It’s been just one week since Trump won the Presidential election, catapulting many into despair, terrified of his campaign pledges...
Aging Thoughtfully10
Bastille Day, Cool Older Maine Women & Practicing Gratitude
Happy Bastille Day to All You Francophiles! I’ve had the good fortune to celebrate Bastille Day in France. I was just 19 and spending the summer in the small French town of Chambon-sur-Lignon in the French Alps. I was part of an international work camp helping out at a secondary school. The Bastille Day celebration went on into the wee hours [...]
Pat Taub
Dressing Cheerfully, Carrie Fisher & Thoughtful Aging
An Older Woman with a Positive Attitude I took this photo of Sandi on Pine Street in Portland’s West End. She was flattered that I asked to take her picture. I complimented her, “Your red hat is wonderful.” Her response, “I’m very proud of it. I decorated it myself.” I love Sandi’s entire colorful ensemble and her accompanying [...]
Pat Taub
Why Do Mothers-in-Law Get a Bad Rap?
“A mother-in-law should be blind in one eye and deaf in one ear.” —Armenian proverb Without going to this extreme, many contemporary mothers-in-law make conscious efforts to monitor their behavior, but often to no avail. Once a woman becomes a mother-in-law she’s typically the butt of mother-in-law jokes and pejorative labels. [...]
Pat Taub
Alexandra Merrill: Aging Meaningfully
“I’m not done with my transformation.” Alexandra Merrill, on the cusp of 80, quoting Stanley Kunitz in his poem, The Layers, which he wrote upon turning 90. Zanda, as she is called, embodies aging meaningfully. I’m proposing substituting “aging meaningfully” with the commonly used phrase “aging successfully,” [...]
Pat Taub
Celebrating the WOW Facebook Community
Today marks my 100th posting since launching WOW in August 2015. WOW came about when, looking for resources for my course “Women and Aging,” I goggled “blogs for older women.” To my dismay the vast majority consisted of advice on how to dress younger, lure a man, up your sex drive, cosmetic surgery and the like. In other words, how [...]
Pat Taub
I Can Play Too? …if only I knew how
by Gwen McCauley, guest blogger It was 1995. I was 47. I had recently received the biggest promotion of my life through hard work, dedication and a strategic mind. And I discovered in a moment of devastating insight that I was unable to play. What the hell was wrong with me? My executive team had one of those team-building events so popular [...]
Pat Taub
Yes, You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks!
“Don’t bother trying to explain that to her. She’s too old to get it.” This is typical of the way older adults are dismissed in our youth-obsessed culture, which stereotypes older people as too set in their ways to change. Hold on! I’m in my eighth decade. I’m anything but set in my ways. I continue to find new challenges to keep [...]
Pat Taub
White Privilege: Me?
Like the vast majority of white Americans I’ve been numb to my white privilege for most of my life. As a progressive thinker and activist, I never thought of myself as racist—that is until the Black Lives Matter Movement challenged whites to examine their privilege, publishing article after article highlighting our bubble. It’s impossible [...]
Pat Taub
Lisa & Janet: Advice from Seasoned Activists
As concerned Americans take on Trump’s regressive policies, there’s a new urgency afoot. We can’t afford to waste time on ill-fated resistance. A good way to sharpen our activist tools is to pay attention to what seasoned activists can teach us. In this post, two of my favorite activists, Lisa Savage and Janet Weil, both in their [...]
Pat Taub
“Make Me Look 20 Years Younger”
Recently a professional photographer told me, “Every time I photograph an older woman she says, “Make me look 20 years younger.” I incredulously responded, “Every time?” “Without fail,” was his affirmative answer. What a sorry state for women! How can we ever enjoy old age if we hate the faces that accompany it? Our [...]
Pat Taub