Advice
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SURPRISE!!!
Last week, one of my tennis partners and I found ourselves in a heart to heart talk about aging. Her husband recently had a stroke and can’t speak. She is his fulltime caregiver. “There are so many years behind me,” she said sadly, “and so much fewer ahead.” So true. A few days later, a… Read more
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THE SKINNY ON FAT
15 years ago, my doctor put me on a low fat diet because my cholesterol was high. I followed it for a good 12 years, just long enough to watch my hair thin, my fuse shorten and my memory fuzz. It barely put a dent in my cholesterol, although my good cholesterol dropped and my… Read more
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REALITY CHECK
This is where I found myself last week, registering for Medicare. Yes, that program for OLD people; the one my grandmother was on for as long as I can remember. The whole process felt like a dream that someone—anyone–else should be doing but me. And yet? Here is where I find myself: almost 65.… Read more
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GETTING DUMBER BY THE SECOND?
Aging causes us to lose our brain-processing speed. Typically, we lose a tenth of a second of brain speed per decade from age 20 on. This minute change is very difficult to notice, even for the most tuned-in individuals, because aging occurs at a constant rate. Well, I may have lost 45 milliseconds of brain… Read more
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BLOCK SENDER!!
Last night, I met a man whose daughter was at the Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegas. She had gone with a girlfriend for an evening of fun and celebration. During the melee, her girlfriend was struck by two bullets in the hip and knee. As they tried to flee,… Read more
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PRESERVE YOUR MEMORIES
More than 40 years ago, Simon & Garfunkel recorded a song on their album, “Bookends.” It was a minute and a half piece about a photograph that said, “Preserve your memories. They’re all that’s left you.” How were they so wise at only 27? I am a hoarder of memories. For 50 some… Read more
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THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
This cute, furry-legged fellow ambled across our deck a few weeks back. Any rock climber would envy his ability to ascend a vertical face. What? You don’t think he’s cute? That’s the funny thing about the mind, isn’t it? One persons’ fascination can be anothers’ terror. This morning at Trader Joe’s, I met a charming,… Read more
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. . .A GRAIN OF SALT.
Here are some contradictory tidbits that I’ve been ‘digesting’ from recent news: Practicing yoga increases cortical brain thickness in the region responsible for executive function and induces a sense of peace in the practitioner. Yoga causes as many injuries as other sports, including “drop foot.” Salt is important for maintaining normal blood pressure and iodine… Read more
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DON’T NUKE…..CUKE!!!
If you think that today’s 20-something is, “irresponsible” and “doesn’t consider the future,” get this: People over 50, and there are 76 million of us, don’t either. In a recent survey, fully ¾ of us said that we have profound worries about aging. Our top two concerns are, “losing our independence,” and “being a burden”… Read more
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GOTTA HAND IT TO HIM
As I was getting out of the pool today, a little boy sitting on the top step looked me up and down and said matter-of-factly: “You’re squishy!” “Squishy?” I repeated. “Yes, squishy,” he said. Now I may no longer have my 20-something body but I would hardly consider myself squishy. So I plunked myself… Read more
AGEFULLY AGING 