Category Archives: aging

Brain fitness

Posted on April 23, 2012 by stillalife

Does keeping busy keep you healthy?  Maybe.  As far as I know, researchers haven’t yet tested people who choose to behave like hamsters, moving quickly but without purpose. But a recent report on National Public Radio says they have tested people who … Continue reading →

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Act 3 of life

Posted on April 6, 2012 by stillalife

What do actress, exercise instructor and activist Jane Fonda, and the newest member of my writing class have in common?  They’re living in what Ms. Fonda calls the Third Act — the last three decades of their lives — or as my … Continue reading →

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Timeless or less time?

Posted on March 17, 2012 by stillalife

Within the last 12 months I’ve had friends diagnosed with cancer (the latest being the man who has cut my hair for more than 30 years), one die from cancer, and, thankfully, two successfully treated for cancer.  I expect that … Continue reading →

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Stay silly and live without regrets

Posted on March 2, 2012 by stillalife

What do people who are dying wish they had done differently in life?  Not a cheery topic, but an interesting one in terms of what those of us who are still alive can learn, and worth comparing to the so-called … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, grief and loss | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Through beginner’s eyes

Posted on February 24, 2012 by stillalife

Good teachers understand what it’s like to be a student. That’s what a middle school principal told me years ago, when I described my humbling experience while taking a hot glass course. I learned that sticking a metal rod into a … Continue reading →

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Who is the fittest of them all?

Posted on December 31, 2011 by stillalife

Recently, I overheard the beginning of a conversation between two people at my local YMCA.  A woman asked the man on the stationary bike next to her how he was doing. He said, “I’m great.  Every day is a gift when you’re … Continue reading →

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Aging gracelessly

Posted on October 28, 2011 by stillalife

“Patience is a virtue,” according to a line in a sixteenth century Middle English allegorical poem. I’ve been thinking about patience lately and my occasional lack of it.  The patience I’ve been pondering has to do with my stubborn refusal to accept … Continue reading →

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Poker faces don’t age well

Posted on September 15, 2011 by stillalife

When I was younger I felt certain that sadness and aging were companions united in a conspiracy to ruin the last years of a life.  After all, everyone I knew in their sixties and older experienced aches, couldn’t play sports … Continue reading →

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A “taste” of the future?

Posted on May 23, 2011 by stillalife

I ate lunch at a Senior Center today and wondered if I’d find myself spending much time at a place like this in the future and, if so, if I would enjoy being there.  I didn’t feel particularly comfortable today, … Continue reading →

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Tell the story of your life

Posted on May 2, 2011 by stillalife

Put it in writing!  I’m not talking about the all-too-common prescription for covering your backside in the office, I mean the story of your life.  Since last fall I have been writing vignettes of my life as a media spokeswoman, … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, memories, personal reflections | Tagged , | 1 Comment