"There is no such thing as the collectivity of the aged; the aged are a heterogeneous collection of people as diverse as the population itself."
- J.H.Shultz
Some readers may recall the classic pun poking fun at the jock-college that recruits football players based upon brawn not brain, which goes something like this:
On graduation day, the proud student-athlete stands at the podium, eyes searching the crowd for his parents, and speaks with gusto: "Four years ago, when I came here, I didn't even know how to spell the word 'engineer,' and now I are one!"
Personally, I should rephrase that joke to fit myself. Years ago I was a young academic embarking upon a career in educational gerontology. I selected this field of study because I was frustrated in my Dean of Instruction position in Nevada.
One of my key responsibilities was publishing the annual college catalogue. I had been given charge of the city's senior center and it was requested that I introduce classes for them. Little data existed to help me figure out which courses older persons might wish to study.
I applied for a grant, and off I went to the University of Washington to seek knowledge and wisdom about the needs of the elderly. I took course work in every major academic department, attempting to learn what it meant to be "old" in our society.
What I learned was a bit scary - older persons were not a valued group. Few texts existed which provided a clear reason for gerontological education.
I completed my doctoral dissertation in educational gerontology in the spring of 1977 at the age of 38. My theoretical construct came from the area of affiliation theory, which investigates the reasons people form relationships and groups (for example, issues of safety, for information, etc).
Of course, I learned much at the university. My own research ultimately proved valuable for community service planners. For example, I showed that members of senior centers preferred to enroll in college classes with a mixed age group, and that their primary reason of joining things was to gather new information.
I also learned about the issue of sex and old age. It wasn't a part of my formal research, but persons volunteered stories that provide me with anecdotes. One man, attending a conference I organized, told me, "Don't knock it, my boy. Wait till you get there."
And another wonderful lady shared with me her story of how she participated in 35 affairs with men ranging in age from 16 to 85.
I wish I could meet them all again, to tell them: "I am here - with you! Once I was learning about older Americans, and now I are one!"
I received my first Social Security check last spring and now I'm happy and pleased to write about the results of my life's work. As a senior myself, I not only want to challenge old myths about aging; I hope to constructively contribute stories and essays to my cohort for their edification and enlightenment!
We should never feel that our life is without meaning. We should never think we cannot change.
Moreover, we should never say of our life what Ernest Hemingway said a few weeks before his shotgun suicide: "What do you think happens to a man going on 62 when he realizes that he never can do the best things in life. I haven't any of them. Do you understand? None of them."
Epilogue:
On Jan. 19, it was reported on Neil Cavuto's show on Fox Network that, starting Jan. 1, 2006, each day 20,000 American persons will turn 60 years old!
And, furthermore, the trend will continue for the next 75 years. Who ever said older persons didn't have value in our society?
Bernie Sadowski is a freelance writer living in Magnolia.[[In-content Ad]]
