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?”
Category Archives: Reflections on Aging (hmm)
Elasticity of Time
I have recently noticed a strange contradiction in my perception of time. As I get older, I am more aware that my future time is getting shorter. I have completed the great majority of the years I will have. This makes me want to be more deliberate about what I do with the remaining time.Continue reading “Elasticity of Time”
Fragments of the Past
For my last birthday party, my daughter framed some old photos of me and placed them on tables around the party room. There was one that captivated me immediately, it was of me and a girlfriend, standing on a beach in our two-piece bikini bathing suits. Mine was a yellow polka-dot bikini, a popular styleContinue reading “Fragments of the Past”
Untethered
I was tethered for much of my life, with lots of things I had to do. It never bothered me, but I often looked forward to times when I had less responsibility- be it vacations, or when my kids were grown, or retirement. Through graduate school there were lots of assignments, and most of myContinue reading “Untethered”
Unexpected Changes That Aging Brings
In the past few years, I wrote several essays related to changes that aging brings. I anticipated many of these, like changes related to my health, and welcomed others, like having more free time for activities that I care about. But I am also finding some unexpected changes that require adaptations, and even challenge someContinue reading “Unexpected Changes That Aging Brings”
Wandering Outside of My To-Do Lists
I make daily to-do lists. I write my list on a little pad after breakfast each morning, and it serves as a guide for the day. Activities are listed with approximate times, and include errands, like going to the bank, and social plans, like meeting a friend for lunch. Some activities, like writing and goingContinue reading “Wandering Outside of My To-Do Lists”
Averages May Not Apply to Me
In my professional career as a research scientist, it was important that I know something about averages. When I conducted studies and collected information on many people, averages were helpful in describing the group as a whole. But I also learned that an average for a group often doesn’t apply to a single person’s circumstances.Continue reading “Averages May Not Apply to Me”
Pages In-Between
A few days ago, as I opened my journal to continue my daily entries, I realized that several weeks ago I had skipped two pages. I think these pages must have somehow stuck together. There they were- blank pages, sitting in-between pages I had written on, about days that were already in the past. IContinue reading “Pages In-Between”
Sandwich Generation
Many years ago, I was part of what is called a “sandwich generation,” an expression generally used to describe people who are in middle age and have responsibility for the care of their children and their older parents. When I was in my 30s and 40s, I had two young children and an elderly motherContinue reading “Sandwich Generation”
The Little Girl and the Beggar
In early January, with all the Christmas lights and decorations adorning the stores, I visited the Museum of Modern Art on West 53rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue in Manhattan. After leaving the museum, I walked to 5th Avenue and then headed south, to get a bus to go home. It was a sunny,Continue reading “The Little Girl and the Beggar”
Reflections on Aging 