Protests against the genocide in Gaza have become intergenerational on an unprecedented scale. When I marched against the war in Vietnam,...
Diana Athill6
Wide-Awake at 4 AM!
It seems that practically every woman I know, myself included, has trouble sleeping. Insomnia is the new hot topic. Sleep tips abound on the Internet and in popular lifestyle magazines. For many of us the issue isn’t so much falling asleep but waking up in the wee hours of the morning, and not being able to get back to sleep. Conventional [...]
Pat Taub
Don’t Let Your Thinking Box You In!
Aging can be so challenging for the older woman that it’s a wonder any of us enjoy a happy old age, but it’s within reach provided we adjust our mind set. We all can benefit from strategies to overcome the cultural negatives that box us in. It’s only natural to indulge in thinking about good times in the past. But romancing the past [...]
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
Dusting Off Your Dreams
I have a friend who’s been telling me for years that she’s going to take Italian lessons. Another friend has a long-standing dream to visit Japan. For just as long every time I pass an art supply store I revisit my dream of taking up watercolors. We’re all members of the late-in-life dream club whose engine is stalled. But it doesn’t [...]
Pat Taub
Learning to Be Old
What if the US had an official agency called “Learning to be Old”? Here’s how I imagine it: older women and men are scheduled for aging interviews where their aging progress is assessed followed by recommendations for a meaningful old age. When I show up for my interview I’m escorted to the women’s section and led [...]
Pat Taub
14 Principles for Thoughtful Aging
After blogging about aging for over two years now I challenged myself to come up with guidelines for thoughtful aging. I’ve distilled into 14 principles what I’ve learned from life experience, reading, talking with close friends and interviews with wise women. Embrace Your Failures During the 1970’s when I was studying family therapy, [...]
Pat Taub