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Glory Days & maturity Boomers mastering the pursuit of happiness Graphed across an average lifetime, the happiness timeline looks like a U-shaped curve. (Some call it a W, to account for the slight rise in the 30s before it dips down again — experts suspect this represents parents who are enjoying the brief respite between their kids' Terrible Twos and Even Worse Teens.) Age is just one factor researchers have associated with happiness. Others include income, health, marital status, religiosity and political affiliation. (These are correlations, by the way, not cause-effect relationships — for example, if married people are happier on aver- age it could be because marriage makes people happy, or because happy people are more likely to be mar- ried.) But unlike, say, wealth, the link between happiness and older age doesn't really make intuitive sense. Why would we grow more cheerful as we lose health, vital- ity, looks and friends? Experts aren't sure, though theories abound, said expanding, your hairline receding, and new wrinkles seem to pop up like dandelions. Sooner or later, you're bound to get bad news from the doctor. And you're happier than you've been in years. Wait — what? That's right, studies by organizations including the General Social Survey, the Pew Research Center and the Gallup Poll indicate that people in their 50s, 60s and 70s are in better spirits than younger adults. Gen- erally speaking, happiness is high when one enters one's 20s, slides downhill through the 30s and 40s, and swoops up again after 50, continuing to soar for sever- al decades. You suffer more aches and pains. Your middle is ORLANDO, Fla. (MCT) — Dan Yates pulled up to First Baptist Church Windermere last week and parked amid the cars and SUVs in the lot. But his vehicle didn't have a license tag, doors or even a windshield. A few times a week, Yates, 37, drives a golf cart to pick up his 4-year- old son, Finnigan, from school at the church. "It's just easier," said Yates, who lives less than a quarter-mile from First Baptist. "In a lot of ways, it's quicker. It's a lot less stressful." And now it's legal in Windermere, Fla. University of Minnesota psychologist Angus W. Mac- Donald, who teaches a course on happiness. One possibility, MacDonald said, is that people typ- ically spend early- to mid-adulthood stressing over their life goals: building a career, getting married, hav- ing and raising children. Later, having achieved those goals — or content to have passed them up — people can relax into a sense of satisfaction. Or maybe people build stronger coping mechanisms as they age. They keep their expectations modest. They look on the bright side. They anticipate their own reac- tions to events and make choices they've learned will improve their moods. "You have solved a bunch of problems, some of them you felt crappy about and oth- ers you felt better about, and you begin to learn from that," MacDonald said. Last month, the south- west Orange County town became the latest commu- nity in central Florida to allow golf carts on many of its streets. It joined a growing number of municipalities that have made it easier to zip to a friend's house or run to the grocery store in vehi- cles usually found on fair- ways. The people driving the carts aren't all golfers; many use them just for convenience and energy savings. "It's just a nice little lifestyles Golf carts travel on more city streets way to get around," said Town Manager Robert Smith, who said that 20 to 30 residents own and use golf carts in Windermere. In The Villages, the As for declining health, in early old age those bad diagnoses may typically come far enough apart not to lastingly thwart happiness, MacDonald said. Research indicates that the impact of momentous events, however wonderful or terrible, tends to be temporary. You revel in your new lottery riches or despair over your new dis- ability, but eventually slip back to whatever level of hap- piness you experienced before they came along. Whatever the explanation, Robert Kane, director of the university's Center on Aging, cautions against let- ting the image of the happy oldster distract from harsh- er realities. "I go to too many gerontology meetings where they try and tell people that old age is fun," he said. "Take it from me, it's not." People enjoying financial security, robust health and active social lives may be happy, Kane said, but "there are a lot of very unhappy old people" who are poor, sick or isolated. A society that doesn't fully recognize their existence won't feel much urgency about address- ing those problems. Jacoby, author of "Never Say Die: The Myth and Mar- keting of the New Old Age" is skeptical of researchers' tendency to lump "very happy" and "pretty happy" together as a response category, though the latter may be perfunctory — easier to tell a stranger than "I'm unhappy." Also, researchers may overlook people in adverse conditions, such as those suffering from dementia, thereby skewing the results toward peers in better circumstances. Indeed, the research itself may be misleading. Susan The studies generally focus on the "young old" under 85, sometimes entirely omitting the "old old" — among whom, she said, happiness tends to diminish sharply. sprawling retirement community northwest of Orlando, golf carts are one of the most popular modes of transportation, with thousands of carts operating on the area's 100 miles of trails. And in Tavares, Fla., where there are four charging stations down- town, golf carts parked on Rockingham Avenue, near City Hall, are a com- mon sight, said City Man- ager John Drury, who dri- ves an electric cart to work most days. "I enjoy the wind in my face," Drury said. But though the carts may seem like an easy way to get around town, the regulations some com- munities impose on them aren't so simple. In Windermere, opera- tors must be at least 15 years old and have a dri- ver's license or learner's permit. Carts must be insured. And though it's OK to drive on many resi- dential dirt roads that have speed limits of 25 mph or less, operating a cart on Main Street isn't allowed because there's too much traffic. Before Windermere enacted its golf-cart ordi- nance, there was "lot of gray area," said Deputy Police Chief Arthur Mueller. The new ordi- nance gives the town's officers written guide- lines, Smith said. Saturday, October 13, 2012 – Daily News 5B MCT photo Dan Yates, right, of Windermere, picks up his son Finnigann, 4, from school at First Baptist Church Windermere, Florida, October 2, 2012. Last month, the town of Windermere became latest community in Central Florida to pass a golf cart ordinance. operators to get a $30 decal before their carts are street-legal. "Every community is different," said Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson Kim Montes. "It does get con- fusing. We typically don't get involved in the munic- ipalities." But troopers will stop golf-cart drivers for viola- tions such as driving on the sidewalk or driving under the influence. Dri- vers must obey all state and local traffic laws, she said. Ocoee, Fla., which adopted its ordinance last year after a request from a resident, allows golf carts only in designated "golf- cart communities" — mostly residential neigh- borhoods near Starke Lake. And Fruitland Park in Lake County requires and Winter Park, along with unincorporated Orange and Seminole counties, don't specifical- ly permit golf carts, which means they're covered by the state law that prohibits the carts on streets and roads. Cities such as Orlando shield wipers and a horn, and it has to be registered just like a car. LSVs can be seen in downtown Orlando taxiing bar-hop- pers most weekend nights. Those who buy golf carts or LSVs usually do so to save money on gas, said Justin Gannon, gen- eral manager of Diversi- fied Golf Cars (another name for golf carts) in Orlando. Carts average 18 to 22 miles on a charge, he said. New golf carts start at $5,000 and are fully cus- tomizable, Gannon said, allowing owners to choose paint color, types of tires and rims and other accessories, including electric heaters and sound systems. "You can go crazy," Gannon said. live in Florida, however, you can legally drive what's known as a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV). It looks a little like a golf cart, but it has to have headlights, taillights, turn signals, rearview mirrors, parking brakes, wind- No matter where you But Montes cautions operators not to go crazy when driving. She said most golf-cart accidents occur when drivers take turns too fast and flip the carts or eject passengers. Fatalities are rare, but they do happen. "not a toy." A golf cart, she said, is Recycle The Warmth Yes, I can help! Who do you know that needs a coat? Yourself? Children? Grandchildren? Mother or Father? Neighbor? Homeless? Friend? Co-worker? Elderly? "When people live physically beyond a certain point, not only do occasional bad things happen, but bad things happen routinely," Jacoby said in a phone interview. The chances of developing dementia, for example, rise to 50-50. Optimistic baby boomers ignore this "train wreck coming at us" as they age. The media exacerbate the problem by illustrating aging with cheerful faces, such as celebrities like Jane Fonda and Harry Belafonte — people who are wealthy, attractive and fit. Most people, in fact, don't age that well, Jacoby said. "The idea is we're all going to be Betty White," she said. "Yeah, I'd a lot rather be Betty White at 90 than some other people I know who are 90. But she's the exception, not the rule." Individual Retirement Account, or IRA. Are my IRA withdrawals considered "earnings"? Could they reduce my monthly Social Security benefits? A: No. We count only the wages you earn from a job or your net profit if you're self-employed. Non-work income such as annuities, investment income, interest, capital gains, and other government benefits are not counted and will not affect your Social Security bene- fits. Most pensions will not affect your benefits either. However, your benefit may be affected by a govern- ment pension from work on which you did not pay Social Security tax. For more information, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov or call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). income; earning credits McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: I'm retired and the only income I have is from an Social Security Q&A: IRA New Place Help us get the word out. Tehama District Fairgrounds Friday, Nov. 2th 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. For over 20 years,the Daily News associates have sponsored a warm clothing/soup kitchen giveaway. It is our way of saying " we care about others". Gently used Items accepted thro ugh November 1st. • BLANKETS • COATS • HATS • SCARVES • WINTER CLOTHING Bring to the Daily News, 545 Diamond Ave. Greatest needs: X-Large sizes and Children's clothes. We sincerely appreciate everyone's participation. This event is open to any family or individual in need of winter clothing . THANK YOU! Sponsored by Getting the word out about Recycle The Warmth. Setting up at the fairgrounds the night before giveaway, Nov. 1st Setting up morning of giveaway, Nov. 2, ( Begins at 2:00 p.m .) Roving help during giveaway. Tearing down afterward, boxing up, cleaning up. ( Ends at 7:00 pm. ) We Also Need: FREE c lothing, blankets and food will be available for all. Please help us pass the word to families and individuals who would benefit from this event. Help with LIFT Your own unique skill or talent Name Phone # E-mail Please return this form to Daily News, 545 Diamond Ave. Call 527-2151, ext 129 (DailyNews) or e-mail: production@redbluffdailynews.com RecycleTheWarmth.weebly .com