Hello, Crow’s Feet readers.
Welcome to the world of reinventing how we think about life as we age.
This past year has shown us that life is precarious and revealed a built-in indifference towards the elderly. These times have pushed more people than ever to speak up, to re-define how we want to be seen in our later years.
For many of us, a year of isolation has cast a new appreciation for later life.
When the pandemic ends and we are once again free to hug a friend or dine in a restaurant, will the sensation be more precious for the deprivations we have faced? …
CROW’S FEET WEEKLY DIGEST
We welcome two new writers, Kate Frick Sheridan and Ren Powell who are taking stock of where they’ve been and how that shapes where they may go in the years ahead.
We also hear from long-time Crow’s Feet contributors who continue to find new insights about life as we age.
OUR STORIES
Reflections of an Aging Feminist. (It’s their turn now). By Kate Frick Sheridan
According to Plan. Aging as an Advantage to the Creative Life. By Ren Powell
Either/Or — Both. Who we get to be. By Ann Litts
You Can Do Better Than Telling Mature People That They Look Great. There’s more to them than their appearance. …
An exercise plan for the next quarter century.
I started hiking again this week and it was exhilarating, though I had to kick my 65-year-old body in motion to make it up some hills. The sandy path led us up into the notch of a canyon, barely a boulder to clamber over — but still up.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been challenged by physical exercise. I’ve been living on the coast of Maine, at sea level, and my daily walks rarely challenge me. I haven’t dare to re-visit the gym where I worked out at this stage of the pandemic. …
Our goal is to avoid coming in contact with people and the virus.
We made the decision back in July to spend the winter traveling in our van. At the time, we were prowling for direction that would get us back on course after the shock of losing a close family member. We had to find a new home in a hurry and picked one that, while beautiful, didn’t have the central heating required to get us through a winter in northern Maine. Besides, we had long ago pledged not to live where it’s cold.
“No problem,” my husband and I told each other. “We’ll take the Sprinter van and head to the southwest.” …
Twenty-five days remain before 2021 begins and I’m ready to get there quickly. Today I can be thankful that time passes more quickly as you age. The past nine months have weighed heavily on all of us — and those who have lost loved ones or income to the pandemic are reeling from the loss.
Yet Crow’s Feet writers dig within and find resilience that springs from the awareness that this too shall pass. They find humor, too, and a sense of community. Here’s what they have to say.
OUR STORIES
Finding Home in this Time of Disquiet. Home resides within. …
The UnLived Life. All. The. Things. That Never Were. By Ann Litts
SEE? I told you so. I’m cruising on the gloatboat. But beware: there’s a very ugly undercurrent. By Julia E Hubbel
Something Tells Me I’m Into Something Catchy. A Carole King Lyrics Quiz.By Roz Warren
I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now. How I got my compassion to include myself. By Alice Goldbloom
Five Self-Talk Mistakes and How to Fix Them. Improving Your Self-talk Will Make You Happier. By Zoë Berry
Age Is Not Just A Number. It’s how old or young you feel. By Max K. …
As we propel headlong into the holiday season with the pandemic raging and old traditions of friends and family off-limits, Crow’s Feet writers reflect on life. We know we will get through this difficult period but as Julia E. Hubbel writes, will we ever fully get over the impact of 2020? It’s not all doom and gloom and, as Deborah Barchi says, retreating with a good book and a box of chocolate is not a bad way to spend a day.
For everyone who survived the election season, here’s a special treat. We had too many great stories about embracing life as we age to fit in our last newsletter, so you’re getting two batches of Crow’s Feet stories in one week.
I signed up to make phone calls for the Maine Democratic party where I live, in the part of the state that went for President Trump in 2016. The Dems believed they had a chance to elect Joe Biden and to flip the Senate seat from red to blue.
Once a week for two months, I made about 50 phone calls to Democrats, Republicans, Green Party members, and unaffiliated voters, asking each person who I managed to get on the phone if they would support the Democratic candidates. …
All of this election anxiety has ruined my sense of time these days. I’m so ready for us to move on, heal wounds, and try to resolve the gulf that has split America.
I almost forgot to publish all the stories on Crow’s Feet these past ten days and the stories have piled up. I always include every story in the newsletter, but this week I will divide them into Part One and Part Two.
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