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Howard Fishman is a writer. An expat from California, now residing in Spain, Howard is focused on a journalistic second career, sharing insights on the expat experience, the culture of aging, meaningful friendships, generational workplace issues, and the arts that best express who we are at fifty plus. His writings can be found at https://howardfishman.net/.

Latest Posts By Howard Fishman

3 years ago

Is It Downsizing or Tossing Out Tender Memories?

I was a clever gatherer of things. Mostly paper. In neat piles. Inside of drawers. Resting innocuously on shelves. Tucked into boxes that lurked in the shadowy recesses of my garage…

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3 years ago

5 Ways to Prepare for the Terrifying and Exciting Transition to Retirement

There’s no advance warning system to predict one’s response to retirement. You can chat yourself up before the actual day arrives. You can bathe in some fuzzy ‘before-glow’ about the leisurely life you’re about to experience…

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4 years ago

Choosing to Live the Expat Life in Spain

My connection to Europe was strong from the get-go. Before the age of 20, I’d worked enough odd jobs to begin my travel quest. Waiting on tables and commandeering a taxi around Manhattan paid for trips to Greece, Israel, and England…

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4 years ago

Celebrating 4 Decades of a Male/Female Friendship of Equals

One enchanted evening, 37 years ago, I met Ann at an industry dinner party. Sitting next to one another at a large round table in a noisy restaurant, conversation soon revealed we’d both grown up in Brooklyn, attended – at different times…

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4 years ago

The Exquisite Pain of Downsizing

We downsize to make life less complicated. Less expensive. Easier to maneuver. More accommodating to health care needs. Or for some of us, to lessen our footprint on mother earth. Though the care and upkeep of less square footage is enticing…

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4 years ago

How Gravitas Is Threatened by Your Retirement

Ancient Romans described gravitas as “seriousness.” Today we’re likely to see a broadened definition which includes “dignity and importance.” I’ll build upon those ideas by adding that gravitas is a compilation of characteristics that imply…

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4 years ago

How to Steer Clear of Fake News

It’s easy to be fooled. Especially on social media. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter unknowingly allow false information to appear in our feed. Our own browsing history creates assumptions about what we’d like to see…

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4 years ago

How Writing a Short-Form Memoir Will Help to Clarify Your Truth with Loved Ones

Writing your memoir is a profound gift to yourself and to those with whom you’ve shared a walk down difficult paths. Read More

4 years ago

Sheltering-in-Place: When Mayonnaise Was the Only Reason to Leave the House

Sheltering-in-place. Could have been the perfect Zen experience. Sitting underneath the shade of a Bodhi tree in perfect lotus position. Floating above the ground in a meditative state. The cool brush of saffron robes against my skin…

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5 years ago

Friendship and Coronavirus: Listening Is the New Being There

Two years ago, my partner and I set out on a journey. The idea was to build an intentional community of friends. A virtual home for those whose values, likes, and dislikes were compatible with ours…

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