If you live alone, if your family is scattered far and wide, if you recently lost a partner or spouse, if you can’t afford the plane...
Older Women
Debunking “Successful Aging”
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. Successful aging is defined in terms of a self-centered wellness regime as opposed to a compassionate focus on the elder’s wisdom years, where giving back to society [...]
Pat Taub
Here Comes the Invisible Woman!
80 years have gone by and now it seems I’m not here at all. Here comes the invisible woman. I can’t recall when it first happened. Don’t know how I became so unseen. My tangible self was put on the shelf. Why do I feel so much less then I am? There’s so much more of me now. We might not have a choice, but we still have a voice. [...]
Pat Taub
The Book of Old Ladies – Celebrating Women of A Certain Age in Fiction
GUEST POST by KRISTINE NICHOLSON It’s about time women of a certain age get some respect in this world!!!! The Book of Old Ladies: Celebrating Women of A Certain Age in Fiction is an important catalyst in kick-starting this process. It takes a fresh look at the way women are expected to live as they age. This book stares boldly into [...]
Pat Taub
The Week I Became A Little Old Lady
Even though I’m in my 8th decade, most days I feel youngish, energetic and in step with the world, old, but not really old. This past week my self-image was radically challenged when a few random encounters forced me to recognize that I am often seen as a little old lady–a likely stereotype given my short stature and thin frame. [...]
Pat Taub
Goodbye Susan, Hello Lisa!
Lisa Savage, 62, a public school teacher from Skowhegan, Maine had been contemplating her upcoming retirement in the standard ways–a chance to travel, take up a new interest, and more time with the grandkids–when she received phone calls from several Green Party activists asking her to consider a run for the US Senate in 2020 against [...]
Pat Taub
Badass Older Women Tackling Ageism
I’m seeing a new boldness among older women who are talking back when ageist behavior is directed at them. These women are standing up for themselves and for all of us when they challenge a culture that demeans the older woman. Allow me to introduce some of these badass women: Rachel, age 69, is a frequent traveler who at just 5’ struggles [...]
Pat Taub
Aging as a Lesbian
GUEST POST By DOREEN BLUMENFELD I’m not sure there is much difference to aging as a lesbian than as a straight woman. Same aches, same muddled brain, same thinning hair, and poor eyesight. What makes lesbians different as we age? Perhaps, and only perhaps, on the surface, some lesbians have a greater appreciation for women friends and [...]
Pat Taub
Let Me Off the Anti-Aging Merry-Go-Round!
I get it. I’m not supposed to grow old because I live in a society that worships youth. My wrinkles, gray hair, sagging breasts, and flabby upper arms render me unacceptable. The anti-aging industry to the rescue. Up-to-the-minute plastic surgery procedures, facial fillers, beauty creams and medical supplements offer remedies that play [...]
Pat Taub
Why I’m Anti-Bucket List
I think I will tear my hair out if one more person asks me, “How’s your bucket list coming alone?” The implication is that I’m running out of time to see Morocco, jump out of an airplane, learn Italian or any number of demanding feats. If I were to answer, “The hell with a bucket list!” in all likelihood I’d be [...]
Pat Taub
Lessons On How to Die
When I mentioned to a friend that I was reading Katy Butler’s new book, The Art of Dying Well, her response was: “That sounds grim.” Another friend was similarly put-off, saying, “I try not to think about death. It’s too depressing.” After finishing Butler’s book I felt anything but depressed. I felt empowered [...]
Pat Taub