by Roxanne -

“Age-Friendly” Means Friendly For ALL

Photo R. Meshar

There’s so much we can do – even in our own local communities. Check out all of the innovative ideas in this article with excellent resource links at the end.

Here are just a few good ideas from the article –

It will take some creative steps to make New York and other cities age-friendly enough to help the coming crush of older adults stay active and independent in their own homes.

“It’s about changing the way we think about the way we’re growing old in our community,” said New York Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs. “The phrase ‘end of life’ does not apply anymore.”

With initiatives such as using otherwise idle school buses to take seniors grocery shopping, the World Health Organization recognizes New York as a leader in this movement.

But it’s not alone.

Atlanta is creating what it calls “lifelong communities.” Philadelphia is testing whether living in a truly walkable community really makes older adults healthier. In Portland, Ore., there’s a push to fit senior concerns such as accessible housing into the city’s new planning and zoning policies.

The key is understanding this (bold emphasis mine):

. . . if you make something age-friendly, that means it is going to be friendly for people of all ages, not just older adults,” said Margaret Neal of Portland State University’s Institute on Aging.

DH and I are actively looking for places to live in retirement that would allow us to use no car, public transportation or only one car. Walking is paramount – to the library, volunteering, faith community, grocery store, restaurants, coffee shops, museums, health care appointments and more. It is healthier, active, you meet more people and it’s easier to stay involved in the community. Check here for a list of most walkable cities in the U.S.

Because we have simplified our lifestyle we don’t need much space for stuff/things (a large kitchen or dining room isn’t necessary, for example). But we do know from our own experience that diversity in people and activities greatly enhances our quality of life.

What do you think? Would you consider adding diversity in people and activities to your life? Would you move to a place where you could easily use public transportation and then actually use it?

You may also like Live a Little, Prairie Walk and Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.

by Roxanne -

Human Poverty Index – U.S. Rank

How do you think the United States ranks in the Human Poverty Index compared to the other top industrialized nations?

If you said “badly” – then yes, you are correct.

The United States ranks NEAR THE BOTTOM (17 of 19) in the Human Poverty Index (2008) based on the key indicators of life expectancy, literacy, unemployment and population below 50% of median income (%).

Bet you didn’t know that did you?

But these numbers are from 2008. Since then we’ve had the depression/housing crash and many more have joined the ranks of the poor.

The poor are mostly women and children. So poor women and children in the U.S. would be better off living in almost any other industrialized nation OTHER THAN the United States.

Think about that for awhile.

by Roxanne -

Charity and Justice

Photo CA Air Resources Board

Many people are unclear regarding what is charity and what is justice. In fact, the boundary isn’t always black and white. There are gray areas. But generally, charity provides immediate aid for suffering, while justice works to end the underlying causes.

Here’s a biblical example often used to explain the idea of biblical justice, right relationshps or making things right. Moses didn’t ask Pharaoh to give the Israelites better working conditions, shorter hours and health care. Instead, Moses asked to end their entire economic system of slavery. He asked for justice. “Let my people go!” Moses’ request was to end the underlying system of slavery that caused the suffering.

A good example for us today is hunger. Donating food to the food shelf or volunteering at Feed My Starving Children is charity. We could donate food forever and there would still be hunger in the world because the root causes of hunger wouldn’t have been eliminated. On the other hand, Justice is working with organizations like Mary’s Pence or Bread for the World to end the underlying causes of hunger.

We need both and we each need to do both. Charity provides immediate results. This alleviates immediate suffering while motivating us to continue to work for justice, the changing of laws and systems. Justice takes longer and requires the coordinated efforts of many. It can be discouraging because we don’t see immediate results – but it is even more necessary for ending suffering and bringing peace to the world.

Becoming truly human requires real freedom. Stated another way, as long as we are held captive by that which prevents us from choosing in our own best interests (i.e. working for the good of all) we are not truly free.

Justice begins with education. The bible is replete with examples of people escaping injustice in the dominant culture. Exodus and the Exile are two well known examples of stories that work as metaphors for our own spiritual journey to freedom, but also serve as models for real world oppression.

Jesus too, freed people from physical and spiritual oppression or afflictions. But he also told many parables about how the world could be different, more just, about the in-breaking of the reign of God or the Kingdom (e.g. Matt 8:18-23, 20:1-16, 22:2-14 ). These parables helped others to become empowered to escape the actual oppression of families, tribes and the dominant culture of his time.

Scripture scholar Marcus Borg explained this idea of the bible as a collection of stories about justice and freedom in a talk he gave in April 2011, at Westminster Forum entitled “Speaking Christian.”

We cannot be truly free until we are no longer held captive by unjust ideas, patterns and practices of our dominant culture.

Click on the links above. Learn more. Share what you learn.

“If you want peace, work for justice” Pope Paul VI.

You may also like Question the Culture, Power of Framing and Myth of Objective Reporting.

by Roxanne -

Wealth Transfers

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, we need to start talking about things as they really are. In other words “tax cuts” are really wealth transfers and we should call them that.

On this tenth anniversary of 9/11 perhaps Americans can begin some considered reflection. Can we use the needless pain and suffering caused by 9/11 to think about how the rest of the world views us? Changes need to happen so we are not terrorized and we no longer wage economic terrorism on others.

Today DH has a post, “Wealth Transfer – need more examples? #2,” that I think explains this well.

You may also like On Osama bin Laden’s Death, Truth or Consequences and Exercise Your Mind.

 

by Roxanne -

World-class Theologians at Your Fingertips

 

On this day of remembering, do something for yourself. Listen to the best Catholic theologians have to offer. Click over to Catholic Theological Union’s Learn@CTU website and listen to talks or read articles by their world famous faculty.

Here’s a recent talk by Rev. Steve Bevans, SVD – What Does it Mean to be Catholic?

Hear it for yourself! Then check out other podcasts and articles on topics that interest you. They are shown on the same page.

You may also like Thinkers Anonymous,and Tasting Caviar.