Category Archives: Culture

The Disposable Elderly

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Bob Ritzema

Are you prejudiced against the elderly? Am I? We both would probably deny it. Our actual attitudes, though, would probably be revealed better by what we do than by what we say. Views of the elderly in America have always … Continue reading →

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Getting Past Professional Decline

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Bob Ritzema

Sometimes, articles addressed towards those in midlife contain insights that are pertinent as well to older adults. Such is the case with an article by Arthur C. Brooks in the July, 2019 Atlantic titled “Your professional decline is coming (much) … Continue reading →

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The Christian Communist

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve been writing recently about stuff–our tendency to acquire too many things, our difficulty letting go, our need to simplify as we get older. Recently I ran across a quote on possessions and spirituality by Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk. … Continue reading →

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The Changed Lines of Generational Power

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Bob Ritzema

I have been reading Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, who is a surgeon, a staff writer for the New Yorker, and a Harvard Professor. He’s a busy guy! His book explores how medical advances have changed aging and death, not … Continue reading →

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Living in an Age of Accumulation

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

George Carlin may be right about a house being a place to keep our stuff, but, nowadays, we’re less inclined to leave home in order to get more stuff. That’s because more stuff regularly appears magically on our doorsteps while … Continue reading →

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Seniors Without Savings

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve written previously about the difficulties faced by older adults who haven’t saved for retirement. For example, in this post from 2013 I wrote about the large numbers of Americans who will either have to delay retirement or work during … Continue reading →

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An Art Show and an Old Friend’s Vocation

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

I recently went to an exhibit of paintings by Franklin D. Speyers, one of my college roommates. Frank currently has a show entitled “West of the Imagination” at the Center Art Gallery of Calvin College, the school where we both … Continue reading →

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“Touch Me”

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

There’s an interesting incident near the end of David Foster Wallace’s magnum opus Infinite Jest that says a lot about how humans treat each other. It’s the story of Barry Loach, the head trainer at Enfield Tennis Academy. Earlier, Barry’s … Continue reading →

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Relocating to a Retirement Community: “Settling In”

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

I recently read Richard Morgan’s 2006 book Settling In: My First Year in a Retirement Community. At age 74, Morgan, a retired Presbyterian minister, moved from Morgantown, North Carolina to a retirement community in Western Pennsylvania. He and his wife … Continue reading →

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“Bring an Item That Holds Great Personal Value”

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Bob Ritzema

The psychology practice where I work part-time recently had a one day retreat. Everyone who attended was asked to bring a bag containing: 1) A favorite hat, scarf, or other personal item (tee shirt?) that you enjoy wearing 2) One … Continue reading →

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