Invisible
“Old age takes everyone by surprise, and no one really ever comes to terms with it.” That’s what Jill Lepore writes in THE NEW YORKER’s March 14th article on aging “Twilight.” Lepore is referring to the thinking of G. Stanley Hall. Ahead of his time, Hall was looking at aging from all kinds of angles in the early 20th century. Back then, aging was still a novelty. Most people didn’t live long enough to experience it. Today, as the first wave of the 76 million Baby Boomers hits 65 years old, aging has become embedded in society. Of course, as Hall observed, it does take us by surprise. Since most of my dysfunctional family dies young, I never anticipated being around much after 50. Yet, here I am. And unlike what Hall says, many...
read more