When you are retired you are subject to a thing called "lectures." Because you have so much time on your hands you seek out these hour or hour and a half talks. They definitely help a person through a day when nothing else is scheduled.

Last week I attended three lectures. They were not related to each other directly. On my daily calendar it sure looked as if I was going to have a busy, busy week.

The first lecture was on an interesting man called King Lear. Somebody named Shakespeare wrote about this foolish royal person in the 17th century. The lecture took place at Queens College and the professor was Dr. Harry Carlson. He showed at least five DVDs of actors who played Lear. Laurence Olivier, Ian Holin and Paul Schofield were among the portrayers. Each actor brought a different nuance to the role. Lear was a vain, prideful man who alienated his family by seeking meaningless praise. His tale has value to senior citizens who are in the process of making out a will for sharing their estate.

The second lecture was held on a Wednesday evening about 7:30 at Temple Beth Torah in Westbury. The subject was the Pirkei Avout or tales and ethics of the fathers. Rabbi Michael Katz was the lecturer and he opened up the subject rather brilliantly. After the Temple at Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD the Hebrew faith was forced to change. Instead of being a temple-based religion, it became a rabbinic faith which has evolved today into Orthodox, Conservative and Reformed segments.

The third lecture I came upon by chance. I was skimming through a Pennysaver-type magazine or flier placed in my mailbox every day. Temple Sinai in Roslyn was hosting a lecture by Ir shad Manji. She is a Muslim woman who has written a book called The Trouble With Islam - A Wake-Up Call for Honesty and Change. This promised to be an interesting insight into the modern Islamic religion.

It was an unusual lecture. She offered a practical vision of how Islam can undergo reform and, ultimately, present a positive message. She spoke about these people with honesty and a sense of future hope. She is proud of her faith and the Koran and she wants to return to the best aspects of the religion.

There you have it. Three lectures - all different - all interesting - and all thought-provoking.