2013 - Page 2 of 3 - My New Old Self

Viva Old People Who Dance Like Teenagers!

Oct

14

2013

My New Old Self would like to go on record as endorsing old people who dance like teenagers – whether they’re jiving at home or on a public platform. This is in response to a comment from ex-African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema. The 32-year-old South African launched his new political party with ...

What they are really doing when they fix our computers

Oct

9

2013

Too bad that rule about older making wiser doesn’t apply when it comes to computers. A lot of us rely on people half our age for digital problem-solving. Our children, other young relatives, offspring of friends or neighbours, youthful computer consultants. After turning over our computers to these experts what do we do? Get busy ...

Da Granny Who Rocked Da Show (for her age) 3

Oct

1

2013

That granny was da best she rocked da show for her age lol That’s a Facebook comment from a fan of Ann Wilson, who despite – or perhaps because of – her advanced age, stole the SA’s Got Talent show. The Got Talent reality TV show bills itself as the “World’s Biggest Talent Show… Any Act, ...

Older Persons, it’s your day – and week 1

Sep

28

2013

We’re in the limelight this week, so here are a few tips to help you deal with all the attention. Have a cup of strong coffee before you read the official UN statement on the International Day of Older Persons because it’s in UN-speak so it might put you to sleep. There’s the usual mention of ...

Passwords in the Age of Forgetting 1

Sep

19

2013

When we were kids a password was something you said to get into a secret club. Then there was a long period when I can’t recall much mention of passwords. We somehow muddled through life without them, back when we used pens and typewriters. It was only later in our lives, with our memories well ...

Brag about yer age? Yeah, right!

Sep

15

2013

“Let’s feel good about being 50, 60, 70 and beyond” advises The New York Times. “Let’s even brag about it.” Brag about getting older? Yeah, right. This weekend I went to visit a friend and quickly realized that the other guests were not my age. As I settled into the wrinkle-hiding shadows with a drink, ...

Ageism hits a new low in South Africa

Aug

29

2013

A billboard on a Johannesburg highway has been condemned for dissing the elderly. Part of a campaign for the country’s newest all-news channel, it proclaims “We aren’t old farts”. Then in brackets: “(Nah, not even our presenters)”. Next to these words is a photo of a white-haired gentleman. It is not clear who he ...

A Triumph of Aging 1

Aug

26

2013

If a triumph of aging is to finally do what you really want, without regard for what others may think, then Louisa Jo Killen went to her grave triumphant. Born Louis Killen in 1934, he spent 76 years as a male, most as a respected British folk singer with a notable period as a Clancy ...

Memoir, Autobiography or Life Review 1

Aug

20

2013

The Sankofa bird of Ghanaian myth flies forward to the future while looking back at the past. “We look back to move forward.” – West African proverb Many cultures encourage an effort to understand how the past shapes our lives. In the Akan language of Ghana this process is known as Sankofa, symbolized by ...

To Long-Surviving Left-handers

Aug

13

2013

Is it tough being left in a right-dominated world? If you’re left-handed, have you felt inconvenienced throughout your life? Have you ever been a victim of rightist discrimination? But what My New Old Self really wants to know is whether it is harder to survive into old age as a lefty? There have been surveys ...