Stupid things I won't do when I get old A highly judgmental, unapologetically honest accounting of all the things our elders are doing wrong

Steven Petrow

Book - 2021

"In Stupid things I won't do when I get 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 as a pointed reminder--to me--to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to 'old'" -- Excerpt from jacket flap.

Saved in:

2nd Floor Show me where

305.26/Petrow
0 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 305.26/Petrow Due Apr 8, 2024
Subjects
Genres
Humor
Published
New York, NY : Citadel Press, Kensington Publishing Group [2021]
Language
English
Main Author
Steven Petrow (author)
Other Authors
Roseann Foley Henry (author)
Physical Description
xii, 257 pages ; 22 cm
ISBN
9780806541006
  • Introduction: I Won't Become Like My Parents When I Get Old
  • Part I. Stupid Things I Won't do Today
  • I Won't Color My Hair (Even If It Worked for Diane Sawyer)
  • I Won't Double-Space After Periods
  • I Won't Be Afraid to Fall (Yes, You Read That Right)
  • I Won't Stop Rocking Those "Too Young for You" Outfits
  • I Won't Limit Myself to Friends My Own Age
  • I Won't Lie About My Age (Even on Dating Apps)
  • I Won't Join the "Organ Recital"
  • I Won't Deny That I'm Slow to Rise (and I'm Okay with That)
  • I Won't Avoid Looking at Myself Naked in the Mirror
  • I Won't Become a Miserable Malcontent, a Cranky Curmudgeon, or a Surly Sourpuss
  • I Won't Pass Up a Chance to Pee (Even When I Don't Have To)
  • I Won't Lie to My Doctor Anymore (Because These Lies Can Kill)
  • I Won't Refuse to Change My Ways
  • I Won't Tell My Life Story When Someone Asks, "How Are You?"
  • I Won't Get My Knickers in a Twist at "Okay, Boomer"
  • I Won't Be Honest to a Fault When Lying Is Kinder
  • I Won't Worry About What I Can't Control
  • I Won't Stop Believing in Magic
  • Part II. Stupid Things I Won't do Tomorrow
  • I Won't Blame the Dog for My Leaky Pipes
  • I Won't Keep Driving When I Become a Threat to Others
  • I Won't Stop Enjoying Myself (and Yes, I'll Have the Occasional Candy Bar)
  • I Won't Hoard the Butter Pats
  • I Won't Wait Until I'm Deaf to Get a Hearing Aid (or, "What? What Did You Say?")
  • I Won't Fall Prey to Scams, Schemes, or Sleazeballs
  • I Won't Burden My Family with Taking Care of Me
  • I Won't Let a Walker Ruin My Style (but I'll Still Use It)
  • I Won't Smell like a Decrepit Old Man
  • I Won't Whine About How Much Things Cost
  • I Won't Play the Age Card
  • I Won't Forget My Manners
  • I Won't Be Ordering the Early Bird Special
  • I Won't Turn My House into a Sweat Lodge
  • I Won't Repeat Stories More Than One Hundred Times
  • I Won't Be Unkind to Those with Dementia
  • I Won't Let Anyone Treat Me with Disrespect
  • I Won't Lose My Balance
  • Part III. Stupid Things I Won't do at "The End"
  • I Won't Depart This Life Without Someone Holding My Hand
  • I Won't Let Anything Stop Me from Saying I Love You ... and Goodbye
  • I Won't Postpone for Tomorrow What Matters to Me Today
  • I Won't Let Anyone Else Write My Obituary
  • I Wont Forget to Plan My Own Funeral
  • I Won't Die Without Writing Letters to My Loved Ones
  • I Won't Be Disappointed by My Life
  • Afterword
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
Review by 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.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.