Why are people so ga-ga (a psychological term) over small dogs? 

I got the idea for this column from a reader (thank you Liz!) who mentioned how she is besotted with her King Charles Cavalier. Like most of us, she had loved big dogs all her life but has found herself utterly smitten with her small, rescued dog.

Most of us small dog lovers started out dismissing small dogs as “whiny, yappy things,” preferring our larger “real” dogs. But as we aged, or our homes became smaller, we opened our hearts to small dogs.

In my case, I had a rescued 80-pound black German Shepherd with abandonment issues. Arguably she was the sweetest dog that ever lived, and I loved her very much. But after five years and many dog trainers, I confessed to my veterinarian how difficult my beloved Abby was. The vet suggested that I get her a dog. She explained that Abby was bred to shepherd and protect, so Abby was bored and frustrated living in a home without a job.  I adopted two cockapoos, which I thought looked like sheep. It worked flawlessly; Abby spent the rest of her life herding these dogs who complied cluelessly. In the meantime, I became utterly enamored with these two little dogs.

On the Internet, I found no real research that explained this special attachment to small dogs. Most of the articles listed the advantages of smaller dogs: they live longer, they are more portable, they can ride in airplane cabins, they eat less, and (if there are no medical issues) cost less,

Of course, there are downsides to small dogs. Many are barkers. Small breeds like poodles, Maltese, terriers, dachshunds, bichons, chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and shih tzus tend to bark when fearful. It is a part of “small dog syndrome” and some breeds that exhibit these characteristics are Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, Dachshunds, Shelties, and Jack Russell Terriers. Characteristics of this syndrome include obnoxious barking, nipping at ankles, and a Napoleon complex. These are little dogs with big personalities. 

Another article contended that large dogs are smarter than smaller dogs because they can be trained in complex tasks, such as hunting. However, I challenge anyone to outwit a poodle or a Havanese.

Since I couldn’t find anything in my Internet search, I polled small dog lovers who used to own big dogs to find out why they are so besotted with their tinier packages. And this is what I found.

Smaller dogs need more attention and affection than their larger dogs do. Small dogs can be picked up and cuddled easily. Little dogs love to sit on or next to laps. And let’s face it, having a large dog on your lap is a commitment. 

More than one respondent reported that when these small dogs rest their heads on their shoulders, it feels like an infant. To that end, many small dogs are bred to look like puppies and appeal to our natural love of babies. 

Small dogs can be fun to dress up, their costumes and clothes are adorable. More dog outfits are sold in smaller sizes than larger sizes. 

My small dogs seem to understand me, they sense when I need to be alone or when I need some cuddle time. My two small dogs have very distinct personalities. My 12-pound Maltese, Gus, has a big personality. While he will let you pick him up if you don’t ask, his body tenses up and he lets you know prefers to be asked for permission. Sort of like us teaching “body autonomy” to children. On the other hand, Annie, my 16-pound cockapoo, is more compliant unless it is instinctual (tracking bunnies in the backyard) or fear-based (barking). 

Gus communicates with me through eye contact. Since he has a heart condition, his exercise must be limited. On a walk, he will try to make eye contact to let me know that it is time to stop. If I am not paying attention, he tugs on the leash. Then he signals if he can walk back or needs to be carried. All of this is communicated via his eye contact and body language. When Gus is barking, all I need to do is make eye contact, and he grudgingly stops, but because he has a big personality, he checks to see if I am paying attention and, if not, he takes advantage and barks again. Regardless, he always gets the last bark.

Many small dog lovers report a special type of bond between them and their dogs. In some ways, it is similar to communicating with an infant. So, could small dogs be a “substitute” child, lost loved one, or grandchild? I wonder if those of us who are gaga about our small dogs are filling a need for that touch. I have much more physical contact with my smaller dogs than I did with my large dogs. 

Others reported that they felt more needed by their small dog. Many small dogs feel vulnerable and need assistance. They want to be comforted when they are frightened, they want to be picked up when they feel threatened. 

Maybe as we age, we need them more. Many of us have experienced devastating losses and need close physical contact to partially replace what we have lost.

So, to summarize, when asking people about why they felt closer to small dogs it seems to be the intimate physical touch, the unique communication, the fact they feel needed, and their changing life circumstances.

One of my friends said simply, “(she is) just so darned cute.” 

 And I would love for my readers to weigh in if you feel comfortable doing so. Why do you feel more closely bonded to your small dog?

It seems like every time we try to make positive changes to the environment, such as electric vehicles, or buying organic, another ugly environmental destructor appears.

Fast Fashion is one of those destructors.

Fast Fashion has revolutionized the apparel industry, and not for the better. Fast Fashion is a term for mass-market retailers that produce cheap, poor-quality clothing quickly and in bulk. Their goal is to increase sales by creating consumer trends. Gen Zs are the primary consumers.

Fast Fashion companies produce new designs at staggering rates. Most clothing is designed to appeal to the young, especially pre-teens. While many companies could be classified as Fast Fashion, here are some of the major players.

• SHEIN is a retailer that produces new designs every three days.
• Forever 21 produces new designs every two weeks.
• Zara, the pioneer of Fast Fashion, produces more than 10,000 new designs each year.
• H&M, while not producing at the rates of other companies, is another leader in producing high-fashion clothing cheaply and quickly.
• Temu is a Chinese mega-company that offers many cheap products in addition to Fast Fashion.
• Boohoo has many brands of trendy clothing at cheap prices and is one of the few that includes plus size and petite choices.
• Fashion Nova, known for its dresses, appeals to a wider range of consumers including our generation. They release around 600 new products (mostly dresses) every week. They claim to use psychology to sell their products.
• Primark sells trendy clothing and accessories at low prices and promotes high inventory turnover.
• Brandy Melville was featured in a documentary that revealed its sexism, and predatory behaviors toward young girls, and yet, remains strong. Pre-teens regularly post their purchases on TikTok and Instagram.

The garment industry is historically one of the largest polluters, and Fast Fashion puts these problems in overdrive. They produce more apparel than can be worn. Their clothes are cheaply made and are designed to be worn fewer than three times before they find their way into landfills or clothing bins.

You know those clothing bins; we see them at most shopping centers. Most of these clothes are shipped overseas to poor countries that don’t want them and can’t even use them. Most Fast Fashion clothes are not recyclable and these countries end up with mountains and mountains of unwanted clothes, some spewing into oceans.  Here are some scary statistics.

Clothing is manufactured with highly toxic dyes and heavy metals that are flushed into water systems. It is estimated that producing cotton t-shirts requires over 700 gallons of water and produces the same greenhouse gas emissions as driving a car for about 10 miles. Every year the garment sector uses 93 billion cubic meters of water, which is enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people. They are responsible for around 20% of industrial water pollution from textile treatment and dyeing.

And there is more. The industry razes 150 million trees for cellulosic fabrics.  Cotton is one of the world’s most pesticide-intensive crops. 69% of all clothing includes synthetic fibers which are not biodegradable. Our laundering of synthetic clothing is believed to be the largest source of microplastic pollution in the oceans.

The inhumane treatment of garment workers throughout the world is well documented. In order to make garments so inexpensive, most Fast Fashion brands use cheap labor and unethical working practices.

But it is not just Fast Fashion and Gen Z’s, throughout the world, people are buying more clothing. Overall clothing production has doubled since 2000.

But the biggest culprit is Fast Fashion, which is not about quality, it is about quantity, buying as much as you can for as little as you can. The goal of Fast Fashion is a short lifespan so that consumers can buy more.

Europe is reacting to this trend. While this is not possible in the United States, France is challenging Fast Fashion. In March 2024, the French parliament approved a bill that targets Fast Fashion. It will ban the advertising of certain fast-fashion companies giants (e.g., SHEIN and Temu) and penalize low-cost items with a surcharge to cover their environmental impact. The bill would also mandate that Fast Fashion retailers include an item’s reuse, repair, recycling, and environmental impact next to the product’s price. The EU announced its intention to vastly expand clothing design rules on recycling and sustainability. Within 7 years, all textiles sold within the EU must be recyclable, free of hazardous substances, and contain a high percentage of recycled fibers.

Even though I am not a consumer of Fast Fashion, while doing this research for this column, I began to think of my impact. I began to research ways that I could rethink my clothing purchases.

• The simplest approach is to buy fewer clothes and wear them longer.
• Choose thrift. We have several good sources of buying used clothing locally. In addition, there are websites that offer second-hand clothing. The company where I purchase my dresses now has a “used” site where I can buy the same dresses for half of the price. Everyone wins.
• Choose natural materials when buying clothes or buy 100% recycled fabrics. There are a number of sustainable clothing companies now and even the larger companies, such as Patagonia, offer recycled and sustainably made items.
• Donate your clothes to charitable thrift stores.
• Many people also sell their used clothing via local marketplaces or consignment stores. This is especially the case with children’s clothing.
• My daughter rents some of her clothes. She lives in New York City, where closet space is at a premium, so she rents a certain number of clothing items each month. They can be special occasion clothes, everyday outfits, and work clothes. Each month she selects the clothing she wants, returns last month’s clothing, and voila, a new wardrobe.

After researching this article, I can’t say that I will be perfect, but now that I am an educated consumer, I can consider the impact of each clothing purchase.

The Invisible Kingdom is a book that chronicles Meghan O’Rourke’s struggle with an undiagnosed auto-immune disease. She describes the decade-long journey to get treatment for an autoimmune disorder that defied classification and, therefore, treatment. She finally tried a radical solution that is not recommended by the medical establishment, but it worked for her.

The one bright spot from the book was her belief that Long COVID would spark more research in autoimmune diseases. Because unlike most autoimmune disorders, Long COVID affects men and women equally. Traditionally, women are the primary sufferers of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis (MS).

It looks like her prediction was correct, because each month I see a new article on Long Covid and new findings about autoimmune diseases.

In 2022, a landmark study in Science concluded that a previous EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) infection is the primary source of MS. Someone who has contracted EBV has a 32 TIMES more likely chance of eventually suffering MS than someone who never contracted the disease. That is an overwhelming statistic. (Note: there are issues with this analysis, because a lot of it relies on correlational research which has a restriction in range and is not causal.) Despite these cautions, scientists believe that they are on the right track and are trying to identify how EBV causes MS in some, but not most of the people who are infected with EBV.

Scientists believe that the EBV inserts itself into Messenger RNA (mRNA). (We remember mRNA as the new technology for creating the COVID vaccine.) This is the first case where they have discovered that a hidden virus actually inserts its DNA into a normal cell’s RNA.

EPV infects an estimated 90%-95% of people by the time they reach adulthood. Most are infected as children. EBV also causes mononucleosis. Up until recently EBV was viewed as a relatively innocuous virus that remained in our body as many viruses do.

But recently EBV has been associated with some lymphomas and nasopharyngeal cancers, Type I diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, and some types of arthritis.

Anecdotally, I have heard from three mothers of children with Type 1 diabetes who described their children getting very sick from a virus before being diagnosed with the disease. Now scientists are suggesting that the virus might be EBV.

MS is caused by the immune system attacking the protective myelin sheath. What scientists don’t know is under which conditions EBV could cause MS. One hypothesis is that the immune system mistakes the virus’s protein for a myelin protein and then attacks myelin. The second theory is that there is an ongoing, lifelong immunological response to EBV that continuously over time causes damage in the central nervous system myelin sheath. If the latter hypothesis is true, an antiviral treatment could help. Scientists know that the virus lies in the B cells, so some therapies are removing B cells. Although that puts the patient at significant risk for getting sick.

One of the approaches to help future generations is the development of an EBV vaccine. Several clinical trials are underway, but it will take time to determine whether a vaccine is effective at preventing MS and other associated diseases. In the United States, an estimated 50% of children are infected before 5 years of age. Recent studies suggest that early infection may be a predictor of MS.

In the past, scientists have had to rely on correlational data. But today, they are able to understand transcription, which is where the virus could be inserting itself. (Transcription is the process where the RNA copies half of the DNA strand.)

It is easy to get excited, I remember other treatments, such as interferon being a possible cure for cancer, only to discover that it had limited applications. But it is hopeful to imagine that some of these autoimmune diseases would become a thing of the past, thanks to science and our ability to understand the immunology of the human cell. With Crispr, a technology that allows scientists to insert corrected genetic structures in the proper sequence, and the rapid pace of immunology, these are exciting times.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West, Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

I have two dogs, Gus and Annie, who are frequent inspirations for my columns. These two dogs could not be more different.

Gus is a 12-pound little Maltese prince who believes the world revolves around him. In his way of thinking, all treats belong to him. And in return, he is very affectionate to his loyal and not-so-loyal subjects. He gives cuddles and lots and lots of love. He knows how to manipulate people with cute expressions, a soft paw, and large, doe-brown eyes.

Gus had a shaky start and was a difficult dog when I first got him, but within six months, he became the dog he always wanted to be. Gus was rescued from a chaotic home that had lots of kids running around. He learned that the only way to get what he wanted was with cuteness, a get-them-before-they-get-you approach, and hiding to avoid injuries.

Annie is a product of her upbringing as well. Annie was raised in a puppy mill to be a puppy mill mom. She never learned cause and effect because it didn’t matter what she did, horrific neglect was coming her way. Her life also included abuse since she was too timid to mate. So, Annie learned that the world is a scary place.

Before Gus, Annie never had dog friends. They shied away from her because she couldn’t speak “dog.” She’s too terrified and too passive to be a normal dog. Her signature move has been to run away.

But Gus really likes her, and she really likes Gus. They are an unlikely pair that are also uniquely matched. Gus is a dog “dork.” He doesn’t know how to play, and Annie doesn’t either. He likes to boss dogs around, and Annie doesn’t mind being bossed around. Gus shows his softer side when he helps Annie get affection. Gus taught her how to play with toys in his narcissistic version of play. It goes something like this: she gets a toy out from the toy bin, he steals it, she gets out another toy, he steals it too… for some reason they both like this game. Gus taught Annie that petting is fun, and snuggling is even better. Now she loves to be petted by people she knows and she loves snuggling at night-time.

Gus and Annie are now quite old. Gus is 16 and Annie is 17, both have exceeded their expected lifespans. Gus has a heart condition from which he was supposed to leave this earth over a year ago. But he’s never listened before so why should he start now?

This year Annie began losing weight, a lot of weight. All total, 20% of her body weight. For most older dogs this tends to indicate cancer or serious organ failure. Some days she shivered violently. One night I thought I lost her. Her blood tests revealed there were some liver function issues, but they were relatively minor for her age and the vet concluded that she probably had cancer.

But maybe not.

Gus and Annie are also different in how they eat. Gus gulps down his meal in seconds. Annie on the other hand, is convinced that every morsel is potentially poisonous. She sniffs, she walks backwards, she sniffs again, she touches the food with her tongue, and then she finally decides to eat slowly and hesitantly.

Gus has been trained to sit next to her and wait until she finishes and then they both get a dental treat. Each morning, I feed the dogs and then go to my morning routine.

But Gus is a very smart dog. He learned that when he hears the sound of the shower, it’s unlikely that I will pop out and catch him. So, he learned to wait until he heard the shower and then gulped down Annie’s meal. Being passive, she just sat and waited for him to finish. As soon as he heard my footsteps, he quickly returned to his sit position and Annie licked the bowl as if she had finished her meal. So, Annie was not getting her breakfast. While she was still getting her dinner because I watched; she was not getting almost half of her necessary food intake.

Her incredible weight loss was because Gus was stealing her food.

That reminds me of the old saying: “When you hear hoof beats, look for horses and not zebras.”

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

Last year, I wrote a column (Hunting Down Demons) about the trauma that I experienced when I moved to Key West and was besieged by life events. To summarize, my husband and I purchased a house in Key West with the dream of retiring there, he was supposed to retire first and I would continue to work to pay for our renovation. We bought this house because it was in a good neighborhood, and we had some ideas about how we would renovate it.

But those dreams were not to be. From the beginning, my husband was severely injured in a fall while painting the house. He continued to suffer and required 24-hour care, but the doctors could not explain why he was not getting better. He died 8 months later from an undiagnosed, unrelated cancer. He died 7 weeks after the diagnosis.

During that time, I quit my job to care for him. That put our planned renovations on permanent hold. When I returned to our home after his death, it had become infested with all manner of vermin, including rats, palmetto bugs (giant-sized roaches), and termites. Construction on all of the neighboring houses replaced the palm breezes with construction dust that caked our outdoor furniture. Unscrupulous contractors and tradesmen made my life miserable.

I hated that house.

It was a witness to the most intense sorrow, misery, and simply bad luck that I have had in my lifetime. I felt compelled to keep it because I was at a loss as to what to do. It was my late husband’s dream home. So, each year I returned to Key West anxious, depressed and triggered by PTSD. I tried all manner of cures to eliminate the bad energy: minerals, sage, feng shui, prayer, you name it…but each time I returned to the house, the grief and sadness poured into me.

Unfavorable tax laws and outrageous home prices make it impossible to sell. So, last year I realized that I had to make peace with this house and somehow make it my home.

The change began with my realtors, who made me see what the house was and not what it wasn’t. Instead of seeing our broken dreams, slowly, I began to view the house differently.

So I decided to invest in fixing the parts of the house that were the most egregious to me. One problem was that when guests were there, we were on top of each other. I decided to reconfigure the guest bedrooms so that they had an ensuite, and I gave up my study to give them their own recreational area to “hang.” I put TVs in the guest bedrooms and in the new den so that they could have a place to relax. The design allowed them to have a separate entrance as well.

I found an architect who understood that I was clueless when it came to finishings for modern homes. (I have always lived in homes at least 100 years old.) My architect chose everything without my even previewing it. I found a contractor and held both him and my architect to a strict budget.

Due to health issues, I had to return to Maryland during construction and put my trust into my architect’s vision and my contractor’s integrity.

My trust was rewarded. I came back to a beautiful, well-finished home.

They exceeded all of my expectations. If a mistake was made, my contractor would notify me immediately and remedy it while absorbing all costs. Some of the mistakes were so minute that I didn’t notice them; but fortunately for me, he is a perfectionist and insisted that something off by as small as a ½ inch had to be redone, on his dime.

My architect scoured sites to find the best-priced finishings. His determination to give me a beautiful home within my budget became his personal challenge.

They finished the project on time and below budget.

During the year, several new neighbors moved in who were friendly and fun. A neighbor who is a close friend and I have both suffered losses (me my husband and father; she, her son) and understand each other. Recently wonderful people from St. Michaels purchased a home in my neighborhood.

I now love this home. It is no longer a home of lost opportunities. It is my home, my vision. My guests feel welcomed, I have my own space. I have been sewing new curtains and roman shades and changing around my artwork. Each change is a tiny triumph.

Most of the issues with the home had been mine. I had difficulty getting rid of things that my husband either chose or I knew that he liked. One of the problems with grief and loss is the inability to make decisions and say goodbye to objects that are no longer needed. In fact, over half of people with hoarding disorders begin with the loss of a loved one. It is a dual problem, the inability to make decisions and the fear of losing something irreplaceable. This year, when I returned to Key West, I got rid of things that I no longer needed, regardless of their origin.

My house is now a home with possibilities.

And here is the irony. While it is now my home, I realize that I spent almost all of my time and funds on the guest section of the house. Guess what? My husband loved entertaining and was a caretaker. Without considering it, I reconfigured the house in a way that he would have loved.

My PTSD will probably remain. It is a tough disease, and while I have made remarkable progress, it can still be triggered. Today, some psychologists are defining a new category, called Post Traumatic Growth. They believe that people should aspire to grow from PTSD trauma. They define resilience as people who make it through; but they reserve a special category for those who have grown as a result of their trauma.

Personally, I don’t agree and I appreciate the warnings from psychologists who feel that this theory puts more pressure on PTSD sufferers. Now not only must we get through it but we also have to be better. I believe that growth is more nuanced. In some ways I am better and other ways I am diminished. I am a writer; I don’t know if I would have become one without this trauma. But I also now suffer from anxiety. So growth and resilience depends on how you measure, not whether you recover.

I prefer those who see life in color over those who measure it in sepia tones.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

On November 30, 2021, Ethan Crumbley, age 15, armed with a semi-automatic handgun murdered four students and injured seven people, including a teacher, at Oxford High School in a Detroit suburb. In December 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This child will never have a chance to live a normal life.

In 2024, both of his parents were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving the underage, mentally ill 15-year-old a gun as a gift (the law at the time prohibited anyone under 18 from owning a gun). The parents did not properly store the gun, resulting in the mass shooting that occurred four days later. On the day of the shooting, Ethan was sent to the principal’s office after a teacher noticed on his math homework that he had drawn a gun, a shooting victim, and messages about evil thoughts. After the parents had been summoned to the office, they neglected to tell school officials that Ethan possessed a gun and refused to take Ethan home. Ethan then emerged from the bathroom and commenced his shooting spree.

The charges prosecutors brought against the mother and father sought to prove that the parents ignored critical cues that could have prevented the mass murder. The court-appointed psychologist likened Ethan to a feral child. The parents had neglected Ethan and raised him in a turbulent home. This was the first time in the U.S. that parents have been convicted for their child’s mass shooting.

At the same time, school officials were not charged despite the fact that they noted his backpack was heavy but never searched it. The backpack contained the fateful gun.

We are a punishment-driven society. America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, 5 to 10 times higher than other democracies and Western Europe. Yet, imprisonment for this problem is akin to blasting a foot of snow off the iceberg that would destroy the Titanic.

Rather than focus on punishment, we need to focus on prevention of gun deaths. There are a number of organizations that are working tirelessly to do so, Everytown for Gun Safety, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Sandy Hook Promise, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Giffords, and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, to name a few. These organizations are focused on laws that would have prevented this tragedy. In particular, just two laws would have prevented this tragic violence.

Child-access/secure storage: Many organizations are championing laws to control child access through secure storage. Twenty six states, including Maryland (which was passed over then Governor Hogan’s veto) require that adults safely secure guns to prevent children from accessing them without adult supervision. (A child is typically defined as under 18.) After passing these laws, some areas reported that gun-related accidents and injuries were reduced by 85%. Had Michigan had this law (they passed one in 2024), it would have been illegal for Ethan to have access to that gun.

Minimum age restrictions:. The Federal Government has a minimum age restriction of 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer. However, it allows an 18 year old to purchase a long gun, including an assault weapon from a licensed gun dealer. For some reason, unlicensed dealers may sell any gun to an 18 year old. Maryland has the same age limits but prohibits an 18 year old from purchasing an assault weapon. Apparently gun gifts to children are not uncommon. Nevertheless, the law was in effect, but obviously not enforced, in Michigan at the time 15-year old Ethan was given his gun.

There are other initiatives, such as background checks, assault weapon bans, and increasing the parameters that prevent some people from acquiring guns. There are many states that have no laws supporting responsible gun ownership. And Federal laws are weak. For example, the Brady Act requires licensed gun dealers to perform background checks, but not unlicensed dealers. Some states, such as Maryland, have expanded background checks, but the majority of states have not done so.

The sad fact is that these tragedies will continue to occur; parents will lose their children, people will shake their heads, and yet some of this violence can be prevented by a few common-sense laws.

So which makes more sense? Admittedly the Crumbleys were terrible parents. Ethan was a disturbed, lonely boy with a gun. But throwing them in jail doesn’t solve the problem, it only shows us as what we are as a country…blamers, punishers. How about we become fixers instead?

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

Being around seniors can be equal parts frustrating and rewarding. Some seniors know how to laugh about our predicament while others seem to just grumble. But today, I want to take some time off from my research for the next column to focus on the senior comments that make me laugh.

My inspiration came from a funny story in the Washington Post: This is Cecil. He has never done anything bad in his life. Until he ate $4,000.

It was an amusing story about the authors (not senior citizens, BTW) and their attempts to recover $4,000 from all of Cecil’s orifices and expulsions and then piece the bits of money together…of course, we know that these remnants did not come from fun places. It was a funny story, but I liked a comment made by a senior citizen (see moniker) even better. It read:

I taught my dog not to eat anything above a $5 bill. The training was expensive but it should pay off in the long term.  Signed: Old and in the way

I wish I could meet this man or woman…s/he would be someone I would enjoy immensely, a combination of a great sense of humor and ability to laugh at him/herself. This new muse gave me the impetus to find other seniors who enjoyed laughing at themselves and here is what I found. (I included attribution when I could find it.)

• I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything until noon. Then it’s time for my nap.
• I wake up every morning and read the obituary column, if my name is not in it, I get up. (Ben Franklin)
• As you get older, three things happen: The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two. (Author’s Note: Several authors have been attributed to this quote.)
• I feel about aging the way William Saroyan said he felt about death: ‘Everybody has to do it,’ but I always believed an exception would be made in my case. (Martha Beck)
• Aging gracefully is the nice way of saying you’re slowly looking worse. (George Carlin)
• Everything slows down with age, except the time it takes cake and ice cream to reach your hips. (John Wagner)
• It’s weird being the same age as old people.
• Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened. (Jennifer Yane)
• Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. (Andy Rooney)
• No one should grow old who isn’t afraid of looking ridiculous.
• Growing old is humbling. It takes effort to accomplish this stage of life with dignity.
• At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At age 40, we don’t care what they think of us. At age 60, we discover they haven’t been thinking of us at all. Author’s Note: This quote has been incorrectly attributed to a number of people. Regardless, I believe that this is why we get wisdom with age.
• … people read the Bible a lot more as they get older, and then I realized, they are cramming for the final exam. (George Carlin)
• In a world where the keywords for salvation are stop, return and regress, old people are extremely valuable. (George Carlin)
• Capriciousness is the preserve of the old. So marvelous to be able to let random thoughts pour from the mind to the tongue without pause or retribution.
• The best thing about being older is that we did most of our stupid things before the Internet.
• I was brought up to respect my elders, so now I don’t have to respect anybody.
• It’s not that we have more patience as we grow older, it’s just that we’re too tired to care about all the pointless drama.
• Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself. (Tom Wilson)
• No one is ever old enough to know better. (Holbrook Jackson)
• Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late. (Benjamin Franklin)
• Human aging is analogous to aging fruit, it mellows some; others become rotten.
• Age is a high price to pay for maturity. (Sir Tom Stoppard)
• You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely. (Ogden Nash)
• Getting older makes you no wiser, but a number of lessons are learned.

I believe what separates those who age well and those who don’t is the ability to laugh at ourselves. At this point in our lives, we get to choose who we want to be. And let’s face it, if we choose to laugh at ourselves we now have a lot of material to work with.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West, Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

My first foray to improve my health has been to follow a stretching program called Aging Backwards by Miranda Esmonde-White. I don’t find it particularly challenging because it is only 25-30 minutes of stretching, minor strengthening, and I don’t even break a sweat. A far cry from the spinning that I used to do before COVID.

There are three primary types of stretching: dynamic, static, and PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation). The latter stretching technique (PNF) is the most effective, but is best left to professionals (e.g., physical therapists) because it often requires two people and can result in injury if done incorrectly.

In dynamic stretching, the movement is continuous (think dancing). It was designed to prepare muscles, ligaments, and soft tissues for movement. Dynamic stretching builds flexibility, range of motion, and some muscular growth. Static stretching requires you hold the stretch for a period of time. Yoga, Barre, and Pilates are mostly stretching routines.

In the past, dynamic stretching was used to begin a workout or an athletic competition (anyone who has been to a football game has seen them do their stretching exercises en masse prior to the game). Only dynamic stretching should be used before a serious workout or competition. Static stretching may impair performance by limiting the body’s ability to react quickly for up to two hours.

Static stretching has the same advantages as dynamic stretching, but it builds muscle tissue more effectively than dynamic stretching. Today, it is recommended that all fitness programs incorporate both dynamic and static stretching. Some advocates for seniors recommend dynamic stretching only because it causes fewer injuries.

Static stretching builds muscle by activating proteins that strengthen muscle and connective tissue. Strength training (e.g., weights) is more effective, but stretching is more accessible, easier to do, and less likely to result in an injury.

Before 2020, stretching was getting a bit of a bum rap. But a 2020 research study found that stretching was more beneficial than any other type of exercise (even cardiovascular). People who participated in programs that involved only stretching had a lower mortality rate, better range of motion, higher flexibility, higher energy, fewer injuries, less long term pain, and better balance. (Note: This study and the 2023 study mostly involved seniors.)

The study challenged conventional beliefs so radically that many experts doubted the results despite the rigorous controls and statistical techniques that were used. It went against the prevailing wisdom at the time which was to minimize or eliminate pre-workout stretching. But this study proved that stretching not only was better than other programs in flexibility, balance, and range of motion, but it also reduced mortality (unlike other fitness routines). What does this mean? Well, for one thing, it means that I killed myself spinning for no reason!

After a 2023 study confirmed those findings and reported even greater benefits from stretching, medical professionals began to change their way of thinking. The study conclusively proved that adults who did flexibility exercises at least five times a week had a 20% lower risk of dying. Static stretching was more effective than aerobic exercise and resistance training for: flexibility, range of motion, increased energy, and balance, which resulted in fewer and less serious falls. People who used a stretching routine reported a reduction in long-term pain and higher overall feelings of wellness compared to other practices. And the study found that stretching improved cardiovascular function, including circulation.

Lower morbidity rates with stretching are primarily a result of the cardiovascular benefits. If we don’t move, our blood doesn’t flow well, this is especially true for people with sedentary jobs. Poor flexibility is associated with arterial stiffness. So stretching improves arterial function by reducing resting heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and increasing vasodilation (widening of blood vessels).

I have to admit that one of the benefits of my namby-pamby program is that I feel a lot better. And it becomes a cycle, I feel better so I want to do it more, and when I do it more, I feel better. My energy levels have increased dramatically. I guess I would call it a non-vicious cycle (if that is a thing?).

This is not to say that other fitness routines should be replaced by stretching. These routines have their advantages, weight training is good for weight loss, cardio fitness helps increase endurance and improve breathing; running, swimming, cycling, and walking provide substantial health benefits as well. But overall, stretching is the most effective.

So, are you convinced? If so, the FIRST step is to consult a medical professional, especially if you suffer from pain or have had surgical interventions. A number of routines including Yoga, Pilates, Flexibility classes, and Barre are primarily stretching. But if you don’t want to commit to classes, there are a multitude of free stretching videos available on YouTube. The National Institute of Aging even provides a stretching YouTube video. You can also purchase monthly or annual memberships or DVDs. While I was researching this article, I tried out several YouTube videos on my Smart TV.

A medical professional I know recommends Jessica Valant, a licensed physical therapist who has produced hundreds of Pilates-based videos. While some of these videos are free on YouTube, she also offers an annual membership program with access to all of her videos, lifestyle recommendations, and individual assistance. What I like about her videos is that they are very easy to follow and can be as brief as 10 minutes for a specific issue (e.g., shoulder, back, stress, sleep, thoracic, shoulder, anxiety, alertness, legs, well-being, arms, hips, and dozens more); and if done daily for a month you should experience substantial benefits.

The program that I follow uses routines from different disciplines with an emphasis on posture, the hips, and the spine, which are my problematic areas.

Other programs on YouTube focus on sleep, balance, flexibility, anxiety, range of motion, relaxation, energy, well-being, focus, knees, hips, feet, legs, arms, shoulders, neck, pain reduction, general movement, overall health, connective tissue, and many, many more. But experts recommend that it is best to begin with a whole body stretch and then focus on the problem areas.

Stretching to reduce mortality or reduce pain doesn’t have to be a big commitment. One researcher proposed a 2-minute back stretching routine using two Yoga poses (Puppy pose followed by Cat/Cow). Consistency is more important than the amount of time spent. All stretching routes when done correctly are effective.

Since our body is interconnected, stretching one section such as the lower back, will help hips and knees…stretching the upper back will help shoulders. It is called nonlocal flexibility transfer, and because of this phenomenon, lower-body stretches can improve upper-body flexibility. For example, shoulder stretches can have an immediate impact on hip mobility. Many physicians and scientists believe that these interconnected pathways may explain the reduction in mortality from stretching.

And the funny thing is that I believe that stretching is an instinct that we seem to have lost. Maybe our lives got too busy or sedentary. Yet, our cats and dogs know this and they stretch every time. We even have yoga poses named after animals.

Perhaps this is another thing that we can learn from our furry friends.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

Our Moon is pretty cool. As I write this column, a full Moon is approaching that will illuminate our night sky. Later, a new Moon will create scary nights and dark, menacing silhouettes lurking throughout the landscape.

Most astronomers believe that our moon was formed by a collision with a Mars-sized asteroid (or planet) several billion years ago.

And there is more to the Moon than just its illumination and ethereal qualities, it keeps the Earth stable. Without the Moon to help steady the Earth’s tilt, experts estimate that our planet’s tilt could increase to 45°, which means that our planet could be spinning on its side, like Uranus. There go the seasons. Think ice ages.

Animals benefit from the Moon as well. Scientists believe that migratory animals use it to navigate. Nocturnal species, both prey and predator, rely on the reflected light (or absence of it).

We learned in grade school that the Moon’s gravitational pull creates our tides. Tides provide the rhythm that has guided our species for thousands of years. Our Moon figures prominently in our culture, our beliefs, our songs, our art, romance, and our literature.

And we now know that our Earth has many moons.

Say what?

In 2006, astronomers in Arizona detected a peculiar body orbiting the Earth. After taking a closer look, they realized that the object wasn’t a human-generated satellite or space junk. It was an asteroid that had been yanked into an orbit with the Earth.

Scientists dubbed it a mini moon. It was just a few meters in diameter and orbited our Earth for about a year before being ejected.

More mini moons have been discovered. Most are natural space rocks that are drawn into Earth’s gravity, in tagalong orbits with the Earth. One scientist described them as a temporary pet that you keep for a while and then they wander off. (Bad analogy for an animal lover, to be sure.) So these mini moons come and go.

There are other quasi-moons (sometimes dubbed mini moons) circling our Earth…well, sort of. The first one, 3753 Cruithne, was discovered in 1986. It has a diameter of 3 miles (4.8 km). and orbits the Earth every 770 years. The fact that its orbit extends to the sun is so strange that some astronomers argue that it shouldn’t be considered a moon.

Another mini or quasi-moon, named Kamoʻoalewa, was confirmed in 2021 in Hawaii. The name comes from a Hawaiian word meaning a moving celestial object. It’s less than 50 meters (164 feet) in diameter and orbits the Earth in a corkscrew-like pattern, staying at least 40–100 times the distance of the Moon.

In 2023, another mini moon (or quasi-moon) was spotted. Called 2023 FW13, it is a 65-foot asteroid whose orbit extends halfway between Mars and Venus.

And we have other crazy objects orbiting our Earth. In 2018, two dust clouds were discovered orbiting the Earth at the Moon’s L4 and L5 points. These are known as the Kordylewski clouds and have been nicknamed “Earth’s hidden moons.”

Because of their proximity to Earth, mini moons require close scrutiny to ensure that when and if they exit the Earth’s orbit, they are flung into space rather than fall into our atmosphere.

But recently, some experts have eyed mini moons and other near-Earth asteroids for different reasons. They believe that these objects may contain water and valuable minerals for mining or possibly serve as stepping stones for our exploration into the cosmos.

NASA successfully tested the feasibility of extraction in 2016 when it launched the uncrewed OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to collect a sample from the asteroid Bennu. (Bennu is a potentially dangerous asteroid that has a 1-in-2,700 chance of crashing into Earth in 2182.) The NASA spacecraft returned seven years later with a small sample from the 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid.

Mini moon missions to extract minerals would require less fuel and fewer days than journeys to other cosmic bodies, such as the Moon. And due to their small gravitational force they would require little fuel to return to Earth. That is, if these rocks contain water or valuable minerals.

In space exploration, water can be used to create liquid hydrogen rocket fuel and liquid oxygen. Today, spacecraft must carry all of the water and fuel they will need for a round trip. The massive weight added by the fuel results in the “tyranny of the rocket equation,” which states that as payload mass increases, so must the amount of propellant required to break free from the Earth’s gravitational pull. The key to breaking this equation is to discover a way to refuel in space.

Despite these interesting possibilities, the Moon we see most nights remains our sole source for tides and nocturnal illumination. Which is good, because the Moon has figured so prominently in our culture, that we would have to make a lot of changes, just imagine: Harvest Moons, Fly Me to the Moons, Moons’ Light. Which moon would lovers kiss to? Which moon would we have rituals to celebrate? It just doesn’t work.

When I look at the night sky now, I wonder how many little moons are out there, circling our planet until they break free from Earth’s orbit and seek out their own path.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.