“Kayaking is my happy place,” says retired school secretary Linda Horton. That includes kayaking under sunny skies on quiet Lake Mahopac in Putnam County, New York, where Horton lives, but also much more.

The Retired Teachers Chapter prepares for its leadership election at a time in our nation’s history when members’ participation means more than ever.

During the pandemic, retirees in Queens are keeping busy and staying connected with each other by taking the UFT’s Si Beagle courses remotely on Zoom.

More retirees than ever are looking for support from the UFT Welfare Fund Retiree Social Services Department since the start of the pandemic. Some need practical, concrete assistance with food delivery or referrals for home care, while other who are overwhelmed by the threat of the virus need emotional support as they struggle with anxiety and isolation.

Those of us who worked to end the national nightmare of the last four years often called for a return to some sense of normal. Now we must figure out what that means. First, we need positive action to conquer the pandemic, And second, we need to fix the economy. My inclination is not to return to normalcy or normality but to join in a call for national purpose.

All eyes were on Georgia in early January for the run-off elections that would determine whether the Democrats gained a majority in the U.S. Senate. Volunteers from among the 480 UFT retirees living in Georgia took part in the battle and helped win it.