TOO OLD TO BE YOUNG; TOO YOUNG TO BE OLD

 People live longer now than in my childhood. We hear of people reaching close to 100 frequently; however, the average longevity for American women is much lower--77.28; though depending on what research one views, the age differs. Each of us belongs to a small slice of the population, and there is no data for each particular segment. Medical care is spotty in the United States, correlated with environment, income, and educational level. COVID-19 and the opoid epidemic have negatively influenced longevity as well. A quick Google check for predictors for longevity adds the following factors: parental longevity, environment, present age, muscle strength and mass, and balance. 

My sister and I frequently discuss the differences between our grandmothers' lives and ours. Certainly, our grandmothers were elderly or old ladies at our ages of 69 and 72. They wore matronly dresses; a certain type of tie shoe with medium heels; and coats, hats, and gloves. They walked in a manner befitting their age, took public transportation, and carried what they could manage in mesh, reusable shopping bags. One of our grandmothers--Kaethe--was quick and active--and took care of others as a way of life. Trude, on the other hand, was quieter, slower, and spent more time reading, listening to the news, and doing crossword puzzles. 

Our mother, Eva, fit in between. She drove, viewed herself as young until she was 80+, received a Bachelor's degree at 73,and dressed in contemporary styles. She traveled more frequently than Kaethe and Trude. Eva was not a baby boomer. She did not worry about her diet. Eva did not overeat, and she watched her weight. In her older age, she started walking for exercise--but no gym workouts, fitness trainers, or yoga.

My sister and I are the age of our grandmothers when we were teenagers in the mid to late sixties and early seventies. We are old. Though we do not feel "old," whatever that means. We get tired easier and move slower; but we exercise, travel, drive, and run around doing too much. I try to squeeze in as much life as I am able. My mother did the same, as my sister does too. I think my grandmothers accepted their stage in life; more recent generations not so much. 

My grandmothers settled into their age because they admitted that their problems were part of the aging process. So did their physicians. Kaethe had angina. She did not sit around, but she knew her heart was not working as well as it should. When she had pain, she took her pill and went on. Trude had high blood pressure. Cognizant of the fact, she reduced her salt intake but that was that. My mother had high cholesterol but she still ate butter. 

Baby boomers are obsessed with their diets--low salt for me, low sugar for my sister, low cholesterol and carbs for both. The admonitions and moderations to our diet increase as the years advance. Fitness trainers for strength and balance for me and pilates and yoga for my sister fill our schedule. Even at 72, I think twice, thrice about eating bread and desserts. And weight/body configuration--what is normal for my age? I judge myself by the same standards as I used when I was younger, though I know my shape has altered.

There is nothing wrong about improving one's quality of life. I certainly do not want to sit in a recliner 24-7, but will the stringent controls increase the years we have left? Sometimes maybe, often no. The dark cloud hovering over all of us is cancer. Cancer is our scourage, our plague. Let us not fool ourselves. Good news and bad about cancer punctures our emotional well being nearly daily. One person experiences success with treatment; others do not. People live with cancer as a chronic disease, and those are the lucky ones. 

I try to conceal my worst physical flaws; I watch what I eat; and exercise moderately. But, I will not masquerade as a young person. That to me is far worse than "looking old." We have all seen the outrageous outfits and hair styles worn by some older women and men. 

I am old, maybe not oldest. Older--is that better? Old sounds like yogurt past its expiration date. Most of my life has been lived. Why do we have to be fixed by doctors all the time? I take so many pills, I sometimes forget, "did I take that one?"

Then there's hydration. Water, drink water. O.K, I do as I am told. My mother said coffee is liquid. And certainly my grandmothers were not running around with reusable containers. By the way, they both lived into their early 80's.

 ©Karen Levi 2023

WHAT IS YOUR *BLACK CAKE?

I give complete credit to the notion of a black cake to the novel, Black Cake, written by Charmaine Wilkerson. Her excellent novel centers around a recipe for a dense fruit cake which originated in the Caribbean and is passed on to future generations in England and the United States. I also acknowledge my sister, Connie Levi, who gave me the idea, "What is your Black Cake?"

What recipe was passed down to you verbally, in writing, or solely from memory? Was it your mother, grandmother, or aunt who taught you to make a cake loved by your family for generations? Maybe it is not a cake, perhaps a soup or hot dish? You probably forgot about this particular food for years, decades. Somehow, it returns unbidden. 

My daughter loves to watch a Youtube cooking show called The Victorian Way. She has absolutely no biological or familial connection to England, yet the notion of old recipes passed down to the present is intriguing. My daughter was adopted, so her biological black cake might be tamales. Since she was raised in a European Jewish family in the United States, her black cake may be something I made--matzah balls?

My black cake is plum cake or Pflaumenkuchen. My background is German Jewish. The Germans have a reputation for wonderful cakes, but plum cake is special. First of all, a plum cake lit up my mother like only food can accomplish, recalling sweet memories of early fall before the Nazis destroyed her world. Surprisingly, my father loved plum cake too. They were from different parts of Germany and had different childhood memories of food. For example, a child from the southern part of the United States might remember coconut cream layer cake while a child from New England blueberry pie. 

The plums used in Pflaumenkuchen can be typical plums, but cooks agree that the small, black Italian prunes are best. These are harvested in early September and are difficult to find in markets. I assume they are plentiful in Germany. The dough is a simple cake dough: flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, vanilla, cinnamon. I remember my grandmother whipping it up by hand in minutes in one of her old cracked stoneware bowls. The fruit goes on top, into the oven, and done.

There are distinct versions of this cake and, with all reminiscences, I am confused as to which kind is the actual one. So, I chose a New York Times recipe. My grandmother and mother added ingredients to their batter by instinct. My paternal grandmother knew how to bake intuitively, my mother not so much. I, unfortunately, need explicit written instructions. 

I chose a torte which is different from the yeast dough topped with quartered plums my brother has bought from bakeries. There is also a version with streusel on top. My parents probably did not remember which cake they ate as children, given the nature of personal memories, and the trauma they suffered due to World War II.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/3783-original-plum-torte

©Karen Levi 2023

Burning Man--the apex of fake, freaky fun?

 I have had enough of Burning Man. Real tragedy persists in our world. I do not care about 70,000 people--can you believe it--who search for misery and consequently marvel at people helping one another. I am weary reading about grownups who spend hundreds, thousands of dollars to replicate suffering and community. I know about this phenomenon because a family member makes an annual pilgimage to the remote location not meant for humans. Worse--the "Burners" turn a barren environment into a circus of fake celebration which is detrimental to the delicate ecology of this place. 

Who decided that burning a wood statue was demonstrative of impermanence? Be like monks. Create a mandala of sand and blow it away--barely any harm done. Drive and fly miles to create a lasting footprint on a desert, and you weren't even invited by the animals who live there? If you want to experience the desert, go in winter or early spring not during the heat of August.

Community is where people live everyday. Pick your recent natural or manmade disaster if you want to engage in communal living and cooperation. No need to go to Nevada to create community. Humans are constantly committed to preserve life, as we try to avoid danger, illness, and misfortune. We work hard to protect ourselves and the vulnerable from disease and violence. Why invent danger and then survival? 

Are the participants of Burning Man so privileged that they cannot see what is front of their eyes? That they have to don costumes which mimic a dystopic world, only to dump the paraphanalia every year? I have seen the boas, glittery vests, platform boots, and ski goggles stored in a relative's closet. Something is rotten in the world if people with money have to waste it, pretending to suffer and need each other.

Burning Man began innocently on a chilly beach in San Francisco, but wealthy entrepeneurs saw the potential for revenue. So they created a pseudo city on a remote dried up lake in the barren Nevada desert. I have driven through that grey, dry, empty moonscape; it is not the prettiest desert we have on our continent, nor a place you would want to spend much time. But it is part of our earth and has inherent value.

The festival has grown exponentially which demonstrates an appetite for excessive partying and fake survival. Rock concerts and raves are controlled chaos. Computer/video games simulate desperate situations to survive. Virtual rooms enable people to pretend they must escape confinement. These activities are weird. However, Burning Man exceeds all of these activities in its extravagance. The so-called festival is a week long exhibition of scantily clad adults play acting at destruction, risk, and a free-for-all of temptation and desire fulfilled or not.  

I do believe we are better than this type of gathering.

©2023 Karen Levi

PARADISE LOST

I grew up on the west coast of the United States in the 1950's--1960's. I remember vaguely when Hawaii and Alaska became states. As a child, I had silly notions of these remote areas, promoted in school and in books. I kept the book that intrigued me as a child which depicted Alaskans as cute natives in igloos and Hawaiians in grass skirts, kneeling on the ground making poi or surfing in the ocean. 

As children, we played "Hawaiians," gathering together grasses and flowers and sitting amongst plants and bushes. Popular Halloween costumes were grass skirts and leis. The hula hoop--popular toy of my childhood-- was inspired by the hula dance. To me the Hawaiian islands represented paradise--warm weather, blue ocean, swaying palm trees, and scrumptious fruits, Alaska--not so much, too dark and cold. Perhaps, I would have imagined being an Eskimo if I had lived in a snowy place. As an adult, I traveled to Alaska where I found a spectacular land of mountains, forests, and quiet.

I recognize that Hawaii must have inherent difficulties given its colonial history and conflicts between the indigenous population and white transplants. Asians moved to Hawaii to work on the plantations, and there is a large U.S. military presence. 

Hawaii was first populated by ancestors of Polynesians. The people lived in an isolated, untouched environment for centuries. They developed a close relationship to the land and the animals. Spiritual practices evolved from the attachment. Hawaii's ecosystems have changed dramatically over the centuries. Non native plants dominate the land now. 

Before Cook's arrival in 1778, Hawaiians used their precious resources for building communities for the survival of their people. Plants of one kind were substituted for the native plants of the area when the community benefited, not dissimilar to the native Alaskans hunting whale for food and other resources. As people from foreign lands arrived, new plants and animals were introduced and flourished. Non native plants and animals account for half of plant species now as compared to when Cook arrived. Before 1778, a tiny percentage of plants were not native.

Peoples' attitudes towards nature have changed, including stewardship of the environment. One works for what one takes is the traditional view of a human's relationship with nature. The modern view differs; people are entitled to take what they want. 

Ironically, the creation of the lei has lead to the decimation of certain plants. A lei represents love and respect and was used in religious ceremonies. What began as a beautiful tradition turned into greed and the desire to use leis for all types of contemporary celebrations. Currently, leis are made from non native plants. In earlier days, the leis for personal adornment, were constructed from commonly growing native plants which no longer are readily available. Conservationists educate the people about viewing Hawaii's native plants as "inexhaustible free resources;" in other words, one should not traipse in the woods and take what one desires. The advice can be applied to any locale.

Back to fires, indigenous populations, and over development of the land, subjects I have pondered in thepast. The usual blame game has commenced in Maui, with the people blaming the government, the government assigning the problem to further study, and everyone pointing fingers at the utility company. Governor Josh Green blamed climate change, essentially trubut still a "cop-out" for responsibility.

We witnessed the identical dynamic in Paradise, California in 2018. When I was in Northern California (Sonoma County) last September, I saw scorched hillsides and burnt acorns, twigs, and bark on giant oak trees. The locals seemed humdrum about the situation. Paradise (not in Sonoma County) has rebuilt itself by following new safety standards. Resource guides have been printed to help residents with fire prevention. PG&E, the utility company, was found liable for the fires in Paradise and has paid out millions to rebuild. 

The elderly, infirm, disabled, and poor suffer the most from disasters, a frequently documented fact. Support has been implemented in California to assist home-bound and less informed people to install emergency text messages, answer the phone, and be generally aware of one's surroundings. 

Indigenous peoples suffer more from changes in the natural environment due to their cultures and lifestyle. Simply put, they live closer to the earth, spiritually and physically. Tragically, indigenous groups were forced from their original lands and shunted to less hospitable places. Lahaina is important to native Hawaiians, so they grieve deeply. 

Next to impossible for me--an outsider--to determine the actual ethnic/racial proportions that exist in Lahaina which would support or dispel if indigenous people suffered more losses. Charts prepared by government agencies are confusing and deceptive at best when a population consists of mixed racial groups. From pictures, it appears that a disproportionate number of older, mixed race adults perished.

Evidently, hubris and misjudgement were human factors compounded by extreme wind and drought which resulted in needless tragedy, simply difficult to understand given that this fire was not the first in the Hawaiian islands and was predicted by scientists.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/files/2014/02/Hawaiian-Ecosystems-and-Culture-Growing-Lei-plants-1.pdf

https://calmatters.org/events/2020/10/rebuilding-and-resiliency-how-we-need-to-handle-wildfires-from-now-on/

https://climate-xchange.org/2020/05/08/disproportionately-impacted-by-the-climate-crisis-indigenous-nations-lead-on-lasting-solutions/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwrfymBhCTARIsADXTabmEDqAb1jPoi7e399VVvit3bgwidGwphlynsxGyRIV1IAO8RCZeBLIaAsFeEALw_wcB

©Karen Levi 2023

COVID, FIRES, JAIL--"MEMORIES" ON FACEBOOK

What do they have in common other than appearing on social media on the anniversary of the first postings? All three remain serious problems after a year, two, three years, and actually longer.  The human loss, property damage, and associated trauma of fires and COVID linger in the lives of victims. Our democracy has been challenged and continues to be a threat from demagogues.

COVID is a natural phenomenon of nature, a virus which has behaved in typical fashion. The definition of a virus on Google is an infectious microbe consisting of a segment of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat.   A virus cannot replicate alone; instead, it must infect cells and use components of the host cell to make copies of itself. The rest we experienced in 2020 and before that in 1918 through books and articles. Human fallability and frailty add to the tragedies resulting from viruses, but essentially viruses are biological events.

In most cases, the ignition of brush fires results from human error--campfires, cigarettes, or improperly functioning electrical wires Over-development and destruction of forests are additional human related causes, especially the recent well-publicized events in California, Greece, and Hawaii. Fires are natural. Certain types of wind determine the nature of a brush or forest fire, critical elements being the strength, direction, temperature, and humidity level. The fire and smoke are chemical reactions comprised of four stages--ignition, growth, fully developed, and decay. A flame is air with combustible gas. Smoke is a suspended emission of particles from a flaming source. 

When we see or yell "fire," our impulse is to run, but first gather a cell phone, purse, etc. and people and animals. Instinctually, we know that fire is hot and dangerous. We fear and are awed by the conflagration. We gather around the fireplace or campfire.Sensible people take care to prevent its occurrence in buildings, parks, and habitable places. Fires are natural, creating a homestatis in the wilds. Fires caused by lightening strikes have controlled plant growth in forests for millenia. 

Part of our problem today stems from insufficient controlled burns by forest fire professionals. I am a cautious human, so I have listened to Smokey the Bear, fire safety movies, and fireman for as long as I can remember. The climate changes occurring now, the result of human produced ecosystem and environmental change, add to the dangers of fires due to droughts and extreme heat. Irresponsible development and removal of trees increases the risk of tragedy at the level we understand most readily.

Sickness and fire scare me which is a human reaction to a threat. Both seem situations beyond our control, but there is a scientific explanation for them. Jail refers to Trump and other greedy sociopaths we have witnessed recently who create chaos by human action. These evildoers cause more lives to be lost than fires and viruses. Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Putin are additional examples to a list of villans which winds backwards down through the ages.

Trump continues to lie, cheat, and steal, encouraged by enough of the population to keep him going. But what is the origin of the inappropriate behavior? Human emotions and actions are incredibly complex, no simple answers. However, Trump was enabled for years and years. Trump grew up in a home controlled by an unscrupulous father and protected by money whenever he or a family member faltered. The creation of a Trump develops through myriad missteps, chance, and socioeconomic factors. A bad white boy protected by his father--sent to military school, attended elite college based on family influence, and took charge of father's business. The bad boy developed into a bad man who has manipulated women and lied to shareholders, voters, the media, judges, lawyers, and business associates. Cheating and a lack of consideration for others became his modus operandi.  He's a T.V. star and big mouth and then a U.S. President. What?? Since 2015, a seemingly impossible scenario come true.

I find human created problems more frustrating than ones resulting from natural phenomena, though the latter can be influenced by scientists, politicians, leaders, and all of us. We can follow common sense safety rules, vote against impulsive development of the land, and protect our natural world of plants and animals. 

I recognize that we are flawed. I accept that we err. When a person turns a corner and lies continuously with impunity, harming others, I draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable. This applies to the Trumps, Epsteins, Kushners, and Madoffs of the United States to name a few recent culprits. Unnamed individuals have destroyed families and relationships by smaller acts of dishonesty. Smaller lies harm individuals as mass murder, treason, and greed affect humanity at the national and international level.

©KarenLevi2023

TOO WHITE, TOO OLD, TOO PRIVILEGED

 I am not the first writer to be rejected for one reason or another. Being turned down is part of the job. An article of mine was rejected because it was loosely associated with the period of Nazi domination of Europe--Boring? Old subject matter? The same online journal (devoted to Jewish women) nixed another article because they are looking for writers from a broader spectrum of the population. 

Evidently, I am from a narrow demographic--white and older. In response, I said to myself: OK, sure, I get the message. No more stories related to the tragedies of 80-85 years ago. And, you want young, Jewish women of color. I unfriended them on Facebook. 

I am not making light of the contributions and impact of younger people, especially minorities within a primarily white group (Jews). But why shut out an older cisgender white woman? And the rejection is from white women themselves who will be older in twenty years. 

Be careful who you rebuff, ladies, for your actions may come back to haunt you! Dismissing on the basis of skin color and age is discrimination. Older people should be respected. Actually, when I am out and about, it is usually Asians who are kind and thoughtful to me. This is no coincidence, as respect for age is a significant part of their culture.

The first article that was rejected celebrated the joyful acceptance of a young man as the new rabbi of a congregation of "older" people. A story related to my experience educating young people about the dangers of discrimination was considered inappropriate or uninteresting I cannot think of a more relevant topic given what is happening in the United States and other first world nations. Lastly, a story about two Jewish women linked by a common name who advocated for women, one in the 19th century and one in the 1920's, was turned down.

There is no time limitation for the study of history. When/what would we eliminate? The Five Books of Moses were written more than 2,000 years ago, so the Bible/Torah is no longer relevant. Shakespeare--another bigoted white man. Greek and Roman civilization--nah too European. The American Civil War is over--slavery was abolished; that's done. Though there are some who support suppressing the past, what a tragedy if that came to pass.

I was born, in the dark shadows of the Holocaust, from the union of two refugees of Nazi Germany.  Surrounded by survivors who spoke German, these refugees were my early role models. I was told Germany was the incarnation of evil; the cold war scared me with bomb drills; and then my family accepted reparations from the German government. Israel evolved as a nation throughout my childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. Civil rights, anti-war protests, increased awareness of the LGBT+ population, including gay marriage, colored my life. Of course, I write about these topics. This is what I know, not outmoded subjects in the least. 

Who is "in" and "out" are part of the vagaries of writing and publishing. I know. I am not shocked. But the wider issue is reverse discrimination in which the Supreme Court was recently involved. Discrimination and the subsequent use of quotas in college acceptance, in employment, and in our culture is a serious matter. 

Of course, those who have not been given advantages from their families of origin and society should be judged differently than those who have had an easy ride. However, skin color does not always equal disadvantage or advantage or worthy vs. unworthy. In my case, being white and old is a disadvantage. I am not cool, relevant, or in style which translates to unworthy to express myself to a wider audience. As a friend said recently, we pay the dues, vote, give generously to charity, and volunteer after years of paid employment.

If society does not listen to all voices, certain perspectives will be lost and a bunch of angry women (and men) may cause a ruckus. And do not give me that "Karen" designation, just another entitled white woman. There are some issues I understand better than others based on my life experience. I am not entitled to more than I deserve. I do not get to go to the head of the line or make a person of color leave empty handed.  But I deserve to be respected and heard.

©Karen Levi 2023

ALL AMERICAN BOY

 Last night, I attended the fireworks display for Rockville, Maryland, a town in Montgomery County which is adjacent to northwest Washington D.C. Most residents identify with the District, as it is called, either for work or cultural activities. National news becomes local news. Washington D.C. was built as a capital city, both for the institutions of our government--including the capitol-- and the civil service workers. The city has rich history of African Americans, their contributions and abhorrent neglect. The city has been divided into White, Black, diplomats, and civil service workers. Time has changed the demographics somewhat; but the separation of White, Black, Hispanic, rich and poor remains. 

The suburbs reflect these neighborhood distributions with change coming quickly and drastically. In 2023, the population of Rockville reflects diversity with a capital "D". With the blink of an eye, a predominatedly white neighborhood becomes filled with people from everywhere. Last night was no exception.

 Rockville was a sleepy, borderline south/north town in the 1950's, still segregated like the rest of the country. According to various sources from 2021, White people consist of 47% of the population, with Asians and Hispanics coming up second and third and then Blacks. I hate these labels which are misleading at best. White is what people call themselves but includes Biracial, Middle Eastern, and Hispanic individuals. Native Americans make up a small part of the population, but most Hispanics have indigenous blood no matter their skin color. Asians consist of people descended from Chinese to South Asian to Philipino. Whatever the statistics, anyone who observes our population sees a beautiful rainbow of pale, rosey, tan, light brown, dark brown, and nearly black skin tones. Spanish, Hindi, Tigrinya, Amharic, Arabic, Farsi, Chinese, and more can be heard, yet the children squeal and shout in English.

Last night, these humans smiled, laughed, and patiently waited for dark to come. Some very old aunties in traditional dress did not seem happy to be in the boisterous crowd. Heaven knows the trauma they may have experienced in their lives. Older White and Black Americans seemed at ease, accustomed to the tumult of the 4th of July. The kids ran the gamut from bouncy, impatient, whiney, to quiet. They kicked a soccer ball on a hilly patch with a huge drain. The boys deftly avoided falling and bumping into others. Two year olds played on the grass with melted chocolatey faces and sticky fingers. Babies had their diapers changed, as families snacked or picknicked.  

I watched a family who originated from either Eithopia or Eriteria. Each child was treated to cotton candy and watched the scene around them. Cotton candy, commotion, and waiting for dark--dressed in red, white, and blue--a true, rapid immersion into American childhood and culture. 

My sister and I were those children in the late 1950's through the 1960's. Bundled up in coats on foggy San Francisco summer nights, we too watched fireworks. Or our father lit sparklers in the backyard after eating picnic food with a European touch. For we were the children of Holocaust survivors. Our parents, too, were hell-bent on making us Americans. And that is what we became, no doubt about that. As it is said, as American as apple pie. The European identity remained just below the surface. Just as the African families probably tell their children about their history, food, and customs. 

It is no coincidence that 4th of July celebrations are filled with people of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. These are the Americans who appreciate our country. I never cared about the holiday until I adopted two children from Latin America and realized how difficult it is to become a citizen. The recent threats to our Democracy have further strengthened my resolve to celebrate our ideals. I fly the American flag on Independence Day, as my father did. I do not want the conservatives to co-opt our flag. 

One hispanic boy walking to the fireworks display area wore a red shirt with the words, "All American Boy." That said it all. Yes, with deep brown skin, black hair, and shining eyes--you are all American. Just as all American as my sister and I were half a century ago. And as American as the kids who hail from families that "go back to the Mayflower," as it is said.