ESSAYS
I once loved Cuba, then got over it; has Bernie Sanders?
NY Daily Times
It’s hard to overstate the romantic appeal of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara to 60s radicals like Bernie Sanders and myself. I am about the same age as him and came of age politically at the same time he did. With its funky fatigues, beards and revolutionary rhetoric, the Cuban revolution captivated us lefties. I was especially besotted with Fidel, whom I saw speak in Central Park in 1959. Unlike Khrushchev and Eastern European Communist dictators who were pudgy, interchangeable bullies, he and Che were sexy — with all the fiery charisma lacking in other Communist leaders. I gazed longingly at the iconic poster of Che on my dorm room wall and dreamed about joining the guerillas in the hills of Bolivia.
I Wasted Decades Feeling Fat and Ugly
Salon
I was a fat kid, a fat teen, a fat adult, and have been “fat shamed” ever since I can remember. When I was a kid they just called it “teasing.” But there is one moment that stands out as the most humiliating of my life.
Like the Pro-Trump rioters, I Was Once Almost Indoctrinated Into Violent Revolution
The Independent
I couldn’t find one other person on that trip who agreed that trying to violently overthrow the US government was insanity. That such a thirst for blood had taken over a group of otherwise ordinary, middle-class kids was incomprehensible to me — and scary.
Inside the Effort to Flip the Last Republican Seat in Broward County, Florida
The Independent
So goes Broward, so goes Florida, so goes the entire election, according to pundits. As I sat in the rain in a library parking lot in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, trying to get up the nerve to approach strangers on the first day of early voting, I wondered what the hell I was doing there. Why had I volunteered for Linda Thompson Gonzalez, a down-ballot Democrat running for the state house in Broward County?
I’m in My 70s. My Closest Friends are Decades Younger Than I Am
The Washington Post
“She’s just a young woman wrapped up in an old body,” this newspaper once wrote of Disco Sally, a 77-year-old woman who dirty-danced all night with the young, wild kids at Studio 54 in New York. When I read about the recently widowed former lawyer in the 1970s, she had a boyfriend in his 20s, and the likes of Bill Murray and Dustin Hoffman were lining up to dance with her.
Eulogy for a BFF
Snarky Senior
I’m not an easy person to get along with—I admit it. I’m pushy, curmudgeonly, sarcastic. At one time or another I’ve had fallings out with all my friends. Except Lonnie. Lonnie is the one friend I never lost—until last week. She died at age 79 after a long bout with cancer. We were the same age. She was the closest to a sister that I had, or will ever have. She fought fiercely to live. In the words of Dylan Thomas, she did not go gentle into that good night. She raged, raged against the dying of the light. I would never have expected that since she was self-effacing by nature and never fought for anything else.
Old, Oldster, Elder, Senior. Which One Are You?
Snarky Senior
Elder, older, older adult, senior citizen, golden-ager, retiree, what do we want to be called when we get to “a certain age?” Whatever term you use, it’s guaranteed that them’s going to be fightin’ words for at least some people who have reached that age.
ESSAYS
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I once loved Cuba, then got over it; has Bernie Sanders?
I wasted decades feeling fat and ugly
Like the pro-Trump rioters, I was once almost indoctrinated into violent revolution
Inside the effort to flip the last Republican seat in Broward County, Florida
Perspective | I’m in my 70s. My closest friends are decades younger than I am.
Eulogy for a BFF
Old, Oldster, Elder, Senior. Which One Are You?
ARTICLES
The Problems with Hearing Aids—and the Solutions
Salon.com
If you find yourself straining to hear in crowded places or saying, “What did you say,” more often than you used to, you may need a hearing aid. If despite the strain, you tell yourself that your hearing’s fine, you’re not alone.
Taking This Bee Pollen Product Will Clear Up Your Sinuses For Good
Women’s World
TV reporter Melike Ayan grimaced to herself during an on-air interview. “I must sound like Donald Duck!” she worried. “What was the last question I asked?” The 49-year-old couldn’t remember, as the congested sound of her own voice had been echoing in her head, making it impossible to focus.
Can Zumba Help Reduce High Blood Pressure?
Women’s World
With her blood pressure at 160 over 100, Antoinette Paris was determined to do whatever it took to avoid suffering a stroke, as her father had. But she never imagined she would dance her way back to health! Find out how Antoinette discovered Zumba, and why it helped her so much more than other forms of exercise.
On the Go with Ridesharing Apps
Senior Planet
Are you wondering how to call a cab in the era of Uber and Lyft? And what is ridesharing, anyway? Now that people are gathering again at concerts, theatres, restaurants, and other venues, how can seniors get where they’re going without a car? Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are the obvious answer. But – it takes tech savvy to sign up for ridesharing apps…and they’re not as simple as the younger generation makes them seem.
How Green Are Your Gadgets?
Senior Planet
Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd. Why not take a look at how you—as an individual or family—can go green and help save the planet by lowering your carbon footprint?
Why Used Hearing Aids Aren’t a Good Idea
HealthCentral
Used hearing aids may seem like a good way to save, but they could cost you in the long run. Here are other things to avoid when shopping for a hearing aid.
How to Tell Your Adult Children You’re Divorcing
Next Avenue
In the past 20 years, the divorce rate among people over 50 has surged by more than 50 percent, even as overall divorce rates have stabilized. Few parents in this age group have any idea how to break the news to their 20- or 30-something offspring. Couples who wait until their kids are grown to split up may mistakenly assume that their children won’t be traumatized by their divorce. As a result, many don’t exercise the same kind of care and consideration as they would with younger children. But when it comes to divorce, it appears that the kids are never grown.
ARTICLES BLOCKS
The problems with hearing aids — and the solutions
Taking This Bee Pollen Product Will Clear Up Your Sinuses For Good
Can Zumba Help Reduce High Blood Pressure?
On the Go with Ridesharing Apps - Senior Planet from AARP
How Green Are Your Gadgets? - Senior Planet from AARP
Why Used Hearing Aids Aren’t a Good Idea
How to Tell Your Adult Children You’re Divorcing
LIFE EXP INTERVIEWS
Award-winning journalist Andrea King Collier talks about aging
Online dating: Is it for you?
Jazz musician Joan Cartwright on being a Renaissance woman
Interview with anti-ageism activist Ashton Applewhite
LIFE EXPERIENCED ARTICLES
Streaming movies with older actors
Traveling North America this summer
How to find younger friends in your older years
Volunteering to help yourself
LIFE EXP ALL TEXT
Streaming Movies with Older Actors
It’s hard to find recent streaming films with older actors and themes that speak to an older audience, but there are a few. Here are the ones I recommend. Warning: They weren’t all hits with the critics, but my usually high standards are flexible when it comes to film fare with older actors—it’s so hard to come by.
Award-winning journalist Andrea King Collier talks about Aging
Traveling North America This Summer
At a pizza dinner after the women’s group, the subject of summer travel came up. Two women who travel together reported that their trip to Eastern Europe had been postponed yet again after being rescheduled three times since 2019. No one could have predicted a pandemic and now a war. Others considered cruises, but the horrifying stories of being trapped on a boat in a foreign port because of COVID-19 put the kibosh on that choice. Same for plane trips to foreign shores—who knew when a lockdown might keep you from coming home? Only one brave person was going to Belize to join her family—but that’s at least on the same continent.
We wound up discussing travel within the U.S. I love car and train trips and voted for staying close to home because of all the uncertainty. If you are itching to get away this summer, here are some trips to consider.
How to Find Younger Friends in Your Older Years
I will not sugarcoat the reality here: It’s HARD to make friends as you age, especially younger friends. We live in an age-segregated society where ageism is rampant. Most of us stick to our own kind for a reason—people our own age are most likely to accept us as equals, and we’re in the same stage of life, in our case dealing with retirement, with health issues, and with grown children and grandchildren. That said, it’s incredibly rewarding to have younger friends. They bring a fresh and entirely new perspective. And intergenerational friendships are good for your health—physical and mental—according to this article.
Volunteering to Help Yourself
I’ve always felt guilty about not volunteering for the local food bank or other good causes. I avoid signing up because I hate being over-scheduled and worry about feeling obligated, especially if I’m not being paid. I run a number of Meetup book clubs and other groups, but I never used to consider that “volunteering.” I even pay for a Meetup membership to do so because I enjoy it.
That made me realize that volunteering is whatever you want it to be. It’s your time, and you get to choose. What is clear is that volunteering will not only help others, but it will also help you by lessening depression, increasing optimism and sense of purpose in life, and counteracting loneliness. Volunteering only two hours a week is associated with a reduced risk of death in older adults.
Interviews
Online Dating: Is It For You?
Life Experienced
Meet Joan Price, retired high school teacher, health and fitness writer, and author of the candid memoir Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk About Sex After Sixty and three other books. As an advocate for ageless sexuality, Joan is an upbeat, warm, friendly expert who is chock-full of information for all of us baby boomers looking to meet someone special. She found love in her 70s through online dating and has great advice for those of you willing to try it.
Jazz Musician Joan Cartwright on Being a Renaissance Woman
Life Experienced
Dr. Joan Cartwright, age 74, began singing at the age of 4 and never stopped. An explosive jazz and blues singer, composer, and educator, she has performed in the U.S. and Europe for 30 years—and she holds a doctorate in business administration. A fervent advocate for women in music, she spearheads Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization that promotes female musicians globally. She’s written and published 14 books, including her own original music. She also publishes two magazines—MusicwomanMagazine.com and MusicmanMagazine.com—hosts a podcast, and puts out a monthly newsletter. As if that wasn’t enough for one person, she teaches public speaking four days a week at a local college. I interviewed this fascinating, multitalented woman hoping to find out the secret of her nonstop energy.
Interview with Anti-ageism Activist Ashton Applewhite
Life Experienced
Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, is the Gloria Steinem of the anti-ageism movement. She didn’t invent it, but she is the movement’s tireless cheerleader, spearheading it with books, speeches—including a TED Talk—her Twitter feed, her website, and Old School, a repository of resources about ageism. If we didn’t have Ashton Applewhite, we’d have to invent her. We spoke about why ageism is so harmful to everyone no matter their age and about recent advances in the movement.
