp Roberts, near San Luis Obispo, before being shipped off to Hawaii.

“If I learned anything, I did learn to type in high school,” he said, so the military put him in an anti-aircraft office.

Davis didn’t see combat, but he did a lot of training, he said. His most vivid memory is of training on Oahu in a stream with water up to his neck and holding his rifle above his head.

Charles Luce joined the Army Air Corps at 18 and was sent to gunnery school in Greensboro, North Carolina. He recalled being “small enough to fit in the belly of a B-17 – even though you’re not supposed to be in the belly for landing.”

Because he had lost the eardrum in his right ear, he was sent to England for radar school and eventually learned computer programming.

Lillian Davis, 101, was the only female World War II veteran in attendance. She had a more sobering memory to share.

She joined the Army at age 21, was trained in physical therapy, and spent the bulk of her military career helping service members who were wounded in the war – first amputees, then those who had brain injuries.

Also among the veterans were Charlie Claxton, who served in the Navy in the North Atlantic and the Pacific, and Elmer Shapiro, 102, who served in the Army.

Don Goldberg was called into the Navy in 1944 at age 17. He spoke about his father, who fought in World War I and was wounded in combat.

Goldberg himself served on two destroyers in the North Atlantic.

“I was never shot at,” he said, “and I never shot at anybody else.”

​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ Brandon Drury has his father to thank for career turnaround

• June 18, 2023

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s fitting that Brandon Drury reached Father’s Day playing his best baseball of the season, because he said he owes his father for helping to turn around his career.

Drury had hit .205 with a .600 OPS over three straight years from 2018-20, seasons that he now calls “awful.”

That’s when Drury went to his father, who is not a coach but had been his coach, and rebuilt his swing, back to what it had been before he made some ill-advised changes.

“I scratched all that launch angle stuff and went back to my dad,” Drury said on Sunday. “Let’s just do whatever we have to do to get back to being a good hitter again.”

Drury, who was with the Toronto Blue Jays for much of those lean years, said he didn’t even care about power.

“I just wanted to be a solid player and help the team win,” he said.

In 2021, with the New York Mets, Drury had a .783 OPS, and he improved on that last season, hitting 28 homers with an .813 OPS with the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres.

After Drury, 30, signed a two-year, $17-million deal with the Angels this season, he has hit 12 homers with an .809 OPS.

Drury slumped for the first three weeks of the season, but since then he has produced a .934 OPS over his last 45 games. This weekend in Kansas City, he he hit three homers and drove in five runs in the first two games. The Angels now have him hitting cleanup, behind Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

“He’s been huge,” manager Phil Nevin said. “Bargainwise, find me a better free-agent pickup so far. He’s gotta be in the talk to maybe play in that game (the All-Star Game) in July, with the company he’s in. He’s been fantastic for us. He’s meant a lot to that group. He’s been a big part of that room.”

Drury said he still talks to his dad regularly to help keep his swing where he wants it.

“He’s my coach,” Drury said. “He watches all my at-bats. We talk a lot about the game and what he sees. He’s seen me at my best and my worst so I really lean on him.”

SCHEDULE BREAK

Nevin said he has been focused all season on getting to this point in schedule in a good position, because this is the beginning of a much more friendly stretch.

No team in baseball has played on more days than the Angels. (The Tampa Bay Rays have played one more game, but they had a doubleheader.) The Angels have also had two trips that took them to the East Coast so far.

This week the Angels have two off days around a two-game series against the Dodgers. They have a three-game trip to Colorado next weekend, and then they don’t leave California or get on a plane until after their July 23 game. Their only road games are in San Diego and at Dodger Stadium.

The Angels have only three more weeks without an off day.

“If we’re .500 or a little better after the way this has gone, we’re in a good position regardless of who’s in front of us because the schedule does lighten up for us for the next month and a half,” said Nevin, whose team came into Sunday’s game with a 40-33 record.

Nevin reiterated that he’s not referring to the quality of the opponents, but to the travel and frequency of off days.

“I’m not complaining,” Nevin said. “Our travel’s easy. We have nice planes. We get nice hotels. But at the end of the day on your body, the clock and everything, it does take its toll. It’s never anything we use as an excuse. I’m just saying after today I feel like for the next month we’re in a good position.”

ROTATION UPDATE

The Angels had planned to give Reid Detmers and their other starers some extra time off after their last turns, but they changed plans after seeing how Detmers pitched against the Texas Rangers earlier this week.

Detmers will now start on Tuesday against the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw, followed by Ohtani on Wednesday. That leaves Patrick Sandoval, Griffin Canning and Tyler Anderson to work next weekend in Colorado.

The Angels will not need No. 6 starter Jaime Barría until June 28, so he is available in the bullpen in the meantime.

NOTES

Left-hander Matt Moore threw a bullpen session on Sunday, and Nevin said “he threw the ball great.” If he continues to progress well, he could be back by the end of the month. …

Mike Trout and Ohtani homered in the same game for the 28th time, which tied Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson for the second most of any duo in Angels history. Trout and Albert Pujols (48 times) hold the club record. …

Outfielder Hunter Renfroe has impressed Nevin in a couple days of workouts at first base. “Of all the guys that I took over there to kind of introduce to the position since I’ve been here, I think he’s the one that looks more the part than anyone,” Nevin said. Although Taylor Ward played first in an emergency earlier this week, Nevin said “I don’t think Taylor really feels comfortable there.” Renfroe could get some opportunities at first because Jared Walsh is struggling and Gio Urshela is injured. …

Infielder David Fletcher returned to the lineup with Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday. Fletcher had been on bereavement leave.

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP Reid Detmers, 1-5, 4.48) vs. Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 8-4, 2.95), Tuesday, 7:07 p.m., Angel Stadium, Bally Sports West,  830 AM.

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​ Orange County Register 

Gov. Newsom and the state’s prison guard union

• June 18, 2023

For years, the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom have signed off on lucrative and unjustified contracts for the state prison guard union, despite warnings from the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office that legally required compensation studies were not being conducted. Now, the Newsom administration is pulling a fast one on California taxpayers with a flawed study to justify big giveaways to the prison guard union.

In 2019, while analyzing a proposed contract to give raises to the prison guard union, the LAO advised the Legislature that there was “no evident justification for proposed salary increase.”

Partly, that’s because the state failed to provide a legally required compensation study comparing prison guard union pay to comparable public and private employees for the Legislature to consider.

The last time such a report was produced, in 2015, using 2013 data, the LAO noted, the report found that California’s prison guards “received total compensation that was 40 percent higher than their local government counterparts.”

The Legislature ignored these warnings.

In 2021, coincidentally around the time of Gov. Newsom’s recall (in which the prison guard union dumped millions to defend him), the Legislature was again reminded of the need for a compensation study.

Again, the Legislature ignored the warnings from the LAO and  overwhelmingly approved a lucrative new contract for the prison guard union.

In January 2022, good government group Govern for California released its own compensation study for the California prison guard union.

Their conclusion?

“Using statistical methods to control for differences in education, experience, and other demographic factors, California correctional officer wages are about 55 percent higher than national average correctional officer wages (including California in the average) and 57 percent higher than other states,” they found.

California’s prison guards also benefit from generous pension and retiree healthcare benefits, which exceed national norms.

This is overall consistent with the state’s compensation study using 2013 data.

And yet, in April of this year, the state finally generated a compensation study, which compared prison guard pay to the pay of deputy sheriffs in counties like Los Angeles and Orange. As you might expect, deputy sheriffs make more than prison guards, giving the prison guard union ammunition and the Legislature cover, if they take it, to give the prison guard union lavish raises.

What happened here?

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Well, as the LAO last month, the Newsom administration decided to use a different methodology from past compensation studies. “This methodology was crafted through negotiations between the administration and the union,” the LAO notes.

In a statement to this editorial board, Govern for California criticized the study, calling it “wholly inadequate because it compares unequal occupations.”

Govern for California has called on the California Legislature “to hold the line in the next contract, which will come into effect upon the expiration of the current contract on July 2” of this year.

We echo this call from Govern for California.

The California Legislature must not fall for the cynical games played by Gov. Newsom and the prison guard union.

​ Orange County Register 

Successful Aging: More fresh perspectives on longevity

• June 18, 2023

Last week, we presented some new perspectives on longevity based on the work of Laura Carstensen, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity.  

Carsten and her colleagues developed something called the New Map of Life that encourages us to make a “mind shift” in how we think about longevity. Its goal is to offer a new narrative of an aging society, from the crisis narrative of the “gray tsunami” to defining actionable steps that enhance the quality of longer lives. It envisions engineering an entire life course with at least 30 more years of vitality and engagement.

This new map of life is guided by 10 principles. We described the first five last week.  Here are the remaining ones. 

Learning throughout a lifetime: Getting a formal education prior to our working years was considered a one-time event before starting a lifetime job. That’s not the case today – or for those five-year-olds who will live to be age 100. The new map of life suggests we no longer will be front-loading education. Rather, the authors envision options for learning outside traditional formal education available to people of all ages and life stages so they can acquire the education they need. That learning experience will align with their individual needs, interests, abilities, schedules and budgets and will spread out through the life course. 

Working more years with more flexibility: The New Map of Life predicts that within the 100-year life, we can expect to work 60 years. However, that may not be within the traditional 40-hour workweek. What is more likely is people will move in and out of the workplace, working from home periodically, taking paid and unpaid leaves for caregiving, education, health needs and other transitions that we cannot even predict at this time. 

Starting early on financial security: Living to age 100 requires new opportunities and pathways to work, save and retire. The financial challenges of the 100-year life take into consideration today’s financial age-related challenges. Currently, more than half of Americans have little or no retirement savings. And we know that without Medicare and Society Security, one-third of older adults would live below the poverty line. The New Map of Life wants to create more opportunities to build financial security with an understanding of the social and economic trends and the upcoming realities. 

Building longevity-ready communities: Where we live matters. Our physical environment affects longevity and the quality of life beginning before birth.  The environmental opportunities and assets will determine the likelihood that “individuals will be physically active, whether they will be socially isolated or engaged and how likely they will develop obesity, respiratory, cardiovascular or neurodegenerative diseases.” The advantages and disadvantages accumulate over the life course.  

Creating age-diverse communities is good for societies and the bottom line. The combination of the “olders” and “youngers” is a net gain; both contribute in different ways. Older people typically have the emotional intelligence, experience and wisdom from years of living that create new possibilities for families, communities and workplaces that have not previously existed. Younger people contribute speed, strength and zest for discovery according to the report. Today, we know that a multigenerational workforce drives innovation, problem-solving, productivity and more. The “changing mindset” is not to dwell on the costs of aging but rather reap the rewards of an age-diverse society.   

Creating the needed change to maximize these 30 years is the big question. It is not the responsibility of any one entity.  According to the report, building this new extended life is a shared responsibility among the government, the private sector, employers, healthcare providers and insurance companies. It will require the best ideas from the private sector, government, medicine, academia and medicine. The report says it is not enough to just think or reimagine this life. What’s important is to build and “build it fast.” The future of those five-year-olds is in our hands; it will require new policies, investments and a positive mindset to make the most of those 30 bonus years.  

Let’s consider what we can do today in our communities, with family and friends to take advantage of the bonus years we currently are experiencing. Policies and programs count.  However, it all begins with a belief that change for the good is possible and that we have a role to play, as family members, volunteers, elected officials, educators, voters and more. We all have the potential to be influencers and agents of change.  Small changes add up.     

Let’s all live long and well.  And let’s spread those random acts of kindness. 

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at [email protected].  Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity

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Senior Moments: Giving myself a gift to cherish this Father’s Day

• June 18, 2023

The lavender dress was hanging on a window latch in my girlhood bedroom. 

I inherited the room upon the unexpected arrival of my little brother eight years after I was born. A small converted den, the room had French doors that opened into the living room.

Absent a closet, I sometimes hung my clothes on the latches of the open-in casement windows.

I had hung my new lavender chiffon dress there on the morning of my friend’s Bar Mitzvah. The evening party was to be a fancy affair. Because he was the son of a family friend, I was attending with my parents.

As I stood there, admiring my new dress with the smocked bodice that fell into a softly pleated skirt, there was a knock at the front door which was next to my room.

I never remember that first house we lived in having a doorbell. Visitors always knocked. 

I opened the door to an older gentleman who said he had a delivery for a Miss Patty Bunin. Wide-eyed, I took the small box he handed me and sat down on the living room sofa to open it. My mother appeared just as I lifted the corsage from its box. Next to it was a small envelope with a note inside.

“I wanted to be the first man to give you flowers. Love, Daddy.”

Stunned, I held up what looked like a bracelet with tiny purple orchids attached to it. I looked quizzically at my mother.

“It’s a wrist corsage,” Mom said, “for you to wear to the party tonight.” 

I had mixed feelings about my father. I loved him, but I didn’t really like the person he was. 

By the time he got home from work, I had on my new dress and was wearing the flower bracelet on my wrist, feeling very grown up for a 12-year-old. My father smiled when he saw it and I gave him a careful hug so as not to smush the orchids. 

His gift set a standard that I realized years later. When I was going to prom and my date brought me a corsage, I remember feeling disappointed that it wasn’t an orchid.

That story came back to me today when I saw the orchid displays in the market.

My dad and I were at odds on many issues. Most of the time I didn’t even bother to argue with him. But I spent a lot of time resenting him. Looking back, I realize that I erected a wall that did not allow in any good traits he might have had.

One of my gifts of growing older has been recognizing the possibility of softening hardened feelings. This year on Father’s Day I am continuing a tradition I started last year — I’m giving myself the present of allowing some good memories of my father. 

I might even buy myself a tiny orchid.

Email [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @patriciabunin and at patriciabunin.com.

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