Aging Gracefully
With Dignity, Integrity & Spunk Intact:
Aging Defiantly
Norma Roth
Author House
ISBN: 978-1-4389-6432-4 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4490-2101-6 (hc)
250 pages (includes front and back matter)
As I read Aging Gracefully With Dignity,
Integrity & Spunk Intact: Aging Defiantly by Norma Roth, I soon
found myself reading the words as her cheerleader. More! I wanted to
read more about the subject! The information she presents is a result
of research, personal experiences, and the desire to help debunk many
myths about aging that she considers to be “hogwash.” She refers to the
aging population as the “Silver Generation,” encouraging them to take
charge of their lives by refusing to be controlled by exaggerated fears
and negative thinking. Ms. Roth discusses how “that” generation can
live productive, fulfilling lives into their seventies, eighties, and
nineties. After all, they have a vast amount of knowledge, experience
and expertise to draw from—a storage retrieval system. Her writing is
full of wit and wisdom and describes “the art and not the agony of
growing older.”
Although I am a member of the Silver Generation,
when I burn food that I am preparing, forget where I place an item, or
ask myself why I’ve gone into a room to get an article, it is my opinion
that, with aging, I am simply paying more attention to my own behavioral
patterns, fearing that others may think I’m “losing it.” But, if
seniors think about it, most will admit that they did the same things in
their earlier years—perhaps not as often but, nevertheless, they did
them. The author reinforces this concept, telling our generation not to
panic; she provides some simple suggestions to avoid such distractions
and occurrences. As far as absentmindedness, she turns a negative into
a positive, citing Albert Einstein as an absentminded genius. Instead
of being absentminded, she explains that our minds are full of things we
have learned and not on matters of the moment. Rather than planning for
when we are put out to pasture, we need to plan for life! One way to do
that is to test the concept of a storage retrieval system.
The second part of the book discusses how to
unleash this Personal Retrieval System by going on a treasure hunt
within one’s self. The journey will take readers down familiar paths as
they access and retrieve stored information that can be utilized to live
fuller and more productive lives. The author offers the Silver
Generation some basic rules for success in harnessing the power of the
brain to access this information. As I continued to read, I began
thinking about the piano lessons that I had taken as a young child. My
sister, who also took lessons, became quite a musician; however, I quit
after only a year. It was a decision I regretted in adulthood;
therefore, a few days ago, I purchased some lesson books from our local
music store and began practicing again. Little by little, what I
learned as a child is coming back to me, and I now plan to build on that
foundation. The author, obviously much more talented in this area than
me, tells a similar story; this is what gave me the courage to try
again. If you think it is impossible to learn something new, Norma Roth
says that such thinking is hogwash. (I love how she uses that word
throughout her book.) Science suggests new brain cells might just be
available for new learning. As we age, we must “use it or lose it.”
There are endless opportunities for the Silver Generation when members
choose to empower themselves. Admittedly there may be physical
challenges along the way, so it is very important not to cheat on
nutrition, vitamins, or sleep.
Do you want to know how to deal with the “word
supplier” and the “word corrector”? What about the finisher of
sentences, or looks given that are meant to embarrass you? How do you
handle a disrupter? The author addresses these situations and gives
examples of appropriate responses to those who might try to intimidate
you. Yesterday, I used one of those responses and found it very
effective.
I cannot stress how important I think this book is
to society as a whole. It is easy to understand and well written with
some repetition for emphasis. Even those who are not presently part of
the Silver Generation will, barring unfortunate circumstances, continue
to age. This book will help prepare them for a long and fulfilling
life. I give Aging Gracefully my highest recommendation and
consider it a “must read.”
Bettie
Corbin Tucker
For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org
December 20, 2009
