This was Rodney King’s plea in 1992, when he was physically assaulted by the LA cops during that year’s race riots. Thirty-two...
Three Cheers for Feisty Old Broads
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day. These immortal words of Dylan Thomas are a suitable motto for Feisty Old Broads, older women who reject the stereotype of the accommodating old lady. The FOB’s are women who are fearless in their individuality. They speak truth to power, laugh a lot, have [...]
Pat Taub
Falling Down!
GUEST POST by LISA SAVAGE Years ago, before I was within range of being considered an elder, I read in a geriatric doctor’s essay that his first move with a new patient was to examine her feet thoroughly. Because staying on one’s feet is foundational to maintaining good health for elders — a fall often precipitates a cascade of [...]
Pat Taub
Dazed and Confused
I’m left dazed and confused by the responses of friends and family members who say, in spite of their reservations about Biden’s support for Israel’s unrelenting attack on Gaza, they will vote for him to stop Trump, insisting Trump will obliterate our democracy. Let’s take a close look at the anemic democracy Biden supporters are defending. [...]
Pat Taub
My Picks for Summer Reads
It’s that time of the year again when I share my selections for summer reading. Seeking to combat the stress from daily life dominated by wars, global warming and economic hardships, I’ve selected books that offer an escape into worlds that will make you laugh, be deeply moved, and think in new ways. Most of my choices are short story [...]
Pat Taub
What I Hold
This past weekend I hunkered down with treasured artist Maira Kalman’s latest book, Women Holding Things, a collection of playful drawings of women holding things accompanied by Kalman’s witty commentary. This delightful book prompted me to make a list of some of the things I hold along with those that will free me up if I stop holding [...]
Pat Taub
The Sounds of Silence
GUEST POST by MARY DUNN “… Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you But my words like silent raindrops fell And echoed in the wells of silence….” The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel These lyrics are known to many of us. A much-loved song that makes me [...]
Pat Taub
Debunking “Age Is Only A Number”
Birthday milestones are celebrated with fanfare until one reaches middle age and beyond when getting old carries a downside. A baby’s first birthday is a time when infancy moves into small personhood. Becoming a teen at 13 is seen as a beginning entry into adulthood. Other rites of passage are: obtaining a driver’s license at 16; earning [...]
Pat Taub
Talking to Penny Rosenwasser, Jewish Voice for Peace Activist
Initially my plan in interviewing Penny Rosenwasser, a founding board member of Jewish Voice for Peace, was to highlight the work of JVP. But I got more than I bargained for. Not only did I end up with a detailed understanding of JVP, but I received a courageous story of how an insecure young Jewish girl became a national and international [...]
Pat Taub
Mother’s Day and the Duty to Protect
GUEST POST by JANET WEIL “The Gaza Strip is once again the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.” –UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell “It’s the mother in me,” mused Emory University Professor of Philosophy Noëlle McAfee, as she was interviewed on campus about why she witnessed and then tried to peacefully intervene, [...]
Pat Taub
The New Anti-War Elder Activists
Protests against the genocide in Gaza have become intergenerational on an unprecedented scale. When I marched against the war in Vietnam, a grey-haired protester was a rare sighting. Many elders at the time shared the view of my then 70-something neighbor who commented, “I’ve done my part. It’s up to the younger generation now.” [...]
Pat Taub