At the risk of dating my young self, take a minute to roll your thoughts back to the Charles M. Schulz’ beloved Peanuts cartoon – specifically, Lucy in her advice guru roll.
For a nickel, from her makeshift Psychiatric Help booth, she’d dish out horrible (and horribly funny) advice and then end it with the verbal, sarcastic punctuation, “Five cents please.”
For decades, twin sisters Ann Landers and Abigail (Dear Abby) Van Buren dished out unabashed advice about every topic imaginable: working mothers, Viagra, gun control, the Vietnam war, marriage, divorce, drug abuse, love, loyalty.. the list goes on.
The Washington Post has Carolyn Hax. The New York Times offers Well-Mannered, “Wedding etiquette advice from Peggy Post” and Social Q’s, “lighthearted advice about awkward social situations.” Slate features Mallory Ortberg’s wisdom in Dear Prudence (in a variety of formats), and now….
Carroll Magazine unveils Go Ask Gale, an advice column authored by Gale Davidson.*
Gale has the life experiences, wit, respect and wisdom needed to offer advice about vexing family, personal or professional problems. She will counsel, direct, guide and recommend. She will offer tips and all kinds of assurances about being on track or completely off the rails.
Soon you will discover, there is only one Gale Davidson.
What she writes represents her own personal beliefs – not mine, not the publishers or any member of the Carroll Magazine team. In fact, Gale is not someone who has ever worked for Carroll Magazine or Kohn Creative. Until now.
Hopefully her words will be a compass when life, love, or work toss your sense of reason to sea.
Never Too Late
My mother-in-law, Pearl, is 94-years-old and she rises each day thankful for everything: God’s grace, the ability to get out of bed, the strength of four senses while one fades, belly laughs with friends and family. She appreciates hearing aids, closed-captioned telephones, transportation for seniors who want to go see a play or go to the store; you name it, and Pearl does not take it for granted.
Pearl is a woman who rises to really live each day as she gets older. She constantly reaches out to people less fortunate than she.
The Carroll Magazine staff and I have come to discover that many of Carroll’s older residents are as resilient and remarkable as Pearl. They have inspired us to launch a new feature in this issue titled Never Too Late.
Carroll residents, especially older residents, are teaching us so many lessons that we want to share their accomplishments and lessons with you. In short, Never Too Late will be an ongoing series that features the accomplishments of older residents in the county whose zest for life manifests in inspiring ways.
We’re thrilled to share their accomplishments.
Do you know a friend, parent or grandparent who would rather rise than retire?
Does their sense of purpose remain keen or shift in unique ways as they get older?
Do they passionately work toward a cause, a new hobby, even a simple pleasure?
Carroll Magazine would love to hear about that person. Email readerswrite@carrollmagazine.com and write “ Never Too Late” on the subject line.
It’s never too late to delve into this issue of Carroll Magazine. Thank you for being loyal readers.
We don’t take your readership for granted.
Amazing Peace,
Lisa Moody Breslin
*Gale Davidson is a not the columnist’s real name. The name Gale Davidson is, however, a tribute to the former editor of Carroll Magazine, Sherwood Kohn, who middle name is Davidson, and his wife, Monna, whose maiden is Gale.
