One of the joys of my retirement is the Creative Retirement Institute, the lifelong learning program at Edmonds Community College, where I take classes, occasionally teach one, and as a volunteer manage  CRI’s advertising  besides writing a monthly column for this newspaper.

CRI is a wonderful program that offers non-credit, college-level courses to older adults at very low cost plus opportunities to make new friends.

The courses deal mostly with the humanities and sciences as well as current trends. There are no exams or grades – just the enjoyment of learning.

Because those of us already involved in CRI think so highly of the program, we feel we should tell as many people as possible about it, and so we send out as many messages as we can.

As for me, I was born in New York City but grew up in Boston and a factory town near there.

My career has led me into several communication arenas.

Early on, I was an announcer for Boston radio and television stations, including WGBH-FM, where I announced the Tanglewood concerts of the Boston Symphony for three seasons.

I’ve also taught English to high school and college students, including a Fulbright year in England.

Most of my career has been in corporate and marketing communications for financial service companies in the East and Midwest.

I have a bachelor’s degree from Emerson College and a master’s from Harvard.

My wife Beryl and I are pleased to be in the Northwest, where we are close to our daughter Louise, recently retired as principal dancer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and our granddaughter Emma. Our son Phil is in St. Louis, where he is a manager for a video and tv production facility.