Not for the faint of heart

I’ve noticed a new phenomenon recently. I get a bunch of emails every day from companies with promotions trying to sell me stuff. Within the past few weeks, I have received a heaping handful of emails from such companies asking me if I would like to opt out of receiving Mother’s Day emails. The emails go on to say that they understand that Mother’s Day can be emotionally difficult for many, so to save me from the upsetting nature of an email promoting a Mother’s Day sale, I am given the option of not getting those messages. Each time I’ve received one of these emails, I wonder if the senders have considered just how troubled I might be to receive an email mentioning how troubling Mother’s Day can be. Then, the evening news anchors warn that the next topic coming up may be disturbing to some viewers. Isn’t that what the news is—information about disturbing current events? Trigger warnings have been around on college campuses and elsewhere for some time now. Originally, the warnings were intended to alert individuals about potentially distressing images and content related to traumatic events such as sexual and physical assaults. The inclination to protect people from reliving traumatic episodes is commendable, but the trigger warnings have expanded to include just about anything that might be controversial or evoke bad feelings. Sensitivity is a good thing, but maybe it’s gone too far. Life includes conflict, unwelcome comments, and all sorts of unpleasantness. Humans need to learn how to cope with these confrontations rather than always hiding from them. Maybe it’s just me. In a strange twist, I think I am being triggered by too many triggers and sensitive to too much sensitivity.

Stay safe and healthy,

Tracy Jacobs

Jacqueline “Jackie” Gratz

March 20, 1937–April 26, 2023

As we were going to press on this newsletter, we received the sad news that Jackie Gratz has died. Many of you remember Jackie as longtime director of our Osher program. She was also a classmate and good friend to many of you as well. Jackie and her late husband, Eric, placed a high value on the lifelong pursuit of learning. As director and chair of the curriculum committee, Jackie fully dedicated herself to creating a program that offers outstanding instructors and wide variety of classes. I know that we will all remember Jackie fondly and give thanks to all of her amazing contributions to Osher at Towson University. We will provide further information as it is made available to us.

The National Liberty Museum and the Barnes Museum

Monday, May 8, 2023
$85/per person

Come to Philadelphia to view art exhibits at the National Liberty Museum and the Barnes Museum. We will start at the National Liberty Museum which boasts a wonderful collection of glass art. Osher instructor and glass art expert, Howard Cohen, will be on the trip to give insights into the work on view. Then we head to the Barnes Museum which houses over 150 Renoir paintings, Picassos, and more. There is a special exhibit of two acclaimed contemporary South African artists, Sue Williamson and Lebohang Kganye. Lunch is on your own at either the Garden Restaurant (reservations suggested) or the Reflections Cafe in the Barnes. This trip is open to Osher members and others.

Departure from 7400 York Road rear parking lot at 8:30 a.m. Return at approximately 5:30 p.m.

We’ve got an incredible lineup of interesting lectures as part of the 2023 Osher Summer Lecture Series. Join us this summer for presentations on Juneteenth, the history of America’s World’s Fairs, the Elgin Marbles controversy, the brain and its capacity for creating metaphors, the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, the 100th anniversary of Warner Brothers, the great mid-century acting instructors, and the Battle of Tarawa through the eyes of a forensic anthropologist. Keep your eyes open for the schedule and registration information—coming soon!