I recently watched some of the matches at the US Open Tennis championships, and couldn’t help thinking that some of the players’ behaviors were lacking in humility. During some matches, when a player won a particularly hard-fought point, or won the match, he or she would look up at the audience to receive their adulation.Continue reading “In Search of Praise”
Author Archives: sherryderen
Rediscovering my Yiddish
Yiddish was my first language. My Bubba, Devorah, was born in Poland, and lived with my family in Brooklyn since before I was born. She was almost 50 years old when she left Poland in 1933. She never learned English, so Yiddish was the language spoken at home. Bubba was a loving, caring presence, andContinue reading “Rediscovering my Yiddish”
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?”
