Crow's Feet: Life As We Age

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“The group most satisfied with sex are women in their 80’s,” says Katharine Esty, PhD and author of ‘Eighty-Somethings: A Practical Guide to Letting Go, Aging Well, and Finding Unexpected Happiness. Join host Jean Feldeisen as she talks with Dr. Esty about relationships, sex and aging in your eighties. Learn more about Dr. Esty at www.katharineesty.com

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“Conventional wisdom is that when you get old, you get old and lonely, old and sad, old and isolated, old and depressed. Even happy elders — which as it turns out, is most elders — believe other elders are lonely, sad, isolated, and depressed. The conventional wisdom is wrong,” writes Priscilla Long in her new book Dancing With the Muse in Old Age.

In this episode, host Jan M Flynn talks to Long, a Seattle-based writer, about her book exploring both current research into aging and the lives of more than one hundred dynamic elders whose stories provide inspiring models for how to live well and craft a satisfying old age.

Learn more about Ms. Long at www.priscillalong.net

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Mary Louisa Cappelli was already in great shape, hiking five miles a day regularly. When she decided to walk the Camino at age 67, her main fear was getting lost.  Mary Louisa had already achieved so much – recognition as an ethnographer, a teacher, a surfer, and a mother of five daughters. What drove her to walk the fabled Spanish holy trail, the Camino de Santiago de Compostela?  Host Jean Feldeisen, a therapist and Crow’s Feet writer, talks with Mary Louisa about her solo pilgrimage and some of the lessons she gleaned from other Elder pilgrims she met along the way. 

If you’d like to read more of Cappelli’s work, visit her page on Medium (https://marycappelli.medium.com/)

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When he was younger, Judah Leblang formed a special bond with his Uncle Jerry through a shared struggle—striving to be something they weren’t in an unaccommodating world. Jerry was a deaf man trying to pass as hearing. Judah was a gay youth trying to pass as straight. As he’s aged, he’s embraced writing and performing as a way to talk about his family and engage with others. Join host Betsy Allen as she talks to Judah about his fascinating past and his ongoing desire to seek connection even as he navigates the challenges of aging (including some hearing loss of his own). https://judahleblang.com/

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Meet Rand Bishop. He's a singer, songwriter, author, actor, music producer, and activist. A man with many accomplishments, including a Grammy nomination and a No. 1 hit song he co-wrote that was recorded by Toby Keith. At age 67 Rand Bishop did something remarkable. He walked 900 miles up the Pacific coast in 90 days. His intention was to listen to what people had to say. Join us for some musical fun, a great story, and a deep insight into a fascinating guest. https://medium.com/@randbishop

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Twenty-two years ago, Roz Warren decided that fun was a higher priority than money. So she retired from the practice of law and became a librarian — providing rich material for the essays she began writing. She’s the author of two essay collections, “Our Bodies, Our Shelves” and “Just Another Day at Your Public Library.” She’s written for a host of publications, from the New York Times to the Funny Times, has appeared on “The Today Show” and has been published in 16 “Chicken Soup for the Soul” collections.

Join host Jan M. Flynn as she talks with Roz about how nobody cares how old you are as a writer, as long as you’ve got something worthwhile to say — and how she went from being a lawyer to being an essayist, writing coach, editor, and a proud grandmother who is having the time of her life.

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Meet Melanie Chartoff, an actor and comedian famous as the voice of Didi Pickles and Minka in “Rugrats,” and for her starring role in the ABC late night comedy show “Fridays,” alongside “Seinfeld” creator Larry David and star Michael Richards. You may also know her from roles on “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Seinfeld,” and “Allie McBeal,” among many others. Chartoff, a Crow’s Feet contributor, joins host Betsy Allen to discuss her career and the joy of marrying for the first time at 65.

Learn more about Melanie Chartoff at her website, www.melaniechartoff.com or find out about her performing and coaching services at www.charmismatizing.com. She is also on YouTube here.

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From circus performer to podcaster, Jan M. Flynn talks about aging while experiencing it all.

Host Warren Turner interviews Jan M. Flynn — who reveals how her meandering work history helps to inform her writing. From teaching middle school English, to running her husband's specialty lumber business after he died, to riding exotic animals in a circus act, she's living proof that aging provides a writer with plenty of experience to draw from. 

Flynn has her own weekly podcast, "Here's A Thought — the blogcast for people who overthink" — available on any of these platforms. Please visit her website at JanMFlynn.net.

You can also find her essays and many other articles by Crow's Feet writers on Medium.com at https://medium.com/crows-feet

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At 68, Lee Bentch doesn’t fit the stereotype. He’s still working, and after his day job, he cooks dinner for his five grandchildren and daughter. Lee is one of more than a million grandparents who are helping to raise their grandchildren and he’s also a Crow’s Feet writer. In this episode he tells us how he manages to plan and cook healthy meals seven days a week.  Lee is interviewed by Jean Feldeisen, another Crow’s Feet writer, therapist and grandmother. Join her as she discovers how the multigeneration household enriches Lee’s life, and how the grandchildren’s presence, filled with love and caring, extended his wife’s life.

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In the debut episode of Crow’s Feet, Betsy Allen interviews Nancy Peckenham, who founded Crow’s Feet in 2019.  Nancy talks about her life and career as a journalist, then about how her 100-year-old mother opened her eyes to the richness of life that is possible in later years. Overcoming stereotypes and ageist attitudes, Nancy discovered the joy of working with other writers to be part of the conversation that is changing how we view aging.  You’ll also hear from some of the other Crow’s Feet voices who are part of this growing community.

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