Emotion Versus Retirement Reality
By Barbara Morris - on one of her crankiest days. Should old people work? Society says it's okay as long as they don't have to work but want to. We laud those elders who find fun and satisfaction in keeping their nose to the grindstone. We say, "Isn't she great for her age" without realizing her chronological number has nothing to do with her greatness. We refuse to accept the truth that advanced chronological age does not equal or suggest incompetence. On the other hand, should old people work because financially, they have to? Absolutely not! "Someone that age should not be working … Read more
Barbara Morris
This COVID Thing – It’s More Than A Virus
No question about it. During the current (and seemingly endless) COVID situation, many people have gotten extremely sick and many died. Anyone who says COVID isn't real, is wrong. That said, something doesn't seem right. Let's step back in time when there were a variety of horrendous flu epidemics that killed huge numbers of individuals. How were those epidemics different from what we are experiencing now? The difference between then and now is this: Never before has the entire economy been shut down as a means to control the spread of an outbreak. In the past, draconian government … Read more
Joyce L. Shafer
Not Your Ordinary Sand Castle – Revisited For Such A Time As This
It’s the third week in September 2020 as I write this, which includes an article I wrote in 2007, about an event that happened in 1991. Candidly, I’ve made minor tweaks here and there, to remove any New Age references in the original article, as I’ve wisely, thankfully, exchanged New Age for the Rock of Ages. Contemporary comments are at the end of it. I hope you’ll see why this decades-old experience came to mind. Morning stretched itself awake as I made my way down to the shore and joined the handful of early risers. Lacy edges of waves lapped gently over my feet and I scrunched my toes in … Read more
Tatyana Wilson
Aretha Franklin Was Right – R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Really Matters
I know these sound like fightin’ words! Yep, I think the attitude, “I can wear whatever the %$## I please and if someone doesn’t like it or has an issue with it, that's their problem!” is dysfunctional. I could have chosen to write something soothing, comforting…maybe even encouraging, but as I get more and more fed up with the prevailing winds of disrespect in our society, I’m just gonna call BS on this whole mentality. This attitude reflects a serious lack of personal dignity. What’s Dignity Anyway? When you think of the word “dignity”, what comes to mind? I’m a pretty visual … Read more
Pat Garner
Who Decides What Is “Age Appropriate”?
As we age, I hear the term age appropriate when it comes to just about anything. I hear it relating to fashion, hair and makeup, music preferences, how we should eat, how we should live, and the list goes on. My question is are we standing in judgment when we see someone wear an item of clothing meant to be worn by someone younger? I used to jokingly say spandex is a right and not a privilege. Is age appropriate a phrase we place upon ourselves as a limiting belief that we can’t do something? Is there a section in Nordstrom’s called Age Appropriate? If there is, I haven’t seen it, have … Read more
Zenobia Silas Carson
I’m On The Senior Watch List
Let me explain how I got on the Senior Watch List. You want to know what that is? It is when you have any kind of health event and your adult children deem you a safety risk and begin purchasing senior safety stuff. Uh-huh. One month ago, I was minding my business and doing what I always do, which is normally too much, okay? I have the usual aches and pains that come with my over seventy life but nothing serious. Well, after an unusually stressful workweek that involved physical and emotional stuff, I was home, having my youngest son take pictures with his phone, when my head went woozy, … Read more
Alan Spector
Deep Roots – Strong Branches
If you are a reader of Put Old on Hold, you are likely of an age when and a mindset in which you are increasingly inclined to reflect on how your life-lessons-learned have influenced who you have become and importantly, on how you can pass those lessons along to future generations. There is an African proverb which teaches, “When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.” A complementary precept that fits the tree/life metaphor is, “When the branches are strong, there is no reason to fear climbing higher.” It is a simple leap to relate both sayings to our families, who … Read more
Good Stuff To Know October 2020
Fungi in gut linked to higher Alzheimer's risk can be reduced through ketogenic diet Specific fungi in the gut associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and found in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be altered in a beneficial manner by eating a modified Mediterranean diet, researchers have found. Insect shows promise as a good, sustainable food source With global food on the rise, a new study has found new evidence that the yellow mealworm shows promise as alternative source of nutritional protein. Is being generous the next beauty trend? New research … Read more
