Blog archive
June 2023
Communications Project with Cal State LA
06/02/2023
Creative Aging
06/01/2023
May 2023
One Villager's Story
05/31/2023
Pasadena Area Literary Arts Center
05/31/2023
Pasadena Village Responds to Rainbow Flag Burning at Pasadena Buddhist Temple
05/31/2023
Plan Ahead - And Be Prepared
05/31/2023
Tuesday, May 23 Pasadena Celebrated Older Americans
05/31/2023
Rumor of Humor #15
05/28/2023
Reparations, Social Justice Activity
05/24/2023
Rumor of Humor #14
05/19/2023
Rumor of Humor #13
05/12/2023
Issue #12
05/09/2023
Science Monday - Review of Meeting on April 10, 2023
05/09/2023
Conversations Re African American Artists Before 1920
05/08/2023
Beyond the Village – Suzi and Phil Hoge
05/01/2023
Congratulations Wayne April! Honored at UNH
05/01/2023
Table Topics
05/01/2023
Volunteer Appreciation at the Village
05/01/2023
“ACCIDENTAL HOST—The Story of Rat Lungworm Disease”
05/01/2023
April 2023
Jumbo Joy
04/24/2023
Pasadenans Recent Experience With Racism
04/23/2023
Recent Events Reflecting Racism
04/23/2023
Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
04/18/2023
Photography for Social Justice
04/11/2023
Issue #8
04/07/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - Catherine Deely
04/06/2023
Creative Writing in Older Adults
04/06/2023
Gifts of Love
04/06/2023
March 2023
Issue #7
03/31/2023
Issue #6
03/26/2023
Great Decisions update
03/14/2023
Dominion Lawsuit, South Africa and 710 Stub
03/08/2023
February 2023
2023 DEI Progress
02/27/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - Doug Colliflower
02/26/2023
CONVERSATIONS WITH ART
02/26/2023
GREAT DECISIONS
02/26/2023
OLDER ADULTS RESOURCE FAIR
02/26/2023
The Important, Influential Books in our Lives - Revisited
02/26/2023
History, Resolution of the 710 Freeway
02/19/2023
Eminent Domain, 710 Highway
02/13/2023
Bernard Garrett, 710 Freeway
02/06/2023
Men's Times Gatherings
02/03/2023
January 2023
Pasadena's Senior Commission
01/30/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - JIM HENDRICK
01/27/2023
GRATITUDE - IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!
01/27/2023
JEFF GUTSTADT - FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST
01/27/2023
Bernard Garrett, Incredible Black Entrepreneur
01/17/2023
What is the "Spirit Talk" Group About?
01/16/2023
Same Ol’ New Year, Brand New Me
01/12/2023
Review of 2022, Consideration of 2023
01/06/2023
BEYOND THE VILLAGE - PATTI LA MARR
01/03/2023
FROM THE CHAIR
01/03/2023
WALK WITH EASE
01/03/2023
Redefining Aging, Lessons From Life
By Blog MasterPosted: 09/01/2021
At the Pasadena Village we describe our activities and goals as "redefining aging," the period of life that we find ourselves in now, generally described as "aging," is an unexplored terrain. We are learning about it as we experience it and learning how to deal with it successfully. We take our lessons from all around us as we find them.
On the morning of Sunday, August 22nd, I watched the CBS morning show and found a rich menu of inspiration to consider. There were six episodes which I found particularly enlightening.
In the first episode, there was an interview with a young man who was born with no arms. He's a gold medalist in the Paralympics and competes successfully against “able bodied” archers. On the range, what sets him apart from the others is that he is seated while they are standing. He drives an unmodified automobile, can change the tire himself, and he feeds himself at a table with no assistance. The magnitude of his challenge overwhelmed my imagination, and I could not conceive of a possibility to meet this challenge and yet he is doing it.
The next episode was an interview with the ninety-two year old inventor of the cell phone. The episode began with a long list of industries that we all know that would not exist without the cellphone, with Uber and Lyft in the lead. This man was an executive at Motorola who created the first mobile phone as a car phone, which many of us recall was the size of a small shoe box. In his words, this tied the phone operation to the automobile in a similar way that the landline was tied to a residence or an office. He saw a need to liberate the phone from that tether. In 1973, he demonstrated a working cellphone that could be easily carried and used free of that tether. Still active at ninety-two, he stated his belief that living means learning and being open to new experiences. That is the takeaway message that we need to get from this creative and vibrant individual. Here is an active ninety-two year old man who recognized an opportunity and changed the world and summarized the lessons he passes on perfectly.
The third episode of interest was an interview with a ninety-four year old woman who works every day on her own boat as a lobster fisherman in Penobscot Bay. She is known for not missing a day of work in years and says her retirement will take place when she dies. Her only assistant on the boat is her son, who is also part of the "aging population”. I am amazed at the simple fact that the ninety-four year old woman lives such a demanding and physically active life which is an impressive illustration of what is possible.
Next came the story of a man who was intrigued by an abandoned mining town named Cerro Gordo. With only enough funds to put down earnest money on the property, he committed to purchase the three hundred and eighty-four acre tract that was the town. Living there all alone he has raised additional funds to rebuild the town. Promoting it on the web, he has turned it into an attraction that draws volunteers from all over to assist him. He has turned it into a tourist attraction that will bring in paying visitors to the renovated hotel. Here is a man who stepped off into the unknown and instinctively took on a challenge with no idea of how he would meet it, but he made the commitment anyway.
The fifth episode was a veteran returning from Afghanistan with serious wounds who has founded an organization to help other similarly affected veterans deal with their adjustments to civilian life. This man’s life and capabilities were totally changed by the injuries he sustained but without hesitation he took that as an opportunity to turnaround and engage his energies in helping others who suffered the same plight.
The last episode was about a neonatologist who writes and performs music where he sings about the challenges of his career that involve the certainty that he will lose patients routinely. The emotional burden of losing an infant patient and the impact that has on the family and the doctor, is a fact of his life. This man refuses to be overwhelmed by the certain failure and emotional stress that his career guarantees him, and he carries on with the important work that he does to accomplish what he can.
The message I take away from this morning's experience is to look around you and be open to learning from what you see. Each of these stories represented to me an illustration of someone dealing successfully with enormous challenges which puts the challenges that I encounter into a completely different perspective. As I looked at what these people have accomplished, I am struck by what they achieve because of their positive attitude and the courage they display in facing and taking on the challenges before them. I realize that if I employ similar attitudes and can muster the courage that they display, I can deal successfully with the circumstances that I encounter.