Pat Taub is a family therapist, writer and activist and life-long feminist. She hopes that WOW will start a conversation among other older women who are fed up with the ageism and sexism in our culture and are looking for cohorts to affirm their value as an older woman.
The other night I had a dream where I was escorted into a sprawling tree house compound. It’s open sides allowed the residents to engage freely with one another. I felt welcomed, but was troubled by the thin, unsubstantial flooring. When I moved about it felt like the foundation could give way at any minute, hurling me down to earth. [...]
Pat Taub
If you were surprised by my heading it’s because the American press has offered scant coverage of Iceland’s remarkable feminist achievements. This is a country with a long history of championing women’s rights. In 1850 Iceland was the first country to grant equality to women. Icelandic women won the right to vote in [...]
Pat Taub
Science is beginning to recognize what most older women inherently know: there is a strong correlation between longevity and close friendships. In other words, loneliness can hasten the grim reaper’s arrival. Maybe this is why so many widowed men turn into cranky old fogies unless they remarry quickly. As a young girl I observed my mother’s [...]
Pat Taub
This post was originally printed in “Popular Resistance,” November 5. 2013. I’ve reposted it in response to the demonstrations at Standing Rock, which have a strong spiritual basis. I dedicate this post to the brave Native Americans at Standing Rock, the “water protectors.” I’ve been an activist for [...]
Pat Taub
Ann Wright is a lightening rod for peace and justice. Name a political hot spot and Ann has been there, leading one to suspect that she holds the record for frequent flyer miles on the peace and justice circuit. In the past few months alone Ann has joined in protests at Jeju Island in South Korea protesting the construction of an American [...]
Pat Taub
Let’s face it, our current Presidential campaign sucks big time. It’s been reduced to cheap entertainment where misogyny and red-baiting are the order of the day. I can’t wait for this campaign to end so serious political engagement might seep into our news stories. Hungry for hope, my spirits soared reading recent accounts of women-led [...]
Pat Taub
As I write, today is predicted to be the last day of Indian Summer in New England, which means the real fall is right around the corner. Cooler temps and more indoor time offer a welcome excuse to binge on the new season’s video and TV series along with enticing reads. To send off the 2016 fall watching-reading season, I’ve complied a [...]
Pat Taub
Most Liberals I know scratch their heads in disbelief over Donald Trump’s candidacy. Even though he’s now imploding, what he represents won’t necessarily go away if he loses the Presidency. Chris Hedges in a recent Truthdig column, warns us that if we don’t address the concerns of Trump’s constituency, another right-wing demagogue [...]
Pat Taub
When I teach “Women and Aging,” I start off by asking the participants to fill out an Aging Inventory. One of the questions is, “What is your greatest fear about aging?” Invariably 85% of the class, or higher, will answer, “Developing Alzheimer’s.” There is ample evidence to support my students’ fear of developing Alzheimer’s. [...]
Pat Taub
This past Sunday’s New York Times (9/25/16) ran the essay “Aging and the Beauty Dilemma” by Debora Spar, the President of Barnard College. Spar who is 56 (a youngster compared to the average WOW reader who is around 65) confesses to her ambivalence over plastic surgery. She admits it’s at odds with her feminist beliefs, but finds it [...]
Pat Taub