Now Hear This: People, Trends and Ideas

Photo by Mark Gall/'The Washington Post'; USPS/AP Photo

Personal Stamp

Art director Ethel Kessler, above, has helped design more than 220 stamps for the U.S. Postal Service, but none with more personal significance than a new Alzheimer’s stamp released Oct. 17. “Since 2000 my mother has been diminishing, and we have come to know it’s Alzheimer’s,” says Kessler. “Alzheimer’s is a very difficult subject to tackle in a very small space.” On the stamp, illustrator Matt Mahurin depicts his aunt, Estelle von Alt, with the hand of his wife resting on her shoulder.

Role Reversal

It’s never too late for a little altruism, as retired male Japanese executives are learning. Forming groups with names such as the Nagareyama Friendship Network, they’re increasingly serving as caregivers to older people in their communities. The retirees typically work four hours a week performing chores such as cleaning kitchens or home repairs. “To do what’s traditionally been associated with women’s work is kind of out of character,” says Christian Science Monitor reporter Amelia Newcomb, who covered the phenomenon.

Game of Life

If life is basically a game of stayin’ alive while trying to achieve mellowness, a new board game has managed to distill that effort to a challenging pastime of chance and trivia. The Baby Boomer Retirement Game (www.babyboomerretirementgame.com) has a goal of achieving Inner Peace, which can only be attained through mastering three areas: Life Experiences, Health and Assets.