Celebrating Earth Day through the Wonder of “Awe Walks”
April 15, 2024
Hosted by Ron Roel
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Episode Description
There are special moments in life when we experience a profound sense of awe at the planet we inhabit—such as the recent solar eclipse, when communities across America gathered in public spaces to gaze at the sky in wonder. Indeed, as we mark this year’s Earth Month, we need to blend our concerns over climate change and environmental sustainability with a rekindled sense of awe at our lives and our place in nature. In today’s episode, we talk with Martha Blackwelder, a creative entrepreneur who founded Unexpected Adventures NYC, an educational company offering creative team-building events, including “Awe Walks” in Manhattan’s Central Park to encourage people to get outside in nature and find more moments of joy, aliveness, and awe. Martha, a widely recognized Asian art historian, is endlessly curious about the connections between art, culture and nature, and is passionate about inspiring others to slow down, reengage their senses and reclaim their own vitality for life.
45 Forward
Monday at 12 Noon Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.
My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.
The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.
Ron Roel
I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.
I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.
I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.
Episode Directory
April 2024
- 4/29/2024: The ABCs of ADUs: How Accessory Dwelling Units are Taking Off Listen Now
- 4/22/2024: A Financial Literacy Expert Unpacks Skills Needed for Every Age Listen Now
- 4/15/2024: Celebrating Earth Day through the Wonder of “Awe Walks” Listen Now
- 4/8/2024: Encore The Inspiring Tale of a Fulfilling, Changing—and Unretiring—Life Listen Now
- 4/1/2024: April is National Financial Literacy Month—for Both Young and Old Listen Now
March 2024
February 2024
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