Last week I read that life expectancy in the United States
has now reached 78 years of age. As reported by Associated Press, a baby born
in 2007 can expect to live to the age of 78. The same report noted that heart
disease and cancer together were the cause of nearly half of U.S. fatalities,
and that Alzheimer's disease has surpassed diabetes to become the sixth leading
cause of death. Regardless of how long we can expect to live, everyone
has
a date at which time life, as we know it, will come to an end. Whether by natural
or unnatural causes, our life on earth will have a conclusion.
Wikipedia defines “life expectancy” as the average number of years of life remaining
at a given age. Certainly a life expectancy of 78 years is better than the
previous high of 75.5 years. But what if we consider ‘life expectancy’ from a slightly
different perspective? The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines “expectancy”
as the act or state of anticipating or looking forward. What would be the
implications for us if we thought of our life expectancy as being about what we
might anticipate or look forward to as we live the precious moments of our
lives, rather than looking at the number of years we might have left?
I recall discussions with my father about what he looked forward to when he
retired. He anticipated a time of rest, a time when he could pursue his
hobbies and favorites sports. He also talked about spending time
travelling with my mother. As with many working class families, life
occurred as a series of work weeks, weekends for rest,
helping children with homework, and the almost never-ending chores associated
with a family of eight. When vacation times did occur, the varying
schedules of growing children left very little time for Mom and Dad to spend
together. My father retired at 60 years of age, but by then, both my father and
mother had become, well, 'home-bodies'. They had spent so much time at
home that the very thought of travelling made them tired. In fact, they really
never learned how to travel, so for them, vacationing occurred for them as more
work.
Don't get me wrong. They enjoyed the rest that came with retirement, but with
their increasing age came infirmities. Both no longer had the health they
enjoyed when they were younger. My father passed away at the age of 74 and my
mother joined him some five years later.
While what occurred for my parents is indeed 'what is', a small part of me wishes
that my parents had created possibilities for their individual lives throughout
each year, rather than have focused so much on their retirement years. It
occurs to me that the future does not occur somewhere in distant months or
years. The future occurs in each new moment and therefore possibility
also exists in each new moment. What possibilities might each of us anticipate,
create or look forward to as we live each moment of our lives?
At the Eldering Institute, we are committed to a rich experience of
aging for everyone. Imagine living your life as a possibility. A life
in which you have the ability to choose how your future occurs for
you. Our
Eldering
Manifesto provides just such a vision for growing older. Please watch the video
and then read the manifesto.
If you share our vision, declare your commitment to a life of
possibility by signing the manifesto. As in all of life, the choice is
yours!
By Kevin Brown | BioThis
week I have been having discussions with several of my friends and
business associates concerning the apparent absence of choice as we are
nearing retirement. It seems that for some people, there appears to be
no choice but to remain with their current employer in a job they no
longer find satisfaction in due to an anticipated financial loss
associated with pension and health benefits. For many, this realization
has them feeling like they have no choice in the matter.
Have you noticed lately the impact that Boomers continue to have on the
world as we know it? Yes, the 'Net Generation' is beginning to have a
growing influence on our world and the way we interact with everyone in
it. But the Boomers are not retiring or withdrawing from being in
action on the field like their parents' generation did before them. No,
the Boomers are choosing to remain in the game and to impact how life
occurs for them and for everyone else. The question is, “Is this a
selfish act by Boomers or one of generosity and possibility?” Boomers
(those born between the mid 40s and the mid 60s) have been the agents
of change for most of their adult life. Whether challenging dress
codes, music preferences, the Vietnam War, or the status quo, Boomers
were and continue to be all about change. Of course, if change means
upsetting established norms, then Boomers are likely to be found
leading the parade. One can see their impact on each and every decade
for the last fifty years.
I was reading Ken Dychtwald’s With Purpose
recently, and was struck by a comment in the introduction. He noted
that "in a single generation, sixty-two went from 'such a long life' to
'he died so young'." Being 57 myself, I have a personal interest in
the subject of aging and how I can continue to live a life that is
significant and contributes to the communities in which I live, learn,
work, and play. Another book that is waiting to be read is Canadian author Don Tapscott’s Grown Up Digital.
By Kevin Brown | BioEarlier
in the spring, I wrote an article titled The Care and Feeding of
Seniors in which I stated "I view aging: as a natural progression of
life that embodies endless possibilities. This view is the core reason
why I joined the Eldering Institute, an organization that promotes a
life of power, purpose and possibility for Elders. I choose to live in
a world in which individuals, regardless of age, are committed to
continually creating new possibilities for their lives. I am speaking
of possibilities that allow individuals to share the very best of who
they are. In the world I envision, imagine the impact that Elders,
collaborating with other generations, will have on the communities in
which they live, learn, work and play!"[Read More]
In
my previous post, I discussed showing up in conversation without
pre-formed conclusions about the person we are entering into
conversation with. While the post was directed to conversations with
those we provide care for, the article applies to any conversation that
we find ourselves in. Whether at home, work, in not-for-profit
organizations, at Church, or just in casual conversation with friends;
how we show up in conversation has a profound impact on our
relationships.
In last week's post,
I discussed how care for family Caregivers, especially when the
provision of care occurs over prolonged periods, can leave the
Caregiver drained of energy and in need of care themselves. I noted
that Caregivers should endeavor to maintain their own health, keep up
their social network, stay involved with family and share the
caregiving. One gentlemen responded with
By Kevin Brown | BioIt
is my experience that caregiving is fast becoming another role that
adults will take on in the communities in which we live. In fact,
Statistics Canada reports that seniors made up 13.1% of the general
population in 2005. The Ottawa-based Institute of Marriage and Family,
in their recently released report titled 'Care-Full', states that
between 2005 and 2056, the average Canadian's life expectancy will rise
by seven years. One could assume that the statistics for the United
States will be similar in nature. It seems to me, therefore,
that even if you have not assumed the role of a caregiver in the past,
it is a role that you will likely assume sometime in your future.[Read More]
By Kevin Brown | BioMy lovely wife has spent her day
today moving my mother-in-law from Calgary to Edmonton. This is the
fifth time my wife has moved her mother in the past five years. She is
not complaining: it remains just a fact. Her mother has downsized from
a home to an apartment, relocated from British Columbia, Canada to our
home in Edmonton, moved back to a seniors apartment, and then to her first
experience in an assisted living complex in Calgary last August. Now,
just nine months later, she is moving once again to an assisted living
complex, but back in Edmonton. Regardless of the reasons behind all
these moves, I am continually amazed at how flexible, adaptable,
and welcoming of change my 91-year-old mother-in-law is. Her
willingness[Read More]
By Kevin Brown | BioRecently I was speaking with a friend about
his bright four-year-old son. During the conversation, my friend noted
how he was amazed at the ability of his son to recall events and
details that had occurred many months prior. He marveled that his son
could so easily and effortlessly recall information that for most
adults would have long since been forgotten. Upon hearing his comments, I rather jokingly gave my normal response
when confronted with similar comments about smart children with great
memory. “It’s not that children have such great memory, they just have
not experienced enough of life to have the mass of information stored
in their brains that adults do!” I was clinging to[Read More]
By Kevin Brown | BioMany
of you are experiencing firsthand what it means to be living with
someone older than you. Perhaps you are a teen or young adult living
with your parents, or perhaps you are an adult who has a parent or
older relative living with you. Experience reveals that at some point
in our lives we will be sharing an intergenerational relationship while
under one roof. Most of us have the experience of living with our
parents while we grow up. But the experience of taking on a caring role
is very different.[Read More]
You
must forgive the title of this post, especially if you view aging the
way that I view aging: as a natural progression of life that embodies
endless possibilities. This view is the core reason why I joined the
Eldering Institute, an organization that promotes a life of power,
purpose and possibility for Elders. I choose to live in a world in
which individuals, regardless of age, are committed to continually
creating new possibilities for their lives. I am speaking of
possibilities that allow
Today
is ‘Family Day’, a public holiday in the Canadian provinces of Alberta,
Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. It is also celebrated in South
Africa, in the Australian Capital Territory, in the state of Arizona in
the U.S., and in the Republic of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. In
Alberta where I live, ‘Family Day’ was declared to recognize the values
held by the pioneers who built the province and the values of home and
family.
By Kevin Brown | 
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