Knowing Your Thyroid

The chances of developing a thyroid problem in the second half of your life are increased. I know from personal experience what it's like to deal with changes in heat and cold and high or low energy due to thyroid imbalance or synthetic replacement. It's not fun.

I found this on the web:

According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, about 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid problem in her lifetime. January is Thyroid Awareness Month, a good time to learn more about the thyroid, a small, butterfly shaped gland in the neck that influences metabolism and the function of the kidneys, heart, liver, brain and skin. Make sure your thyroid is functioning normally – learn about the symptoms of thyroid disease, create a personal health history, and then talk with your physician if you have questions or concerns. Simple tests can help determine if your thyroid is over- or under-functioning, and proper medications and lifestyle changes can help address any concerns.

Saging on screen

I watched Boston Legal for the first time the other night. I found it realistic and psychologically astute. I had especially tuned in to watch Candace Bergen who has grown with her age beautifully. She has always portrayed characters her own age and done them great justice - in this case literally! What actors or actresses do you admire for demonstrating saging and embracing who they have become with each passing year? What shows do you recommend I check out that also focus on saging, rather than stereotyping those over 50? I welcome your suggestions!

Shades of Gray

I admit that I don't watch much television or keep up on the latest reality craze. Sure, I'd heard of American Idol, but haven't ever watched, nor did I have any idea who had won last season. So when I came across 29-year-old Taylor Hicks and his trademark prematurely gray hair, it was a shock to me that he had managed to capture young America's votes. Don't men and women much older than 28 constantly dye their hair any color BUT gray? Don't young people see graying hair as a sign that they are getting "OLD"? Aren't young people attracted to other young-looking people, not those who look middle-aged? Maybe I've been wrong about how youth views the natural changes of aging. Maybe Taylor Hicks is a sign of a new societal paradigm where we embrace gray hair, rather than cover it up. Maybe we are approaching the time when hairstylists will be asked to actually dye hair gray? I'm excited to find out.

The Year of Magical Thinking

I just read the latest issue of Vanity Fair. It has a feature article on Joan Didion and Vanessa Redgrave - two women who look their age and have lived their age and who have teamed up to do a play based on Didion's tragic memoir (The Year of Magical Thinking). Their play seeks to see the tragedies through the prism of humor. It just struck me that both of these women are women who have lived lives of tragedy and have found strength; they move to the beat of their own drummer, controversial as they may be. To me, they are sages because they stand up for what they believe in.