 By Jim Selman | Bio
One
of the central tenets of my work is that everything happens in a
context of relationship—a shared background of concerns, commitments
and practices—what I call a background of relatedness. We may make
commitments as individuals, but we always fulfill them in networks of
relationships with other people. The other day I was asking,
“What does it mean for an economy to collapse?” What is the worst-case
scenario of the current ‘meltdown’ and ‘freezing of credit’?
(Interesting that these two most frequently used metaphors, extremes of
‘hot’ and ‘cold’ are referring to the same thing and both are ‘state’
changes.) My conclusion is that...[ Read More]
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The Science Daily reports that cultural expectations impact the benefits of intergenerational support. Intergenerational Support and Depression Among Elders in Rural China: Do Daughters-In-Law Matter?, a study published in the July 2008 Journal of Marriage and Family,
stated that in the province of Anhui in rural China, assistance from
daughters-in-law with household chores and personal care created fewer
depressive symptoms in elders than that offered by sons and daughters.
The report's authors, Dr. Zhen Cong and Professor Merrill Silverstein
of the USC Davis School of Gerontology, found this was most evident in
situations where daughters-in-law co-resided with their husband's
parents. In traditional rural Chinese society, the efforts of a son's
wife are seen and accepted as meaningful contributions. Almost
two-thirds of China's older population lives in rural areas, making it
the largest concentration of elders in the world. Considering that
Chinese society is changing, elders will be disadvantaged if they don't
adjust their expectations about the appropriateness of support from
their children.
[ Read More]
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 By Jim Selman | Bio
A long time ago (in the late 60s I think). I read a book by John Gerassi called The Boys of Boise, Furor, Vice and Folly in an American City.
Basically, it was a shocking journalistic reporting of how a city’s
fears can create a kind of mass paranoia. Boise, Idaho isn’t quite the
Wild West, but to this day it has a kind of ‘cowboy’ feeling about it.
In the 1960s, same-sex anything (other than drinking and football) was
something that just didn’t happen. You’d rather be a Red than Gay in
those days—long before “Brokeback Mountain”. The book chronicles what
happens when Time magazine reports that Boise is a mecca for
homosexuals in America. The bottom line is that anyone and everyone was
a suspect, the City hired a Gestapo-type investigator, and
McCarthy-like prosecutions followed. If you want the details, get the
book. I am reminded of this because to my shock and dismay, I
read recently that child protection measures in the UK will be expanded
with the implementation in 2009 of the Independent Safeguarding Authority, which will increase the number of adults to be vetted by the criminal justice system to 11 million.[ Read More]
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The Elders
are working with a wide range of organizations to remind the world that
much work remains to be done to protect the human rights of all women
and promote women's leadership. To mark the 60th anniversary of the
Declaration of Human Rights, the Elders are running the Every Human Has Rights
campaign. They are asking for 1 billion individuals, rather than
governments, to sign their declaration and commit to embracing the
values and goals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [ Read More]
Written by admin at Wisdom in Action
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 By Don Arnoudse | Bio
My wife and I recently visited seacoast New Hampshire to celebrate
our wedding anniversary. After leaving historic Union Chapel, the scene
of our wedding 26 years ago, we were in a nostalgic mood as we drove
into the center of Portsmouth. As we left the car to stroll through the
town center, we heard quite a ruckus. To my surprise, the cause of all
the commotion was a crowd of white-haired people holding signs in the
town square and loudly shouting slogans in protest of the Iraq war. I
was immediately transported to those days in the late ‘60s when I was
marching with my classmates in protest of the Vietnam War. We closed
down Michigan State University in the spring of 1970 and spent our time
in tents on the campus lawn engaged in intense discussions about
politics and war.[ Read More]
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I want to create a new organization to stamp out stupidity and
indifference and restore common decency and good will into society. I
think I'll call it the National Organization of Pissed-Off Elders
(N.O.P.E.).
What’s pissing us off? [ Read More]
Written by Jim Selman at Fearless Aging
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By Lauren Selman
Bio
When do you start to get older? After reading the comments about aging,
I ask, “When does aging begin?” Aging is placed in the context of those
entering their thirties and beyond, but for me, I believe the process
of aging began the day I was born. When I was a little girl, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew
up and I simply responded, "I don't want to grow up." But the truth was
I was growing up as I was saying those words. I was resisting aging
from the moment I could answer such a question and the fairies of
Neverland dusted me with fairy dust. But the wonderful thing about
Neverland is that everyone is there. The older pirates and the youthful
lost boys. [ Read More]
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By Elizabeth Russell
Bio
Thinking about the place of elders in other cultures, I’m reminded of
my days in Turkey. Although I wasn’t, by American standards, an elder
(I was in late middle age at that time), I was considered so by the
people in that culture. My
first experience was in Izmir, Turkey, where I was teaching English at
Ege University. Some of the time, I took a dolmus (share taxi) to and
from the university. I had no problem getting a space in the taxi going
to the university because we lived at the beginning of the route, but
coming home was a different matter.[ Read More]
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I don’t know if Don to Earth reads this, but if so I want to send him a belated 93rd happy birthday message. While I have never met Don and know him exclusively through his blog, I appreciate his mind, his wit and the clarity with which he communicates whatever is on his mind. I think he is an example of someone who is conscious and responsible for his age, but not limited by it. His claim to being nearly the world’s oldest blogger has a touch of fun and a grin rather than any sort of self-congratulatory air to it. [ Read More]
Written by Jim Selman at Wisdom in Action
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