By Judie Donaldson A couple of readers told me once that they enjoyed my writing. . .when I was humorous. I appreciate that, but darn. That doesn’t happen very often, and it certainly isn’t the case today. Today, I’m talking about illness, about older adults and the flu. I know. You’ve heard that this year’s […]
Voice of the Village: Growing older keeps changing
By Lois Requist It’s probably not surprising that the village movement began 17 years ago, started by some women in Boston who realized that as they aged, they needed a support system to make living at home possible, practical, and even joyous. The senior population is growing at a rate of 10,000 per day in […]
Voice of the Village: Help! Please find me a word!
By Judie Donaldson I have developed a new–and unwelcome–habit in my almost 80 years of life. Can you guess what it is? Oh, that’s an unfair question. At my age, there are a lot of unwanted new habits that are all too possible: having less energy. being less agile, succumbing to naps, not being […]
Voice of the Village: What does it mean to be old?
By Lois Requist So many jokes and stories are told about old people and women—blondes in particular—that even if you’re old and/or blonde, you may buy into the assumptions that are made about you. Of course, racial stereotypes have been in our society longer than we have and getting rid of them isn’t easy. We […]
Voice of the Village: Are you taking care of your brain?
By Judie Donaldson You’ve heard of heart health, haven’t you? And dental health? How about brain health? Have you heard of that? It’s an important new concept that’s emerged because scientists have learned something new about our brains. Something revolutionary. Until the last decade or so, it was believed that our brains developed in childhood […]
Voice of the Village: Do you know Alexa, Siri or Google?
By Lois Requist Have you become used to people talking to you when there is no one there? No, this isn’t a matter of senility or hearing voices from some undefined source, some outer world. I’m used to a GPS (global positioning system) guiding me as I drive. I bought a Prius about ten years […]
Voice of the Village: Can you influence your longevity?
By Judie Donaldson How long do you think you’ll live? It’s a question that must have crossed your mind although it’s not a question with an answer. But how about this one? To what extent do you think that you can influence your longevity? In other words, how much do you estimate is within your […]
Voice of the Village: The inevitable death and taxes
By Lois Requist Grim subjects with which to start off the new year? Not necessarily. Viewpoint is everything. I’ve already lived a long and good life. Of course, I hope and actively work to do what I can to live longer and enjoy each day. Taxes remind us of what we pay to […]
Voice of the Village: Life planning– for 70, 80 and 90-year-olds
By Judie Donaldson New Year’s Day. By its very nature, it wields an inherent significance. It invites reflection and assessment. It suggests the promise of something new. It generates hope and motivation, and, of course, it’s the catalyst for the inevitable new year’s resolutions. How about for you? Does New Year’s Day have a meaning […]
Voice of the Village: A piece of peace on Earth
By Lois Requist Noting when this column would be published, I thought, write something connected to Christmas, the holidays, but what could I say that hasn’t been said? We pass around good wishes, listen to the sentiments of those whose opinions are broadcast, however, if we also listen to the news, none of it has […]