Tag Archives: elderly

I Went to a Concert by Myself. So Can You.

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

Last month I went to a baroque music concert by myself. I’m not dating or married to anyone, and trying to find someone to go with me seemed too much trouble. The Grand Rapids Symphony did a marvelous job, as … Continue reading →

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The Old Age Style

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

Some time ago I ran across an  article from 1972 on the style characteristic of elderly artists. The author, Kenneth Clark finds in their works several common features, which he identified as follows: “Now let me try to summarise the characteristics of the old-age style as they … Continue reading →

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On Being an Aging Runner

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

I recently ran in a 5-kilometer race, a fundraiser for college scholarships. I did pretty well, all things considered, completing the course a little more than a minute faster than the goal I had set. Admittedly, my goal was rather … Continue reading →

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Sex and Dementia

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

What’s entailed in expressing consent to have sex with someone? If the person wanting to have sex with you is your husband, and you don’t object to sex with him, is that enough? If you’re openly affectionate with him, wouldn’t … Continue reading →

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Stress Management in Older Adulthood

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

You’re not stress-free, are you? Neither am I. And we won’t rid ourselves of stress, either. If you’re a middle-aged adult working long hours, raising kids, negotiating relationship problems, cooking, cleaning, and trying to keep your environment from falling into … Continue reading →

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Doing and Being in Elderhood

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

In his book What are Old People For?, Dr. Bill Thomas says: “Simple observation has led me to see life as a dynamic and unfolding interplay between the states of doing and being.” According to Thomas, doing occurs “when we … Continue reading →

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Success, Then Poverty: William McPherson’s Story

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

I recently wrote a post that alluded to the struggles of the working poor after they reach retirement age. It’s not just the working poor that spend their last years mired in financial difficulties, though. Consider the lot of a Pulitzer-winning … Continue reading →

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Retiring Among the Like-Minded…Or Not

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

Ever since switching from full time to part time employment I’ve been thinking about what constitutes a good retirement. I’m sometimes surprised by who has something to say about the issue. Jack Dickey, a 24-year-old writing for Time magazine, put … Continue reading →

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Retirement: “Do we have to do what we want to again today?”

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve recently been reading Learn to Grow Old, published in 1971 by Swiss physician Paul Tournier. Dr. Tournier practiced what he called the medicine of the person, an integrative approach to care of body, mind, and spirit that now would … Continue reading →

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Ash Wednesday: You’re Gonna Die

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Bob Ritzema

I’m writing this a few days before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar. Most Ash Wednesday services give participants the opportunity to have ashes–a symbol of mortality–rubbed on their foreheads. The presiding minister says something like “Remember … Continue reading →

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