This past weekend I saw Raoul Peck’s powerful new documentary, “Orwell: 2+2=5.” It was inspired by George Orwell’s novel, “1984,” depicting a dystopian future where a totalitarian regime called the Party controls every aspect of life. Peck’s film is intended as a wake-up call for America. He draws parallels [...]
Pat Taub
I rankle whenever I hear the term, “successful aging,” which has become the Boomers’ mantra. I take issue because it implies there is a right and wrong way to age where successful aging is defined in terms of a self-centered wellness regime. I find it even more irritating when successful aging becomes a competitive sport with a tendency [...]
Pat Taub
If you’re looking for inspiration in tackling a new artistic venture or reviving a project, then The Painted Ladies of Portland, Maine is your ticket. Recently I sat down with the five remarkable artists who make up The Painted Ladies, curious to learn how they came together and how they support one another in their artmaking. For them, [...]
Pat Taub
In our hugely unsettled world, many are seeking refuge in the company of books. To guide you in pursuit of books that will transport, educate and inspire, I’m offering my selections for solitary reading or to share with your book group. FICTION What We Can Know by Ian McEwan McEwan’s latest work, which has critics ecstatic. The [...]
Pat Taub
Did you know, if you’re an older woman, you possess superpowers? On first reading this, you might feel baffled. Many older women have grown used to feeling diminished through the cultural messages which define us in terms of our aging bodies. But we’re much more than our wrinkles, reduced flexibility, puffy tummies and gray hairs. [...]
Pat Taub
GUEST POST by ABBY FULLER Never underestimate the power of spending three days with 4,500 principled, smart, and tireless people trying to stop a genocide. I was privileged to be among this steadfast group when I attended the Second People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit last month. The theme of the conference was “Gaza is our compass.” [...]
Pat Taub
GUEST POST by MARY LOU MACKIN Before I retired my life was safe and predictable. I couldn’t imagine what it would mean not to work. I was responsible for a large publishing team, two demanding authors, and a product line that delivered the lion’s share of company revenues year after year. I was an adept problem solver. I flew under [...]
Pat Taub
I’ve always tried to find reasons to be hopeful when the world is dark. But after reading Substack posts by Caitlin Johnstone and Jena Brown, who describe love as central to their resistance, I decided to try prioritizing love over hope in my own activism. Unlike hope which can be amorphous and intangible, like hoping for the best in people, [...]
Pat Taub
In our new upside-down world, Britain wins the dubious honor for taking terrorism to an absurd level, arresting hundreds of their elderly for terrorism simply for holding signs in support of Palestine Action, newly proscribed as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act of 2000. Succumbing to Zionist pressure, Palestine Action was labeled [...]
Pat Taub
One of the positives of aging is living an unhurried life with ample down time, offering opportunities for reflection. These moments have led me to conceive of aging in a spiritual context, giving my life new meaning. What do I mean by spiritual aging? It’s reframing ordinary moments as sacred, casting a gratitude perspective on relationships [...]
Pat Taub