I Like Being Old
A Guide to Making the Most of Aging
by
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I like being old! It amazes me that I can say this, but it’s true. I like having time I never felt I had before—to ponder, to muse, to feel grateful for life’s many gifts. I like learning to appreciate myself more, and others too, even with our multiple warts and corns. And I have to admit it stokes my ego when I get applause from young and old for being such a lively, engaged, happy old woman. How come I feel this way? Old age has such a bum rap. Poor self-image, negative stereotypes and losses of all kinds—I’ve had my share. But somehow these common challenges became incentives more than hindrances for me. I thought if I worked hard enough I could keep them from getting me down. It turns out I was right, and here I am at 90, climbing with my high-tech knee joints onto a soapbox (with handrails of course) to say so.
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About the Book
Eileen Allen is a seeker. In her nineties, still with a smile on her face, she is trying new things, looking forward, and making choices that provide her with the best life possible—even despite losses in her vision, hearing, and mobility. I Like Being Old provides inspiration for millions of baby boomers ready to take control of their choices and begin believing that old age can be rewarding, fun, and a time to stay open to all life has to offer.
With an honest, self-disclosing style, Eileen shares how she has faced such important aging decisions as relinquishing driving, moving to a retirement center, staying fit and involved, and adjusting to decreasing independence. She encourages other senior citizens to find satisfaction in solving problems that accompany aging, as she describes how she has enriched her own life by discovering simple pleasures, maintaining vital ties with family and friends, choosing to be happy, and living fully until the end.
Eileen Allen likes being old. By sharing her remarkable life experiences, she encourages anyone in the midst of aging to savor each day, pay attention to little details, and discover a whole new appreciation for life.
About the Author
K. Eileen Allen spent her career as a child development specialist in university settings. As she approached retirement, she worked as an editor on The Crone Connection, a newsletter focused on women and aging. She resides in Seattle, Washington, where she enjoys three-mile jaunts with her walker around a nearby lake. Judith R. Starbuck earned her bachelor of arts in journalism from Kent State University in Ohio; for more than fifty years, she has worked as a writer, editor, and designer for nonprofit publications, including The Crone Connection. She lives in Seattle, Washington.