Fred Lindner leads a Great Decisions discussion group this spring. (Photo by Phil Korzilius)
Creekers Influence Foreign Policy
Carole Korzilius
Each year, about 12,000 people meet in groups around the country to discuss current issues related to foreign policy, as part of an apolitical program, called Great Decisions. This year, 67 of those folks met weekly, in three groups, right here in PebbleCreek’s LifeLong Learning Center.
They came together, not to convince each other or reach consensus, but to learn from one another. The three group facilitators this year were Alan Hatfield (Tuesday), Dana Thomas (Wednesday), and Kirk Brown (Friday).
The eight topics for 2025 were 1) Foreign Policy at the Crossroads; 2) Changing Leadership in the World Economy; 3) US/China Relations; 4) India: China, the West and the Global South; 5) International Cooperation Regarding Climate Change; 6) NATO and European Security; 7) AI and American National Security; and 8) The Middle East.
Participants each formed their own opinions and submitted their thoughts to the Foreign Policy Association, which compiles the surveys and presents them to Congress.
Here in PebbleCreek, two guidelines ensure civil discourse:
1. Participants cite sources of new information—a newspaper, a book, or a trusted source.
2. During discussions, participants address the topic, not the previous speaker. If they disagree, they don’t point out why someone’s idea is wrong, but suggest another way of looking at the issue. Participants are concerned, not about politics, but about possible consequences of decisions.
PebbleCreek participants bring a wide variety of professional experience, but no one is an expert, and all opinions are welcome. The common sources of information are Great Decisions’ book and DVD, the latter featuring Prof. Jeffrey Morton.
LifeLong Learning offers the series of eight weekly Great Decisions meetings from January through mid-March. Registration opens after FPA announces topics in October. Organizers hope even more residents will join them in 2026!
For more information, see FPA.org.
Centenarian Espoused Holistic Medicine
Bill Nee
When I was a small boy growing up in Ohio, my mother often repeated a family parable to me: “Love is the greatest thing in the world, of it we have a great store; the more you give and give and give again, you will always have plenty more.” Love is endless.
The TED Talk this month is from Dr. Gladys McGarey, known as the Mother of Holistic Medicine. A Scottsdale medical visionary, she was a physician and author of the book “Living Medicine.” She delivered this TEDx presentation when she was 100 years old, prior to her death last year, at nearly age 104. She shares her personal views of holistic medicine and the importance of integrating simple things to maximize health and living.
Among the insights McGarey shared were the “Five L’s of Life: Living, Love, Laughter, Labor, and Listening,” which stand out as guiding principles for a meaningful life. She believed their integration is the secret to a longer, healthier, happier life, manifested through love. Her philosophy was that love is at the center, and healing comes from within each of us.
To learn more about her years of wisdom, open YouTube and, in the search area, type in the title of her TEDx Talk, “100 Years in Medicine.” Enjoy listening to the 20.5-minute program on holistic health. Remember, you will never run out of love.