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A Fine Romance February 12, 2022 by Pepper Evans - The pandemic’s isolation and loneliness hit us hard. At residential care facilities, some residents were locked in, meals left at the door, no one in or out. People who are homebound turned to delivery services, cautioned against having any face-to-face…
More Risk? More life? More Responsibility January 25, 2022 by Margaret Morganroth Gullette - Joy! Our first live theater event in almost two years, last week. With the booster and masked, my husband and I delightedly saw a one-woman show set in the 1960s, Queens Girl in the World, in which Jasmine Rush skillfully…
A Loss Without a Funeral January 18, 2022 by Pepper Evans - After months of medical intervention and prayer, a friend made the agonizing decision to euthanize her very old, very loyal dog. I am an animal lover who has been in her shoes, so I could appreciate what she was going…
Life Stories December 27, 2021 by Marc Blesoff - Five years ago, I scoffed when I heard older people comment about starting to read their local obituary columns. I smirked to myself as I wondered if they had anything better to do with their time. Recently, I was startled…
Books to Give or Keep, 2021 December 3, 2021 by Pepper Evans - Silver Century regularly recommends books—fiction, nonfiction, memoirs—that we feel reflect our mission by portraying aging in a positive light or that offer insights from thought leaders in the field of aging. Here are some of our favorites for holiday giving…
Inner Voices November 18, 2021 by Flora Davis - If nothing is going on around you and your thoughts are wandering, what do those thoughts sound like—or look like—inside your mind? Everybody’s answer to that is probably different. According to an article in the Guardian, some deaf people don’t…
So What If I’m Old November 16, 2021 by Marc Blesoff - Every so often, I have a flash of insight about my own internalized ageism. When it happens, I am both disappointed and pleased. To set the stage: I am driving to a doctor’s appointment at a major downtown medical center.…
So Much Stuff November 9, 2021 by Pepper Evans - I’m a widow with two daughters in their 20s, who both live on their own. I have a two-story, four-bedroom house that is becoming harder to maintain. Could it be a good time for me to sell? It seems to…
The Geography of Ageism October 26, 2021 by Flora Davis - A recent study analyzed data from all 50 states (plus DC) and found that, when it comes to ageism, New Jersey is the worst. I was astounded when I read that. I’ve lived in New Jersey for most of my…
Don’t Turn Your Back October 22, 2021 by Maggie Sullivan - As recently as 1982, the late Robert Terry, MD, a groundbreaking neuropathologist working specifically on Alzheimer’s disease, was quoted in the Washington Post, saying: All diseases are depersonalizing to some extent. But you’re still human…But a person with a serious…
In the Land of Postadulthood October 15, 2021 by Marc Blesoff - Last month, I returned to the place where I grew up, to the lake where swimming had been banned earlier this summer. The cyanotoxins had cleared, so every morning I went for a swim and a kayak ride. This year,…
I Want to Be Alone, Not Lonely October 13, 2021 by Pepper Evans - There was a time when I could outlast every guest at a party. And though I gave up the bar scene decades ago, for the longest time you could still think of me as Pepper “Last Call” Evans. As I…
Ageless, Clueless … I goofed September 22, 2021 by Ashton Applewhite - During my book tour, I often closed readings with a passage about aspiring to agelessness, declaring it a form of age denial. A woman at Powell’s Books in Portland, OR, said, “Saying you’re ageless seems like saying you’re color-blind,” and…
Following Doctor’s Orders—Reluctantly September 14, 2021 by David Astley, Guest Blogger - My heart specialist has a wicked sense of humor. Every six months when I visit her for my checkup, I walk through the door of her consulting room and she says: “Wow, you are still here. I thought you’d be…
Me and We August 19, 2021 by Marc Blesoff - A few weeks ago, my granddaughter and I took a summertime walk to the local market. On the way home, the afternoon sun was at our backs. In front of me, I saw the shadow of an eight-year-old girl and…
Stop Me if I Told You This Already August 18, 2021 by Pepper Evans - For a while now, I’ve felt as though I’m not firing on all cylinders. I have no complaints about my health; I just feel like I’m not my old self. Not the well-oiled machine of yesterday. I’m more tired than…
At What Price Is Your Good Death? July 22, 2021 by Pepper Evans - I’m watching out my kitchen window as cars come and go from my neighbor Tony’s house. Last month, Tony celebrated his 89th birthday, and family came out of the woodwork. Last week, he left the hospital to die at home…
Hours of Angst July 20, 2021 by Marc Blesoff - I was just this side of asleep. I was lying in bed, early morning, remembering my just-waking thoughts. I had realized two really good points regarding a thorny concept I’d been pondering for weeks. It was a breakthrough and very…
Learning from the Women’s Movement’s Mistakes July 14, 2021 by Ashton Applewhite - Here’s an excerpt from Ageist? Sexist? Who, Me? How to Start a Consciousness-Raising Group Around the Intersection of Ageism and Sexism (out later this spring from the Old School Clearinghouse). It’s about how women with privilege have left other women behind in the…
Have a Ball June 25, 2021 by Pepper Evans - When a 70-something friend went to a podiatrist for foot issues, the prescription for alleviating the pain—mostly in her arches—involved a golf ball. Not to walk the links with her clubs, but to massage foot muscles by rolling her bare…
A Hidden Epidemic Threatens Older Adults: Malnutrition - For most of her life, Jenny Anne Horst-Martz’s mother worked hard to stay slender. But now, at age 90, her mother struggles to keep enough weight on. The problem started a few years ago when her mother was injured in…
The Parade of Aides - Working as a caregiver for a friend or family member is a rewarding but stressful job. When my mom qualified for an aide (thanks to the pooled income trust and Medicaid), it gave me a break during the day to…