A good life at any age
5 August 2020 | Living Well
” There is nothing older than not wanting to grow old. Our world presents us with a disastrous image of old age. We are afraid of dying badly, of ending our lives alone, unloved, perhaps dependent or suffering from dementia. Instead of confronting this fear, we ward it off by clinging to our youth, in a rather pathetic state of denial. In so doing we run the risk of missing out on what I call” the work of growing old”- that is to say cultivating a positive awareness of ageing.”
These are the first words in Guy Robertson’s book, Ten Steps of Positive Ageing. He’s quoted from the work of Marie de Hennezel, a French psychologist and palliative care expert.
” Ageing is inevitable but getting old is optional” is the tag line of Robertson’s book. Published this year, 2020, his book explores personal change in later life. I’m usually suspicious of STEPS books… whether it’s ten steps or sixteen. They often become a reductionist approach to complex issues and ageing is very complex, personal and culture bound. The Balinese, Aboriginal or Tibetan peoples have very different perspectives on ageing than we do in the West. I’m also a hardened cynic when it comes to the ” think positive” movement. when your partner dies positive thinking won’t hack it! But I’m curious, so when my little parcel of books arrives after some late-night online shopping, I’m interested to see what this book contributes to our understanding of ageing.
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A guiding principle of The Good Life is to have purpose, live fully and make each day count. Viva 70 was created to shine a spotlight on this idea for people over 50 and heading into their years of Elderhood. But what if you approach your later years living with…
17 June 2020 | 50 Faces 50 Lives
I’m in Bali and I’ve found the person who will be my driver for my 2 week stay. The first trip is to a local shopping mall. As he skillfully navigates the insane traffic with an air of quiet and calm he is warm and friendly without being too familiar….
17 February 2020 | 50 Faces 50 Lives
As many Viva 70 readers will know my mind has been rattling around the idea of how to do something useful in the area of climate activism when the last time I was politically active was in 1970’s around the Vietnam War! So apart from becoming a more diligent recycler,…
20 January 2020 | 50 Faces 50 Lives
The energy and communion of a live concert has been one of life’s pleasures. The buzz and bustle of the gathering to enter the arena. The anticipation and excitement of what will unfold. The hideously uncomfortable seats and mediocre wine in plastic tumblers. The new instant friendships with those sitting…
24 July 2020 | Arts
It’s called ” A luminous book full of grace” and “Glinting with insights, a boundlessly generous book.” And yes, its a beauty! It’s the sort of book where you ration its reading because you don’t want it to end. Julia Baird writes ” How do we continue to glow when…
29 June 2020 | Arts
When art galleries reopened I was 2nd in line at a safe, 1.5 meters of social distancing queue. I went to the Bendigo Art Gallery, a fine gold-era building in one of Victoria’s regional cities. It punches above its weight in attracting world class exhibitions. Because of inspired arts leadership,…
25 June 2020 | Arts
Dear Viva 70 Friends, It seems that even in a pandemic the world can slow but life cannot stop! This week I finalised the sale of my home on Monday and signed a contract on the purchase of a new home on Thursday. It’s been quite a week! The Moet…
31 July 2020 | Life-Style
Melbourne is back in lock-down and Covid-19 numbers are rising dramatically in Victoria. The pariah state. Other “healthy”states trap shut their borders and carefully managing the flow of freight, Aussies returning from overseas and quarantine while tentatively opening up their lives. Melbourne mid winter is mostly grey and moody and…
10 July 2020 | Life-Style
It’s Saturday and I’m reading the Good Weekend magazine over my morning coffee. There’s an article entitled Why your Seventies are the new Power Decade. The glossy pages show images of ex model Lauren Hutton (76), Dame Anna Wintour (aka Vogue magazines pouting, suffer no fools editor (70), Dame Helen…
29 June 2020 | Life-Style
” There is nothing older than not wanting to grow old. Our world presents us with a disastrous image of old age. We are afraid of dying badly, of ending our lives alone, unloved, perhaps dependent or suffering from dementia. Instead of confronting this fear, we ward it off by…
5 August 2020 | Living Well
A friend and I were having coffee the other day and comparing our fingers! Yes, that’s right the gnarled joints and sausage sized fingers that have become our ageing hands. We reminisced longingly about the small box of precious rings sitting in the cupboard, rarely worn, because arthritis has twisted…
22 July 2020 | Living Well
We’ve talked recently of inspiration books and the power of words and images to shift the mood and lighten the spirit. This morning my lake walk was magic. A frosty morning, with the sun tentatively making a shy appearance. The birds had none of this reticence and warbled wildly as…
8 July 2020 | Living Well