Retirees Association

Personal Lifestyle Adjustments: 2020, by Ron Helms

Ron Helms

Given global and national health events in late 2019 and from January 2020, we implemented several Lifestyle Adjustments. We plan national and international travel 12–36 months in advance, and we canceled/postponed several upcoming travel events (hoping to re-schedule.)

My wife, Sharon (WSU alumni) and I have a tradition of Marriott Atlantic Ocean Front condos in Palm Beach, FL, (every January) for the past two decades. We were able to enjoy this tradition in 2020; however, this will be our last Delta Flight until the vaccination.

We were also able to enjoy an annual ski holiday at Canaan Valley, WV, in February.

In 2019, we had reserved Marriott Atlantic Ocean Front condo in Hilton Head (March,) and we elected to drive rather than fly in 2020.

We had a great two-week March 2020 visit. We shall return for our annual two-week autumn visit to Hilton Head. And yes, we have reserved Marriott SurfWatch for two weeks in March 2021. 

Other Lifestyle Adjustments include the following:

  • We have deferred a spring trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
  • We have deferred a summer tour of Norway.
  • We have deferred an autumn journey to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Russia until 2021.
  • We have deferred travel to Ireland until 2022.
  • We have deferred travel to France until 2023.
  • We have deferred Great Cincinnati Civil War Roundtables.
  • We shall not travel to out-of-state family re-unions.
  • We shall not visit Brown County, IN, this fall.
  • We greatly miss socializing with friends, associates, and distant relatives.
  • We miss dining at many of our favorite Miami Valley restaurants.
  • We miss enjoyment of many Miami Valley fine arts events.
  • We miss the many Miami Valley summer and autumn festivals.

2020 has been a great year for genealogy research and study. Although there were family stories of both the Civil War and Revolutionary War, no family documentation existed. Scott (our son) and I were able to accept membership in the following Societies: Mayflower Descendant, Sons of the American Revolution, Society of Colonial Wars, French and Indian War Society, Virginia Founding Fathers, First Settlers of the Shenandoah Valley, Sons of the American Colonists, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

Of course, there were Lifestyle Adjustments to active participation in 2020 parades, banquets, education activities, et al. Nevertheless, Ron appears in an officer’s Revolutionary War Uniform, and a private’s Civil War Uniform for sanctioned events with social distancing.

Zoom conferences are ongoing and eventful, especially for Sons of the American Revolution and for Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

I continue to publish non-scholarly articles. And in October 2020 from Hilton Head, I shall offer a virtual presentation at the Ohio Council for The Social Studies fall conference.

Given a multi-level home with lawn and daily access a township park directly in front of our home and a 7-acre meadow for our back lawn is delightful. We cherish our Five Seasons Sports Tennis Club; we are fine with social distancing, and will not be participating soon in Re-Opening events. We are waiting for The Vaccination. We visit Five Seasons daily for Tennis and work outs.

We sense that the Middle Path, which permits a younger demography to engage (with risks) the Economy is the optimum option. Sharon and I have arranged for bi-weekly vegetable and fruit delivery from Rice Family Harvest and a monthly visit from the Georgia Peach Truck.

We are sanguine concerning the future of the Miami Valley, Ohio, U.S., and democracy.