Sure, we’re all over 21 but the reality is because we
are older, we sometimes forget things that are vitally important. Having some kind of personal ID with you at all times is one of those things.
If you are like me, before you leave your home
you check to be sure that the oven is off, the windows
are closed, the lights are out. Yes,everything is in order. My work as a librarian for many years trained
me to be organized. Chaos results without organization in the library.
Actually, we know that everything
functions within a designated system, our bodies, our government, even the celestial bodies.
On the other hand, perhaps you are one of the opposite nature and leave the lights on, the windows open, and the door unlocked. Well, if you are comfortable with that, you do have a choice. Unfortunately, we live in a
very precarious world where we encounter different situations
each day, and some are negative and potentially hazardous to our lives.
Whatever your life style, it is very important to have
some form of official identification with you at all times.
This can be your driver’s license, your Medicare card,
another significant health card, or perhaps your OLLI/
CSULB Student ID card. Women may have more difficulty
with this because of changing purses frequently.
(I know I do this and have at times left a key in another
pocketbook.)
If anything should happen to you during the course
of those very busy days, having identification with you is crucial to notifying your family, or if needed, your doctor.
After a while these little precautions become habits, like brushing your teeth or taking your vitamins. Develop another good habit. Take a minute to check
if you have your identification with you. Don’t end up a nobody.
By Kathy Winkenwerder
Many of the reasons are obvious. Tablets are easy to learn how to
use, easy to carry around, and best
of all they are fun to use. Many
OLLI members already have iPads, the most popular of the tablets, and have taken the EXPLORING YOUR IPAD classes in the computer lab.
Other reasons have to do with accessibility. You don’t have to see perfectly to use an iPad. Those with some visual impairment can use simple finger gestures on the
screen to make text in an article or a book look bigger, so there’s no need to wait for large print versions of what you want to read. You also can increase the text size in email and messages. Another aid to vision is the ability
to invert color, which reverses black to white and other colors reverse to their color-opposites. This makes a low contrast picture, which is easier to read in low light and
when your eyes are tired. Not only is that good for those with some vision problems, the reversed color makes it easier to read in low-light situations, like reading in bed.
Tablets are easier to use than computers for those seniors whose arthritis or other
joint problems make using a mouse
painful. You use your fingers instead of a mouse, tapping gently on the screen or swiping it with your fingers to open links and apps. Because you don’t have to tap hard, there’s
less pressure on hands and wrists.
Remember in “Star Trek” when Captain Kirk asked the computer questions and it answered back? Well, fiction has become reality. With the iPad3 and iPad mini (and the iPhone 5 and 4S) you can set up a personal assistant
that answers your questions. You also can skip typing and instead dictate your email, notes, even search the Web.
Just tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, speak your message, tap the icon again, and magically the words appear on the screen. Other iPad settings include additional audio and speak text features.
If you or someone you know has had trouble using a traditional computer because of physical issues, a tablet might be just the way to go.
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