BirdTalk Dear Bird Talk, Hi there. I would like to spend five months in a rural cabin in North Carolina for the purpose of writing a book − is this considered working? Also, I support myself through day trading my own capital. Is this considered working? Thanks so much! Morgan MacDonald Surrey, BC Editor: You should be fine. One of the primary tests is that you would take a job away from an American citizen. You would not be doing that. I do lots of day trading and have been writing our winter magazines in the U.S. for 25 years without incident. Send us a copy of the book when it is done, for fun. Dear Bird Talk, Enjoyed James Dolan’s article, but suggest one other BLIND SPOT: Aging Parent(s) Assumption: They have always been quite independent and self-sufficient and will remain so. Reality: Maybe not. As they age, mobility may become an issue, memory loss, ability to drive, bank, shop, etc. may put more responsibility on siblings who are also retired. Parent(s) may not want, or be financially able, to acquire the additional assistance or move into an independent or assisted living establishment. The onus would then fall on the sibling(s) to either hire the necessary home care assistance or provide it themselves. More difficult if the siblings are not in the same city as the parent(s); harder still if there is only one sibling or only one who is willing/able to step up to the responsibility. All home care organizations are not equal; service can be spotty and timing irregular. In my parents’ case, they had 23 different PSWs in one 30-day period – basically strangers on their own schedules, at unpredictable times, which they found very disconcerting! The effect on the siblings is to dial back their own expectations for retirement, i.e. reduced travel that results in absence from their caregiver responsibilities or reduced disposable income with which to enjoy their own retirement. Just thought that I’d mention it, as it was certainly not something that we considered in own our retirement-planning process. Bryan Metcalf Ed.: Been there, done that, still doing that! There is much joy in being able to take care of your parents in their later years, but it is not easy and it can get very expensive. That safari, that world cruise, that walking tour of Europe we dreamed of in retirement all seem very far away, but we have no regrets. We have always brought our parents to Florida when we came for parts of our winter. They were never snowbirds and now they are; and it is wonderful to have them with us. Dear Bird Talk, In an article written by J. Ross Quigley, a comment was made, “One clinical test showed that lungs were 95% normal in two years.” Also stated was that the lungs heal after stopping smoking. I agree that there is some healing with proper treatment, but there is no way that lungs will heal to the degree stated above after smoking for 50 years, or even 20 years. I did a complete search of medical literature and could not find any reference to the study stated. I think that Mr. Quigley is quite right in the rest of his comments as regards smoking and I congratulate him on stopping. Desmond Leen, MD Ed.: I must say that I went looking for the article, too, prior to printing the last issue. I could not find it either. This clinical test was from many years ago and, as I remember, it was a joint study between the University of Manitoba and the University of Michigan. All I know for sure is that, as I approach age 75, my lungs are fine with no sign of COPD or the other nasty lung problems. I think, and hope, it works. Dear Bird Talk, Kudos to your editor for publishing Michael Coren’s Opinion piece, which acknowledged discrimination against both LGBT and indigenous people. As a 74-year-old gay Catholic, I finally read about something that is close to my needs: empathy. Not all snowbirds are heterosexual, and some LGBT people feel quite ignored in publications that cater to the needs of us older folk. Thank you, Michael Coren, for opening a conversation about marginalized communities. John M. Toronto, Ontario Ed.: Mr. Coren is a very, very good writer. Mr. Coren is also very contentious and loves to set the “cat among the pigeons.” We regularly get very critical e-mails from various factions such as the Jews, the Catholics, the Anglicans, the agnostics, the Muslims and the atheists. They are unanimous – they wish us to fire Coren. To me, he is a disturbing bit of fresh air in a very confused world, and his views on the LGBT community are right on. 10 | www.snowbirds.org
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