The Aging Perspective

I am not kidding when I say, “Standing in line is one of the most valuable lessons we learn and practice at an early age throughout our childhood development." Taking direction and holding under the pressure of just waiting while one is required to remain orderly and dignified is an act to help save us all from ourselves. It’s an underrated noble practice that molds us into civilized beings. Consider, according to Brainboost.com we spend about 10 years over an average lifetime of just standing in line. Yikes!  While this sounds outrageous, I think two years is more than enough....

I have always been impressed with Anna Mary Robertson Moses, also known as, Grandma Moses. Her story is as genuine as her paintings and while I am not about to critique her artwork, I am prepared to offer four reasons why I love her. First, she was totally self-taught. She was also resourceful, and she could interpret details of her ordinary life making her a great storyteller, and lastly, she refused to let any physical challenges and age stop her from doing what she loved. She didn't even start painting until she was 78. I sometimes think when I was...

Once a place that manufactured over 60% of all of what we wore, the garment district, a rich part of our history. Aging Creative remembers on this Labor Day, the pattern cutters, the sewing machine operators and all the workers and shop owners  selling buttons and zippers. We Remember you! It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things. --Theodore Roosevelt Read this article on the history of the garment district    

First, I wish to acknowledge all those aging advocates who find the word dinosaur offensive. I simply ask you to ignore the obvious and embrace the metaphor without judgment. I recently received a hand-written note from a marketer following their visit. Now, in a world dominated by emails and texts, I was delighted to open their heartfelt message. This prompted me to make a list of all the things that I still find pleasure in while the rest of the world has modernized: Removing a record from its album sleeve, reading the cover front to back and playing a selected...

I recently presented a workshop training for my program Loving Words Again for professional caregivers, at a local home health agency, and the initial response was typical. When I asked how many yays and nays, on poetry, I received the typical 50% for each. You can't effectively teach poetry to individuals with dementia unless you feel inspired yourself, so how do you get there? I remind my participants to recognize the beauty in the words they hear every day. Like the song that comes on the radio and the words spoken over the loudspeaker at a baseball game, " And it's out...out.........out of here!"...