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365 Days of Fun and Chillaxation – Blog#33 – Lessons from an Elder

Submitted by on May 18, 2010 – 6:56 pm One Comment

(While I raise my son and grow my good news website)

Recommended music while you read this blog: Talk Talk: Life’s What You Make It [see below]

I got talking to an elderly lady today, and everything about her life and attitude ran contrary to my current concern about the isolation of her generation.  She was out in the sun, leaning on her walking stick and making her way slowly towards the supermarket, which was a good couple of kilo metres away.  I had just broken free from the family for some time out for myself, and fell into a slow amble at her side.  We walked to Golden Bay’s version of town (which would make some of you laugh), deep in conversation.  I was keen to find out how she felt about life as an elder (not that she’d call herself an ‘elder’, it’s more a Maori or Native American concept, but I do).  She surprised me, intrigued, and inspired me.  She reminded me that no matter how old you are, life’s what you make of it.
“So do you ever find it lonely being in your eighties?” I asked.
“Well, not really.  I’ve got my bowls and we’ve got our group, there are about thirty of us, we meet when any body’s having a birthday.” She said, adding that it was her birthday tomorrow.  I made a mental note.
“You have a group of thirty people and you meet every time anyone has a birthday!?”  I was deeply impressed, thinking how busy she must actually be and how social her life must be.
“Well not every time, you don’t have to go.”
Wow.
She went onto tell me that she was fortunate enough to have her family living near her and that you just had to give a little to life and make the effort.  I nodded and said:
“The same rules apply no matter how old you are huh?”
“Yes, you can’t just sit around feeling sorry for yourself, no body likes that, you’ve got to make a little effort.”
So there you have it.  It never stops.  You get back from life what every you put into it, at any age.  I suppose this was obvious all along, but it made me realise I’d started to worry needlessly about our elderly generation.  With a little spirit, no matter what your age, no matter where you are, life works for you.
Today’s rating: 9/10

PS Having said that, my flat mate – a naturopath – wants to offer free talks to the elderly about how to use a good diet to lesson the likely hood of developing Alzheimers.

365 Days of Fun and Chillaxation (as I raise my gorgeous son and grow my good news website to a subscription base of 100,000 people).  The Low Down on this Blog.

Check out yesterday’s blog.

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One Comment »

  • Mitchell says:

    Lovely story, and it’s good to be reminded of these universal truths. We so often forget the real stuff as we’re continually bombarded by shallow marketing concepts. The sooner we honour our old people and the the context in which they lived the better. Loved your choice of music too!

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