Ronni Bennett, ChangingAging Contributor

GAY AND GRAY: Gay Elder Takes Up a Cause

Recently Jeremy Mykaels found himself on the wrong end of such an Ellis Act eviction and he is fighting back. He has been speaking at community events and has created EllisHurtsSeniors.org which includes a boycott list of 31 San Francisco properties not to buy because the owners recently used the Ellis Act to evict one or more senior or disabled tenants.

Since he is gay himself, he’s particularly conscious of the danger to older gay men living with HIV on fixed incomes. They have spent a lifetime creating a network of social connections and medical services they will never be able to duplicate in a new locality.

Here’s some of Mykaels’ story:

Social Security Survives – This Time

After an offer from President Obama to throw elders under the economic bus by changing the way Social Security cost-of-living adjustments are made from the current CPI-W to the chained CPI which would reduce increases, the fiscal cliff bill finally passed Tuesday night without that provision.

But not without scaring Social Security beneficiaries nearly into early graves, particularly those whose monthly income is in the hundreds of dollars – nowhere near adequate to feed, clothe and shelter oneself.

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Crabby Old Lady’s New Health Annoyance

Another year, another ailment. And nobody ever tells you to expect them.

So there was Crabby Old Lady last Thursday afternoon sitting in the place she can most frequently be found – in front of the computer. She doesn’t recall what she was doing when, with no warning, there were a bunch of black strings and spots in front of one eye.

She blinked. She blinked some more. The strings and spots remained swirling here and there as Crabby glanced from side to side.

The Kindness and Caring of a Dog

Cats are mysterious, mercurial and manipulative beings, ever unpredictable and fascinating. Certainly they are loyal to the humans they happen to like and are sometimes known to behave altruistically toward people, especially children.

That last attribute, however, is more commonly in the repertoire of dogs and this video is a beautiful example. A Labrador with a Down syndrome toddler who isn’t sure he wants the dog’s attention at all. But the dog gently and patiently perseveres.

Henri the Cat – The Worst Noel

Millions of people save some vacation for this time of year and the week between Christmas and New Years has always felt to me like a vaguely pleasant waiting period, even when I was employed and at work. Now? I’m mostly frittering away the days this year.

TGB reader, Bev Carney, keeps me up on internet happenings and she forwarded this new video of Henri the depressed French cat in an episode made especially for the season.

Some Elder Humor

Not long ago ago, I told you about a book I recently purchased titled The Art of Aging with a lot of quotations from writers of many historical eras. It continues to engage me. Here is the editor, Wayne Booth, on the subject of age humor:

”Why is humor about aging so effective – when it works – and so exasperating – at least to the elderly – most of the time? No doubt because effective comedy preserves the losses while transcending them, while too many attempts at humor simply fall into denials…”