sherryderen

Becoming an Older Older Adult

As the years passed after retirement, there were several clear signs that I was getting deeper into aging. After I stopped dying my hair, the gray showed up, and was quite obvious, as my natural (and dyed) hair color was a very dark brown. Over time, the gray has taken over more territory. No problemContinue reading “Becoming an Older Older Adult”

Conundrums of Aging

As I get older, I find that new conundrums—problems with no easy answers—are appearing. I haven’t sought them out, nor given them much thought during my life, but they have arrived, so face them I must. First, there’s the issue of energy decline. When I had the flu and RSV this past winter, I attributedContinue reading “Conundrums of Aging”

Playdates

I recently discovered a source of pleasure that I thought I had long left behind in my childhood. Playdates! When I was young I played some of the usual childhood games, like monopoly, punchball, cards, and many other activities I did with other children. But when I became an adult with a family and aContinue reading “Playdates”

Bringing the Past Into the Future

For much of my life, I looked forward to what was coming next. When I was in school, each year I eagerly anticipated the next grade; in the various places I lived, I looked forward to moving into my next home; and when I left a job it was usually with the feeling that IContinue reading “Bringing the Past Into the Future”

Changes Over Time: Some Limericks

What Is Happening? I used to be svelte and slim Full of energy and vim But now as I age I feel sadness and rage As I see my vitality dim How Did It Happen? As I teen I could eat with no fear My weight stayed the same every year But having a childContinue reading “Changes Over Time: Some Limericks”

Repurposing and Reimagining

I first started thinking about repurposing things when I talked with a friend about some books we were reading. She loves her Kindle, mainly for its portability and adjustable font size, and told me she no longer buys physical books. I have been revamping my apartment, purging some books I have no need for, andContinue reading “Repurposing and Reimagining”

Please Call Me An Older Adult, I Haven’t Been a Senior Since College

Most of my writing has focused on being a senior, and I never liked that label. I associate it with being in the last year of high school or college, and I graduated from both of those a long time ago. I have a grandchild who was a high school senior last year, is now a college freshman, and hopefully, inContinue reading “Please Call Me An Older Adult, I Haven’t Been a Senior Since College”

Supernumerary?

I know, “supernumerary” is a difficult word to pronounce, with unclear meaning, and it has been significantly declining in usage since the 19th century. Nonetheless, it describes what I sometimes feel. Definitions include “extra, present in excess of the normal or needed number,” and synonyms include “superfluous.” At the end of a busy life, asContinue reading “Supernumerary?”

Keeping Things of No Use

Why do I keep things that have no use? Sometimes I look around my apartment and think I need to clear out some stuff I never use, but it’s not easy. In the kitchen, I now only do minimal cooking. I often buy prepared foods and use the microwave more than the stovetop or oven.Continue reading “Keeping Things of No Use”

Maturation of Aging

One of the reasons I started this blog several years ago was because I found it so surprising that I was becoming an older person. Who me? No, old people were some aunts and uncles and other older family members, or people I saw on the street pushing rollators. When I saw an older personContinue reading “Maturation of Aging”