Take if from one who knows!
Aging is inevitable, intractable, and for some, frightening! It is a fact of life that needs to be dealt with; some of us do that better than others. For those who deal with it as “a state of mind,” aging opens doors to new experiences, new views of the world, opportunities to accomplish things never tried before, new friends, a fresh start … For those, for example, who become solitary, vegetate in the solitude of their homes after losing a spouse, who refuse comfort or support or advice, life can easily become a trial rather than a triumph. We are given a choice … move, create, become productive, or wither on the vine. The choice is yours to make!
“This is a new phenomenon. I’m seeing a new breed of people living with vitality at such old ages,” said Gropper, who remains just as vital herself.
A writer, teacher and the former director of the Center for Lifetime Learning at Palm Beach Community College (now Palm Beach State College), Gropper started taking notes on the seniors at her Lantana assisted-living facility who remain vibrant and engaged with the world.
She has a few rules for inspirational aging. Above all, she said, try to view the inevitable losses of aging through a prism of optimism, curiosity and humor.
Here are some more:
Find companionship. “Loneliness is a huge problem in old age,” said Gropper. If you don’t live in a group setting, you have to make an extra effort to find friends through a senior center, library group or religious organization.
Exercise the body every day. Gropper walks whenever she can and takes a yoga class three times a week.
Use your brain. “The greatest fear among seniors is not being able to function mentally,” she said. So she and her neighbors go to lectures, concerts and the theater. “After, hold discussion groups and talk about what you’ve seen,” she said.
Keep your sense of humor. At this age, life is tenuous, but “we can afford to laugh,” Gropper said. “Sometimes, we have to see the humor in a situation or sit down and cry, but a quick quip or witty remark is a good defense against depression.”
Plan your day, every day. Filling the day is a great challenge for people at this stage of life, but having the time to explore new adventures is a bless-ing. Get out of the house as much as possible. “You can have a fuller life than when you were younger because your time is your own now. If you’re not feeling well, get yourself to a comfy chair and read something uplifting.”
But I want to go one step further … I want to pro-mote the use of your brain power to make your older years exciting and interesting and rewarding. Many of us had high level, successful, productive careers before we retired; at the very least, even if that was not so, we came to retirement after many good years. My aim is now to give back, to be as useful and hard-working as I was when I worked … to have people see me perform, not “as good as someone my age,” but as someone who is respected as doing a damn good job. And doing that job (or jobs) … thinking, analyzing, organizing, listening, presenting … keeps the brain alert. That, to me, is the secret of the aging process. Go out and do something that will stimulate that brain. Volunteer at a meaningful site, join clubs and organizations and take active roles in them, enroll in adult classes, teach your skills to others (knitting, photography, creative writing, computers, etc., whatever you were great at in your former life). Get on a committee, go to meetings, write a book, put together a volume of poems or recipes, start a social – group. How about writing a column for the Aberdeen Times! The point is, you must use your brain to keep it alive and healthy … it will even help overcome some of the physical problems that beset us.
To everyone, best wishes for a happy holiday season and a healthy New Year.
