Too many older adults feel as though they have lost power as they age. The exact opposite may be true, and this category assembles the blogs that explain and celebrate this certainty: Our personal power may remain strong and useful in our later years.
In one of his *most famous works, 17th century English poet and Anglican cleric John Donne penned two memorable metaphors: “No man is an island,” and “(the bell) tolls for thee.” Too often my mind races to the second phrase. Thankfully, Donne counteracts my over-active morbidness with these additional reminders: “The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth.” There are other bell-ringings inMORE...
At this moment, I’m running out of words. The ones coming at me seem overburdened from trying to carry something that’s too heavy for human expression. The words I’d like to send skitter around in my brain, waiting to capture the essence of my best thinking but clearly not up to the task. Like you, every day I face both what’s unspeakable and what’s ineffable. What’s unspeakable? The horrors of aMORE...
This entry offers the 1outline of a heartening story: After the Russian Revolution and World War I, Lutherans in the United States were significant partners in 2large-scale famine relief in Eastern Europe. In the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution and World War I, much of Europe struggled to reconstruct the lives of its citizens. Cities and villages lay in ruins, governments were in disarrayMORE...
One hopeful phenomenon I’ve seen during the Russian Invasion has been the number of courageous Ukrainians who have stood up to the invading Russian army. Many of the short video clips show extraordinary citizens *talking back. They scold soldiers directly to their faces—something these men may not be accustomed to. What also seems true: Some of these folks are older women whose authority comesMORE...
As I write these few words, bullets and bombs are raining down on the people of Ukraine. An aggressor threatens Eastern Europe, and the specter of another world war haunts us. My older adult mind races: “What can I do about this horror?” One practical answer stands out strongly: It feels like you and I—and others who have come through other dangers and wars—are specially called to exemplify calmMORE...
Most athletes know how this works: When you play a sport, you get hurt. Over time you learn how to keep playing in spite of the pain. It’s not pleasant—who wants to carry around pain–but it’s still part of the whole experience of being a sportsperson, especially so for professional players. I have observed this phenomenon among the participants in our older adult group exercise classes. WeMORE...
I’ll admit it: I’m not sure about more and more things. This is new territory for me, and not because I’ve crossed the border into senility. What’s happening almost everywhere? There actually may be less to be certain about. Here’s an example: A *recent newspaper article highlighted the decreasing reliability of tiny computer chips that are essential to our lifestyles. IncreasinglyMORE...
In high school, I was a third-string bench-warmer on the Basketball C-Team. I was keenly aware of the importance of teamwork and scoring. So, when I had that orangish-orb in my possession, I was continually faced with the decision: Dribble, shoot or pass. From my extensive experience as a basketball guy—“Hey, Sitze! Thirty seconds to go in the game. Get in there and make something happen…”—IMORE...
Every so often I encounter someone who’s stuck on a story or viewpoint. The phenomenon is called 1perseveration, and we might mark this behavior as slightly problematic in most social settings. The tendency to revisit the same matters unceasingly can be a sign of mild cognitive decline. (One verbal clue: “Have I ever told you about the time when….?”) I’ve been around plenty of worry-proneMORE...
Does this ever happen to you: Your mind fills with words that don’t seem to have anything to attach to. Whether vocalized or unspoken, these random vocabularies don’t quite coalesce into an idea that might give them shape. So they just roam around, as though looking for a home. Added to this feeling is the possibility that, without a way for them to gather together, these words might splash andMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.