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Seniors rock!

Contributed by: Ioanna Athanasopoulos on 9/24/2007

By Joyce Deming, information services librarian, Golden Library

In our youth-oriented society, many people dread aging. But as my mother always said, "getting older is much better than the alternative." Besides, who wants to be 15 again anyway, with all that angst and acne? Here are some books to help you revel in the passage of the years, celebrate the accomplishments of seniors and generally feel good about getting older.
I was first introduced to the Red Hat Society when a local chapter rented our library meeting room a while back. The women descended on the room like a flock of cardinals in winter plumage, sporting red hats and clothing in various shades of purple. The group takes its name from a line in the poem "Warning" by Jenny Joseph: "When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple, / With a red hat that doesn't go." If you'd like to know more about this group and its celebration of middle-aged womanhood, read "The Red Hat Society: Fun and Friendship after Fifty" by Sue Ellen Cooper.
The full text of the "Warning" poem is found in the book "When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple," edited by Sandra Martz. Martz also edited "Grow Old with Me: the Best is Yet to Be," which includes writings about aging from the perspective of both men and women.
I'm a sucker for a good survival in the wilderness story, and "Two Old Women" by Velma Wallis is one of my favorites. It's based on an Athabaskan legend about two elderly women abandoned by their tribe when it is faced with starvation during an unusually harsh Arctic winter. It's a wonderful story with a surprise ending.
Author John Jerome turns a philosopher's eye on the process of aging in his book "On Turning Sixty-Five." Inspired by his re-reading of Thoreau, Jerome has written a compassionate, honest and funny chronicle of his 65th year.
While it may seem odd to include a book about nursing homes in a column about celebrating aging, Tracy Kidder's book "Old Friends" is not to be missed. Kidder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, has documented the engaging story of two elderly men who are roommates at the Linda Manor nursing home. It's a lovely and heartwarming book.
As I get older, I find that I just can't read into the wee hours of the morning anymore. That's why anthologies are such a great addition to my nightstand-I can make it through at least one or two selections before nodding off to sleep. With more than 250 pieces including fiction, poetry, memoirs, essays and reflections, "The Oxford Book of Aging: Reflections on the Journey of Life," edited by Thomas R. Cole and Mary G. Winkler, will make a great addition to your nightstand as well.
You can check out these books at any Jefferson County Public Library location. Look for them on our web site at http://jefferson.lib.co.us, or talk to your librarian for more reading suggestions.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Ioanna Athanasopoulos

Lakewood , CO

Ioanna Athanasopoulos has posted 195 stories and 0 comments since joining on 4/20/2006. Ioanna Athanasopoulos 's average story rating is 5.
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