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I first met then-TDB owner and editor, Jeff Byrd, in 2005 at an event at Harmon Field during one of my first-ever visits to North Carolina. My wife, Lisa, and I had come to the area to do some road bicycling in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains, and along the beautiful roads in Landrum and the Tryon horse country.

At that time, I was still living in Jupiter, Florida, and doing a live radio broadcast called Senior LifeStyles.  During one of my first conversations with Jeff, we talked about the idea of having me submit written articles twice monthly to the TDB, and as they say, the rest is history.

Today, after 17 years and more than 400 Senior LifeStyles articles written for the TDB, at the age of 78, I like many of you, must evaluate the use of my time and energy. Honestly, my energy level is still high, but the one commodity that cannot be replaced is time, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything that is on my daily list.

Many of you may not know that in addition to having been a writer for the TDB, I am the founder and president of a local nonprofit, STAND T.A.L.L. – Thank A Local Lawman. We support law enforcement in eight counties by helping to fund their unbudgeted needs. We have raised funds to provide bulletproof protective vests and narcotics training equipment for several of the dogs of area K-9 departments including Polk County, radio equipment and field medical trauma kits, mental health seminars and tuition assistance to students enrolled in the Blue Ridge Community College Criminal Justice program to become sworn NC law enforcement officers.

I have served on three Henderson County Boards of Directors and two Hendersonville City Boards, am currently on the County Board of Equalization and Review and serve as the Financial Officer at Post 77 of the American Legion. In addition, I am a NC-certified concealed carry instructor and have been teaching classes twice per month for over eight years.

I’ve finally run out of time, and something had to be given up. Sadly, after all these years, it is my Senior LifeStyles column for the TDB. I’ve enjoyed providing what I hope has been valuable information to many readers of the paper, speaking at some of your local organizations and facilities and working for more than a decade with some of the nicest professionals in the journalism business.

I appreciate you, my readers, more than you know, and thank you and the great people at the TDB for a wonderful run.  While this is my final article, I may still be contacted by email or phone if you have a problem that you believe I may help you resolve.

While this article is my farewell, I’m not saying goodbye as our paths may cross again in the future.

Ron Kauffman is a Consultant & Expert Speaker on Issues of Aging. He is the author of “Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease.” You may contact him by phone at (828) 696-9799 or by email at: drron561@gmail.com