Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Lake Elmo Library | 155.67 PET | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | 155.67 PET | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | 155.67 PET | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
In Stupid Things I Won't Do When I'm Old, Petrow candidly addresses the fears, frustrations, and stereotypes that accompany aging. He offers a blueprint for the new old age, and an understanding that aging and illness are not the same. As he writes, 'I meant the list to serve as a pointed reminder - to me - to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to 'old.''
Author Notes
Steven Petrow is an award-winning journalist and author best known for his Washington Post and New York Times essays on aging, health, and civility. He's currently an opinion columnist covering manners and civil discourse for USA Today, and his 2019 TED Talk, "3 Ways to Practice Civility" has been viewed nearly two million times and translated into 16 languages. Formerly the host and executive producer of "The Civilist," a podcast from Public Radio International and North Carolina Public Radio WUNC, Steven regularly appears on television and radio. He's the author of six books, including Steven Petrow's Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners and Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old. A former president of NLGJA- The Association of LGBTQ Journalists, Steven is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including those from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, the Ucross Foundation, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the National Press Foundation. In 2017, he became the named sponsor of the Steven Petrow LGBTQ Fellowship at the VCCA, a prize that is awarded annually. Steven lives in Hillsborough, N.C. with his cocker spaniel, Binx Bolling. Please visit him online at StevenPetrow.com.
Reviews (1)
Booklist Review
When he turned 50, award-winning journalist, columnist, and Ted Talk-favorite Petrow began to keep a list of "the stupid things I won't do when I get old," a litany of all the annoying things his parents and other old people around him were doing. Included are such offenses as being afraid to fall, lying to their doctors, and refusing to change their ways. As he grew older, Petrow began to ruminate on things like continuing to drive when one has become a threat to others, waiting to be deaf before getting a hearing aid, and turning his home into a "sweat lodge." Finally, looking at life's end, Petrow vows to refuse to die without planning his own funeral or writing letters to loved ones. With coauthor Henry, Petrow supports his plans with quotes from favorite authors and facts from various studies, ultimately presenting a solid case for paying attention as you age. Along the way, he begins to understand his parents actions. Readers dealing with aging parents or beginning to feel twinges of age's tolls themselves will be especially interested. Petrow can't prevent you from becoming your parents, but he can remind you how a positive attitude, gratitude, patience, and compassion can make a big difference.
Table of Contents
| Introduction: I Won't Become Like My Parents When I Get Old | p. 1 |
| Part I Stupid Things I Won't do Today | p. 9 |
| I Won't Color My Hair (Even If It Worked for Diane Sawyer) | p. 11 |
| I Won't Double-Space After Periods | p. 18 |
| I Won't Be Afraid to Fall (Yes, You Read That Right) | p. 26 |
| I Won't Stop Rocking Those "Too Young for You" Outfits | p. 31 |
| I Won't Limit Myself to Friends My Own Age | p. 36 |
| I Won't Lie About My Age (Even on Dating Apps) | p. 42 |
| I Won't Join the "Organ Recital" | p. 48 |
| I Won't Deny That I'm Slow to Rise (and I'm Okay with That) | p. 53 |
| I Won't Avoid Looking at Myself Naked in the Mirror | p. 59 |
| I Won't Become a Miserable Malcontent, a Cranky Curmudgeon, or a Surly Sourpuss | p. 64 |
| I Won't Pass Up a Chance to Pee (Even When I Don't Have To) | p. 69 |
| I Won't Lie to My Doctor Anymore (Because These Lies Can Kill) | p. 73 |
| I Won't Refuse to Change My Ways | p. 79 |
| I Won't Tell My Life Story When Someone Asks, "How Are You?" | p. 85 |
| I Won't Get My Knickers in a Twist at "Okay, Boomer" | p. 89 |
| I Won't Be Honest to a Fault When Lying Is Kinder | p. 92 |
| I Won't Worry About What I Can't Control | p. 96 |
| I Won't Stop Believing in Magic | p. 101 |
| Part II Stupid Things I Won't do Tomorrow | p. 107 |
| I Won't Blame the Dog for My Leaky Pipes | p. 109 |
| I Won't Keep Driving When I Become a Threat to Others | p. 114 |
| I Won't Stop Enjoying Myself (and Yes, I'll Have the Occasional Candy Bar) | p. 122 |
| I Won't Hoard the Butter Pats | p. 125 |
| I Won't Wait Until I'm Deaf to Get a Hearing Aid (or, "What? What Did You Say?") | p. 130 |
| I Won't Fall Prey to Scams, Schemes, or Sleazeballs | p. 136 |
| I Won't Burden My Family with Taking Care of Me | p. 142 |
| I Won't Let a Walker Ruin My Style (but I'll Still Use It) | p. 150 |
| I Won't Smell like a Decrepit Old Man | p. 155 |
| I Won't Whine About How Much Things Cost | p. 160 |
| I Won't Play the Age Card | p. 164 |
| I Won't Forget My Manners | p. 167 |
| I Won't Be Ordering the Early Bird Special | p. 172 |
| I Won't Turn My House into a Sweat Lodge | p. 177 |
| I Won't Repeat Stories More Than One Hundred Times | p. 180 |
| I Won't Be Unkind to Those with Dementia | p. 184 |
| I Won't Let Anyone Treat Me with Disrespect | p. 189 |
| I Won't Lose My Balance | p. 194 |
| Part III Stupid Things I Won't do at "The End" | p. 199 |
| I Won't Depart This Life Without Someone Holding My Hand | p. 201 |
| I Won't Let Anything Stop Me from Saying I Love You ... and Goodbye | p. 207 |
| I Won't Postpone for Tomorrow What Matters to Me Today | p. 216 |
| I Won't Let Anyone Else Write My Obituary | p. 221 |
| I Wont Forget to Plan My Own Funeral | p. 224 |
| I Won't Die Without Writing Letters to My Loved Ones | p. 229 |
| I Won't Be Disappointed by My Life | p. 237 |
| Afterword | p. 245 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 251 |
| About the Authors | p. 257 |
