Flora Davis has written scores of magazine articles and is the author of five nonfiction books, including the award-winning Moving the Mountain: The Women’s Movement in America Since 1960 (1991, 1999). She currently lives in a retirement community and continues to work as a writer.
Turning 90 December 17, 2024 - When someone turns 100, others ask, “How did you manage to live so long?” I’m about to turn 90, and nobody has asked me that yet, but I’ve been thinking about it. I’m guessing I’ve survived this long thanks to…
The Upside and Downside of Being Owned by a Cat September 10, 2024 - I love my cat, but until now, I hadn’t thought of her as a way to stay healthy. In fact, when I first brought Velvet—a small, feisty black kitty—home, I thought of her as a dog substitute. My beloved dog…
What’s Your Biological Age? July 10, 2024 - I used to feel young for my age (89). At times, I felt almost guilty about that as I passed other residents in the hallways of our retirement community, walking fast because I was always late and because walking fast…
Retirement as Identity Crisis June 19, 2024 - My sister taught in elementary schools for most of her adult life. She was in her 50s when she was laid off by the private school where she’d worked for years—an involuntary retirement. She was terribly upset. “Teaching isn’t what…
I No Longer Speak the Language May 9, 2024 - I’m feeling old, incompetent and frustrated. Over the past few days, my devices all failed me. The TV wouldn’t stream, my cell phone wouldn’t text, the printer refused to print, my tablet failed to download an Audible book I’d bought…
To Drive or Not to Drive March 19, 2024 - Back when my husband was in his 70s, he kept having fender benders. He was losing his eyesight, and I knew he should stop driving, but he refused. After each minor accident, he rationalized that it could have happened to…
On Death and Hearing Aids December 28, 2023 - When I was merely middle-aged, I sometimes wondered how those who were in their waning years coped with knowing that they weren’t likely to live much longer. One day, I got the chance to ask the mother of a friend…
Acupunctured October 17, 2023 - When my doctor first suggested I try acupuncture to relieve my lower back pain, I was dubious. Would my Medicare Advantage plan pay for it? To my surprise, it would. Was it available nearby? It was. But I was still…
False Alarms September 15, 2023 - At 88, I’m mostly a homebody, no longer much interested in travel, but recently I drove halfway across New Jersey to see a play my son, Jeffrey, directed at a community theater. I couldn’t come back the same day because…
Smartphone Saga July 5, 2023 - My cellphone failed recently, and the experience taught me a few uncomfortable things about myself. For one thing, apparently I’m a technophobe. It’s a long story. About a month ago, I was sitting in my car with my friend, Jeanne,…
It’s Not Because You’re Aging May 17, 2023 - Once you reach a certain age, it’s hard not to blame your problems on aging. Even when you know better. That’s what happened with a seemingly trivial difficulty I had the other day. That morning, when I picked up my…
Daylight Saving Forever? March 7, 2023 - Daylight saving time will begin on March 12, and I’m not looking forward to it. Every year after we lose that hour of sleep, I feel groggy for days. Now that I’m in my 80s, it hits me harder than…
Gallows Humor February 14, 2023 - I live in a retirement community, and when somebody turns 90 here, we like to celebrate. A few months ago, a friend had a 90th birthday party that made me envious. I’m just 88, but I announced that I too…
How Dry Eye Am January 20, 2023 - I’ve just spent a couple of hours on my computer, and the words on my screen are beginning to blur. I have something called dry eye disease (DED), as do quite a few of my friends. Sixteen million Americans have…
Memory Hacks November 8, 2022 - When I was young, I could memorize epic poems with ease and recite the Gettysburg Address years after I learned it in school. I seldom forgot the names of books I’d read, the films I’d seen or who starred in…
Is Old Age Overrated? October 14, 2022 - Yes, that’s a joke. It has to be, in a culture where most people expect the worst of their later years. But that wasn’t me. I launched myself into my 70s and 80s with gusto. Lately, though, I’ve been wondering…
Confessions of a Worrywart September 21, 2022 - My mother used to do what I call “prophylactic worrying.” In the late afternoon every weekday, she’d worry about my father, who was driving home on a busy highway where there were lots of car accidents. She once admitted she…
Just the Facts July 12, 2022 - In this age of online falsehoods and conspiracy theories, it’s sometimes hard to figure out what’s true and what’s not, so I was fascinated when I read about a study done early in the pandemic. It set out to determine…
Overdosing on Sleep June 10, 2022 - I used to worry about my late husband because he spent so much time sleeping. Sometimes he’d log a solid eight hours overnight and then refuse to get up in the morning, dozing on until early afternoon. I assumed, as…
Aging, Fast or Slow April 19, 2022 - When my daughter became pregnant for the first time at 45—with no help from modern medicine—she was told she was probably aging slowly, since it’s rare for women to conceive at that age. She might even be a future centenarian. …
