Debbie Leaman

November 2, 2020

Creative Aging

Congratulations to the 2020 Silver Pen Winners!

Debbie Leaman

November 2, 2020

Creative Aging

Congratulations to the 2020 Silver Pen Writing Contest Winners:

Overall Best Entry: #22 August Wolf Morning, by Gayle Six
Best Prose: #16 The Fire, by Judith Hegewald
Best Poetry: #2 Layers, by Rosemary Baron

Read the winning entries!

For more information about the Silver Pen Writing contest, click here.

Featured

January 11, 2022

Pandemic Gray by Debbie Leaman

January 11, 2022

I sat in the salon chair, face mask in place, and looked in the mirror. My first haircut in over three months and the gray stripe of my one-inch roots glared against the thicket of my limp brown curls. Not quite the bride of Frankenstein, but close enough for discomfort.

“I’m embracing the gray,” I told Seth, my stylist. I felt a twinge of apprehension.

“Many women are making the choice to go gray now,” he said, reassuring me. Every time I’ve mentioned my plan to my friends and family, I’ve felt bold, defiant, followed by, seriously, what the hell am I thinking?

January 11, 2022

July 13, 2021

It's Never Too Late to Learn How to Swim by Chris Colin, The New York Times

July 13, 2021

I love this article! Chris Colin of The New York Times interviewed a woman, who at 68, learned to swim and now, four years later, is a daily lap swimmer. This is a great reminder for any of us who tell ourselves that we’re too old to try something new. Is there something you’ve been putting off because fear gets in the way? Is there a new sport or hobby you’ve been drawn to but you think it’s too late to try? Read this interview for some inspiration . . .

July 13, 2021

June 13, 2021

Jeff by Becky Anderson

June 13, 2021

A lovely tribute to a beloved cousin as shared in the latest Writing Through Grief workshop . . .

Yesterday I lost my cousin Jeff. He was only 57. He left behind no one but my dad, a couple of my siblings and myself. There will be no fanfare, no obituary, funeral or flowers. But there will be memories of how his life intertwined with mine.

He and I were born a mere 26 days apart and he was my only cousin remotely close to my age. Given away by his birth parents then given up on by his adoptive parents he was tossed into the system and eventually ended up on the streets, before he could even shave. My parents tried to get custody when he was 14 but were denied.

June 13, 2021

May 14, 2021

A Future in Images by Debbie Leaman

May 14, 2021

The final assignment for a recent class on “aging” I attended, was to use our preferred medium (photography, writing, painting, poetry, etc.) to answer this not-so-simple question: “What does this next chapter in your life look like?” For me, the question is loaded. Turning 63 this year, I will be the same age that my oldest brother was when he died in a bicycle accident six years ago. I’m entering that period of time when my mother, in her early to mid-60s, started repeating herself.

This past pandemic year, worrying about the next chapter was the farthest thing from my mind. I wasn’t sure I’d live to see the daffodils bloom. But now that I’m vaccinated and know I won’t die of Covid 19, I can go back to envisioning a healthy future beyond my 60s. For the assignment, maybe I should make a collage instead of writing an essay. That would be so much easier than laying bare the fears that lurk in my mind.

May 14, 2021

April 19, 2021

46th Anniversary and Hoping for One More by Caren Beeman

April 19, 2021

I was deep asleep when a loud bang woke me, the bed shaking from the impact. I sat up and groggily, called out, “was that an earthquake?!” More awake, more alert I answered myself, “No, we’re in Kauai.” I turned towards my husband, expecting to see him sitting up but he was sound asleep. That is, until the second blow to our mattress. I had watched my husband kick his leg up, as if kicking a soccer ball, and then slamming it down on the mattress. This goalie kick woke him.

He sat up. “What the hell was that?”

“You…” Before I could finish, he got out of bed, mumbled, “restless legs,” and left the bedroom.

April 19, 2021

March 30, 2021

The Trick to Life is to Keep Moving, by Devi Lockwood, The New York Times

March 30, 2021

I’m a pack rat when it comes to articles and essays that are interesting to me and relevant to what I teach. I wanted to post something uplifting, not about the pandemic, anxiety or grief. The other day I came across “The Trick to Life is to Keep Moving” which I’d saved from 2019. When I re-read the piece I remembered why I saved this. It’s a wonderful piece about “seeking friends beyond the generational divide.”

March 30, 2021

March 14, 2021

Snowshoeing Adventure? by Caren Beeman

March 14, 2021

Down in our basement we have storage compartments for each member of our family. If you looked in my son Michael’s compartment, you would find climbing gear, camping gear for long backpacking trips, ski equipment and maybe even a plastic kayak which barely fit. My husband’s closet would look similar, except for the kayak. Instead, you’d also find snow shoes and poles. My husband preferred wood kayaks that he made and kept hung up on our garden wall. My daughter had gotten married and emptied her storage unit. So, I converted that unit into a wine cellar. That’s my space.

I also have another storage area by the furnace. In there you will find crutches for when I broke my knee walking the dog, (I tripped) and my walker for when I broke a hip playing golf. You ask, “how does one break a hip playing golf?”

March 14, 2021

February 17, 2021

Sonnet for the Elderly Athlete by Linda F. Smith

February 17, 2021

I sing of aches and pains and stress and strain

A sonnet for the athlete who is old.

They say without the pain there is no gain,

At least that’s what Olympians are told.

February 17, 2021

February 1, 2021

After Surviving the Depression, the Blitz and the Nazis, Writers Reflect on the Pandemic, by Amanda Holpuch

February 1, 2021

With the average age of 87, these writers recount other trying times and how they’ve gained perspective and resilience. Amanda Holpuch of The Guardian offers up their stories and how they are adapting to pandemic life and connecting on Zoom. A shout-out to Jill Meyer for sending me this uplifting article!

“Late at night, Peggy Strait sits at her computer and thinks about the dangers of living in New York city during a pandemic.

Then she remembers her life in 1937.

February 1, 2021

January 11, 2021

Making the Case for Acceptable Memory Loss by Michele Straube

January 11, 2021

Our memories fade, sometimes because we’re aging and sometimes because it’s better that way. The painful memories of childbirth and the sleep deprivation of the first few weeks/months of parenthood fade, else no-one would ever have a second (or third or fourth) child. Similarly, I now know from personal experience, the memories of parenting a new puppy fade.

January 11, 2021

CREATIVE AGING BLOG - A FORUM TO SHARE OUR STORIES!

For years I've resisted setting up a blog. I'm a deliberate writer, so feeding a blog when I'm not inspired or don't have time isn't something I felt comfortable with. But, about a year ago, when I was preparing my Creative Aging writing workshops, I scoured the web for personal essays on aging and I came up short. I couldn't find any sites for these types of pieces. And that got me thinking . . .Continue Reading