Initially my plan in interviewing Penny Rosenwasser, a founding board member of Jewish Voice for Peace, was to highlight the work...
Aging Thoughtfully10
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
Why Women Need to Stop Apologizing
What? Stop apologizing! You might be thinking, “Apologies are my way of showing respect lest I appear insensitive or rude.” I’m not suggesting that there isn’t a place for apologies in our lives, but most women apologize ad nauseum, which puts them at a disadvantage. When we constantly say, “I’m sorry” for a perceived upset in [...]
Pat Taub
Be An Older Woman Warrior
Who’s the older woman warrior? She’s the woman who, into her old age, continues to carry the torch for change because she sees this as central to aging meaningfully. She cares deeply about the world her children and grandchildren will inherit. She takes a stand for what she believes in. She’s not afraid to be controversial. She figures [...]
Pat Taub
Why A Blog for Older Women?
WOW is now 18 months old, but I’m still asked: “Do we really need another blog? Let alone one for older women.” If the world is rushing off the cliff, shouldn’t older women try to enjoy their golden years and not get distracted by the Trump White House? The very fact that Trumpism is taking over speaks to the need for the voices of [...]
Pat Taub
OLD HAIR, Guest Post by Lisa Savage
This year I took the plunge; just before turning 60, I gave in to old hair. I was inspired by Janet Weil whose essay on going gray was one of WOW’s most popular posts in 2016. My story is of course a bit different. A history of my hair would go something like this. Long braids with plaid bows tied to them lasted through kindergarten in Maine [...]
Pat Taub
Popular WOW Posts in 2016
For my end of the year post I thought it would be fun to offer highlights from some of the posts that were popular with my readers in 2016. The Joys of Living Alone (August 23rd) From the post: Older women living alone relish the independence to come and go as they like, to cook or not to cook, to read in the middle of the night, to take [...]
Pat Taub
Braving the Death and Dying Conversation
In the new heart-warming Indie film, “Other People, “ we watch a close-knit family gather around their dying mother in her last year of life. The film captures the discomfort and awkwardness with which most American family’s deal with death and dying. There is a powerful hospital scene where the mother screams, after vomiting into [...]
Pat Taub