I am a Research Fellow in the Gerontology Institute at the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
My life is full - trying to juggle, balance many interests:
Helping my parents navigate through their last years (they are both alive and well at the moment) - working with my 2 sisters to provide support around difficult decisions - giving up driving, residential changes, health crises; chronicle their long, fascinating lives; having fun; and just being there.
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| Alison and Liz Kettenring Maier, Fall 2004 |
Watching my boys become adults - find loving partners; careers; interests - and learning how to balance "parenting" with friendship and fun.
Trying to do my little part in countering the increasingly military stance our country is taking: primarily through being a counselor for the GI Rights Hotline, but also doing workshops (Boston Social Forum, etc.), attending demonstrations, sending repeated messages to congressmen to take a stance against war.
Music - I finally started recorder lessons 2 years ago (formerly, self-taught), play regularly with ensembles, sing in a women's chorus, and go to many concerts (mostly "Early Music")
Physical activities and nature - I continue my exercise "routine" - in fact it gets longer as I have to add stretching and strengthening exercises to counter the effects of aging (knees, neck, etc.). But also fun activities - swimming, tennis, hiking, snowshoeing, etc.
Travel - Thailand and Laos in Jan. 2004 with a well-traveled friend - an eye opening trip for me, especially Laos. Trips to spectacular southern Utah (where a sister lives). Hawaii - this coming July.
Friends - I've maintained friendships from Westtown, Wellesley, BU, and my first jobs. The benefit of a son living in Maine - is I have rekindled friendships - including Liz (Kettenring) and Jim Maier - who live practically "on my way" to Adam.
Love - One of the advantages of getting older is mellowing. I have gone through the highs and lows of a marriage, long-term significant others, and shorter, less intense relationships. I have come to realize that there are advantages to part-time romantic relationships - I really enjoy the independence of my current life, but also enjoy companionship and romance in moderate doses.
"Alison Stokes Gottlieb" <alison.gottlieb
umb.edu>
19 Rodman Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-983-1451 (home) 617-287-7413 (work)