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.
By Kevin Brown | BioIn my previous post,
I mentioned two books that I was in the process of reading, Ken
Dychtwald's "With Purpose" and Don Tapscott's "Grown Up Digital".
Ken's book calls us to consider how we will spend our time and apply
our life experience in the later stages of our life. Don's book has us
consider the impact the 'Net Generation' is having on the world at
large. I have only begun to read "Grown up Digital" and already I am
reading it from the perspective of aging. While considering the impact
of the 'Net Generation', I am really listening for "What does this mean
to the generation of baby boomers (my generation) that is about to
retire and how will it directly or indirectly influence our
generation's impact on society going forward?"[Read More]
This
past February I wrote an article concerning the Seniors
Action Group of Calgary and their experience with staging
intergenerational theatre projects. In that article I referenced a new
work
and partnership that the group was preparing to undertake with the
Calgary Sexual Health Centre. That new work is now nearing the
end of their Spring 2009 offering and the production is
receiving accolades from all who attend.
With the encouragement and support of Nicole Hergert, a counselor with the Calgary Sexual Health Centre and the artistic leadership and direction of Mariette Sluyter, founding director of the Foundation Lab, Seniors a GOGO was formed as a partnership between the Calgary Sexual
Health Centre, the Seniors Action Group, and the Foundation Lab.
Last Sunday evening in Calgary, the partners held a
celebration event to recognize the accomplishments of Seniors A GOGO in
bringing attention to the promotion of healthy
sexuality throughout one's lifespan through theatre. The celebration event included
pictorial displays, video renditions of monologues written and
performed by seniors, and live productions of some of their work. In
the audience were family members, friends, sponsors, production
assistants, and a number of invited guests.
The evening was kicked off with the artistic director sharing some
of the challenges that the partnership faced in attracting seniors to
share their experience of sexuality and in overcoming the stereotypes
associated with seniors and sex or the absence thereof. Watch for an
upcoming posting by Marianne Sluyter in which she will share more of
the challenges faced by the partnership and of the breakthroughs that
occurred along the way.
Throughout the evening, the audience was introduced to each of the
members of Seniors a GOGO as one by one they shed a light on sexuality,
intimacy, and self-worth for men and women in the normal course of
aging. What was abundantly clear throughout the evening was that,
regardless of age, we all have a need to be loved, to be appreciated,
to be admired, and to be engaged in an intimate relationship. As one
of the seniors shared, it was important to be in a relationship in
which 'In To Me See' (read "Intimacy") was present.
What a pleasure it was to witness seniors sharing the very best of
who they are with younger generations in attendance. All age groups
were represented in the audience and it was my observation that
everyone was touched and inspired by the production members.
Sunday evening was a testimony to the strides that can be made
when partnering organizations and individuals come together to advance
the quality of life of Elders. Focusing attention on sexuality in the
later stages of life is central to the ongoing health and wellness of
Elders. Thanks to Seniors a GOGO, I was privileged to experience
collaboration in community and wisdom in action!
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
RSS Feeds
