Aging brings a host of twists and turns. But after decades of navigating change, older adults have established ways of being ready for the next thing coming around the corner. Changes to driving habits are among many adjustments made as life unfolds. As it turns out, the older driver who stays in tune with shifts in their body and surroundings—and adapts accordingly—is a … [Read more...] about Older Drivers Stay in the Driver’s Seat
Find Your Way as a Family Historian
My phone buzzed with a barrage of texts from a distant cousin. I scrolled through vignettes and photos connected to my birth family. Referring to a great great grandmother I never knew, this cousin’s 75-year-old sister wrote, “Katie…was creaky and croaky. Smoked like a fiend, had long fingernails and raised Merlin while Grover lived in the woods.” I thought to myself, “Wow, … [Read more...] about Find Your Way as a Family Historian
It’s a Matter of Perspective: How COVID-19 Impacts Us
Photo by Kathryn White I reached a 90-year-old family member by phone on his first day under a stay-at-home order. I was taken aback when he broke into a story about his mother going through nursing school in New York City during the 1918 flu pandemic. He went on to describe what daily life was like in the US while WWII was being fought abroad. He didn’t sound worried about … [Read more...] about It’s a Matter of Perspective: How COVID-19 Impacts Us
Feeling unsettled? Walk the Neighborhood Labyrinth
I stand at the entrance to the labyrinth trying to remember the dilemma I brought to it the last time I was here. There are many ways to walk a labyrinth, but my favorite—by far—has been to present it with a problem. A BIG problem. As I weave my way between the narrow lines taking me toward the labyrinth’s center, I allow my senses to take in every aspect of the challenge I … [Read more...] about Feeling unsettled? Walk the Neighborhood Labyrinth
Changing the Narrative on Invisibility and Ageism, Plus Alzheimer’s Day at the Capitol
I walked with a spring in my step along Perry Street toward Highland Recreation Center that morning when I was to teach my first SilverSneakers fitness class. Kathryn White A neighbor waved hello and quipped about the clipboard in my hand, so I slowed for a minute to chat. “We have seniors left in the neighborhood?” she chuckled, “Or do they have to drive from … [Read more...] about Changing the Narrative on Invisibility and Ageism, Plus Alzheimer’s Day at the Capitol