Category Archives: Culture

Becoming Curmudgeonly: Progress Report

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

The Merrian-Webster Online Dictionary defines “curmudgeon” as “a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man.”  A particular passion among curmudgeons is to talk about the sorry state of the world today.  Things are not as good as they used to be, whether in the … Continue reading →

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Older Adults Month

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

May is Older Adults Month, per government proclamation.  This is a tradition; the site for the federal Administration on Aging states that “Every year since 1963, May has been a month to appreciate and celebrate the vitality and aspirations of … Continue reading →

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John Paul II on Contributions of the Elderly: Wisdom and Story

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

In 1999, Pope John Paul II wrote a letter which he addressed “To my elderly brothers and sisters!”  In it he reviewed Biblical passages pertinent to the elderly, reflected on the role of the elderly in society, and provided pastoral … Continue reading →

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On the Superfluity of Electric Power, the Internet, and Other Newfangled Inventions

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

James Thurber, in My Life and Hard Times, described his grandmother’s suspicions of electricity, at the time a new and mysterious technology.  She “lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all … Continue reading →

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What Matters Most to Assisted Living Residents

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

The National Center for Assisted Living reports that the average age of individuals in assisted living facilities in the US is 86.9 years.  The average length of stay is about 28 months.   Martin Bayne is an exception to the typical assisted living … Continue reading →

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Segregated Seniors

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

In America, social interactions tend to be stratified by age.  Young adults associate with each other more than they do with those from different cohorts, as do the middle-aged, as do the elderly.  An opinion piece by herbologist Mary Bodel … Continue reading →

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