My first response to the unretouched photos was colored by my inner ageist. I felt exposed, vulnerable and unmasked, with my 76 year old skin photographed close-up and very personal. My inner ageist dislikes the skin changes that appear with aging. My inner activist loves them. Many times I don’t live up to my own expectations when confronting ageism
Get Together for Medical Marijuana
While use of medical marijuana is gaining widespread acceptance for aches and pains, even among older adults, there’s something else the herb offers that may be its most important benefit. A reason to gather, to socialize — and help overcome the health hazards of loneliness, isolation and despair.
The Paradox of Change: An Analogy Between the Women’s Movement and the Positive Ageing Movement.
I was fortunate enough to be an active participant in the Women’s Movement of the 60s and 70s. Not only was this pressure group dynamically underway but the mood of this era was vibrant: the back and foreground of exciting change included the Peace Movement, new music, different ways of being, Woodstock, love-ins, gurus, LSD, […]
On the Value of Weeds
Very old people, those ubiquitous plants we either ignore or try to eradicate from the neat mental landscape of our lives, are omnipresent reminders that vitality can appear anywhere and in any form.
Reflections on Retiring in the Helping Professions
Each week I shared intense intimacy with my clients and guided them where others fear to tread – into the shadow. And I feel privileged to have watched them alter ingrained self-sabotaging patterns and lead more fulfilling lives. My days were filled with depth and intimacy, and I felt gratitude. But during my 68th year […]
Gero-Punk Dharma
I have a recurring memory of meeting for an interview with one of my spiritual teachers. How many years ago did this meeting take place? I think several, perhaps even a decade has passed. I was struggling with memories around personal and family wounds over-taking me during my contemplation and meditation practices. My teacher responded […]
On “Elderhood”
A new book by geriatrician Louise Aronson calls us to rethink medicine, aging, and life itself.
The Tony Bennett Effect
Adaptability, resourcefulness, and generativity are personality traits available to us, most especially in our later years.
