Octogenarian Fran Vall holds a 6th degree black belt in Judo and a 5th…
The Age of Discovery
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Blessed with unprecedented longevity, physical vitality, and imbued with the experience and wisdom that comes with age, we finally have a change to do things we've never done before. This film offers a compelling prospect for living our later years as a unique, exuberant time of life on its own authentic terms. A group of wonderfully diverse individuals, 66 to 106, share their insights on life after sixty. Exploring creativity and learning, discovering new opportunities, giving back to the community, through volunteerism or political activism, these ordinary and extraordinary people inspire us to transcend old fears and embrace what is truly an age of discovery.
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Distributor subjects
Aging Process; Positive Images of Aging; Attitudes about Aging; Religion and Spirituality; Spirituality and Aging; AgingKeywords
WEBVTT
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The trouble is that when you\'re
wrinkled… Use the word old…
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People make assumptions about you. Old shoe, old
hag. They think you\'re too old to cut the mustard.
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Over the hill. And I\'m not. The
oldest gotten the bad rap.
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We have more people over 65 in this country
than the entire population of Canada.
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So we have a nation within the
nation, all the diversity
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of any nation. What we need to think
about is this growing diversification.
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This is the first major group
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that has grown up with positive
images of aging. So their whole sense
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of expectations and demands in terms
of what\'s possible (inaudible)
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is profoundly different from early groups.
Many people in later life feel
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for the first time they finally
have time to pursue the interest
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that one has. And basically
the change that\'s occurred
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is that an older person has
come to know who he or she is.
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We inherit such a backlog of negative
characteristics among aging.
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The negative [01:50]are a basic and
some very hard historical facts.
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The first one to be downsized
back in the days of the dark,
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satanic mills was older (inaudible).
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They were not considered agile enough, smart
enough, or flexible enough to continue working.
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How did that became the perception
of older people as being parasitic,
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handed, incapable? They were marginalized.
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And then when you\'re no longer able to produce as
an adult, you just fall off the edges that were.
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You\'re not seen as a decent person.
You become at this point somebody
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who has being a warehouse\'s
redundant population.
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There\'s a lot of misunderstanding about the percentage
of all the people who end up in an institutional setting
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defines specifically as a
nursing home or a hospital.
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Most people think that a very large percentage
of older people are in those settings.
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But in fact, at any one point in
time, all he does at best of 5%.
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[music]
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My prayer to everybody
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and everything is that I walk and I talk.
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Boy, do you? And I can
walk, and I can talk,
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and when that happens, boy, I don\'t want to go
to any restaurant. The whole image of aging
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is profoundly changing.
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You do…are amazed sometimes when you look in
mirror and see that old person looking out at you,
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\"Why? That\'s not me.
That\'s not the way I feel.
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I feel so much younger.\"
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I\'m 70 and whatever that means. I mean,
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I\'m doing all things that I used to do 10,
15, 20 years ago. It wasn\'t very long ago
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that we thought after age 65, life was
over. I recall my mother at 60 was,
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you know, in her house dress
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sitting before the TV and kind of wedging.
And I think she saw her life as very finite,
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and that it should be over around 70.
And by God, that\'s when she died.
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Quite frankly, I feel that I\'m
still at the tip of my own iceberg
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that I haven\'t really done everything
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that is there for me to do. I
too, I\'m trying to get rid of
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stereotypic view that 60,
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\"Oops, here it comes. Let\'s start
cutting down, cutting back.
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I\'ve got to get rid of that.\" And I work on it
all the time, work on my head all the time,
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but always religiously and probably
and slightly obsessed way,
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I workout every morning. It\'s just
part of what I do. And it works.
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A lot of people who say,
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\"Gee, I wish I could do that. I like to ride
a bike.\" I say, \"Well, come on, let\'s go.\"
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\"Oh, I could never do that.\" And I feel sorry for
people who have already made up their minds that
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it\'s not a possibility.
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I discovered
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that I was encouraging people
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to do things that they had… that they
didn\'t think they could do all their lives.
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It was really a great reward.
They came back to me and said,
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\"That bike tour, you know, I really
didn\'t think I could do it.\"
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And then they acknowledge that how
valuable experience had been to them.
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What\'s the worst thing
that could happen to you?
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That you didn\'t have a good time, you didn\'t like the
people, that you had a flat tire or you took a taxi,
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big deal. It still would be an adventure.
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[sil.]
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It\'s nice to be outside.
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It\'s nice to grub around the dirt and
have the rewards of your efforts.
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And I find it very satisfying.
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It\'s nice to
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build a fire in the middle of winter on your wood
stove, and you know you catch your own wood.
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It\'s kind of nice to… It\'s
nice to feel self-sufficient.
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And maybe that\'s the reason I don\'t feel old. And
I\'ve never thought that there wasn\'t anything
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I couldn\'t try to do. But it\'s kind of fun
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thinking that you can do anything.
I feel healthy
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when I exercise. I feel
happy when I\'m exercising.
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I could take the car, but I have this
theory that if you don\'t keep going,
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you get stiff and you won\'t be able to and you won\'t want to, and it
becomes uncomfortable. So if you just keep yourself in shape and use it,
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you\'ll use it. I mean, if you
don\'t keep yourself in a shape,
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you might lose it.
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The idea that older people are set in their ways,
there\'s nothing you can do, it\'s all downhill,
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there\'s… I mean, it\'s all uphill, I guess. And there\'s nothing
you can do to change that course is absolutely false.
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[music]
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She calls me in the morning, and she\'s
like, \"I can\'t even walk.\" I said,
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\"Well, you better walk.\" So she said…
I called her every two hours a day…
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She said, \"I\'m so tired.\"
I said, \"Well, so am I.\"
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But I said, \"I have to keep
only going just the same.\"
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And she wouldn\'t be in this… She wouldn\'t as
well as she is now if I hadn\'t beaten her.
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Oh, you\'re so nice.
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There is 17 units in the facility.
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And each floor, we design a
program of strength training
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and endurance training for the needs
of the residents on that unit.
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Older people tend to become very
sedentary as they age which causes
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their muscles to atrophy or
become weakened. We have a gym
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which we call Circle of Fitness. And we offer
the program to the residents here at the Center
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three days a week. What we\'ve done is
target their muscles of functioning,
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their ADL muscles. The ones that help
them to walk or get up from a chair
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or get things out of a closet or put
clothes on. We\'ve been doing the research
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and what we saw in this closing general as a
rule, most people are appropriate for exercise.
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Every night or so, I go for 200 or 300 push
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on the bicycle machine. Good.
Good. That\'s pretty good.
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That\'s very good. You know, it takes about half an hour. And some
of my people have said to me that it feels so good physically
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that they want to do more.
They go to more groups.
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They go on out trips. They feel comfortable going out with
family members that it\'s given them that self-confidence,
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that self-esteem that they\'ve
sort of lost along the way
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with their illness. I have a lot of
95-year-old people that have never exercised
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in their lives. And decided, \"I want to do something
now. I want to take charge. It\'s never too late
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for them to start exercising, to talk their
doctors.\" And most doctors now are saying
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that an exercise is extremely beneficial.
I say that most people
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if you ask them, they want good quality. They don\'t want
to live forever. But the time that they are living,
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I think that they want good quality of
life. They want to be able to walk.
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They want to be able to get from the chair, they want
to be able to visit with family, feel comfortable,
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attend a few activities, and just be
able to do a little bit for themselves.
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Exercise has given them that key.
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The senior center is like
a recreation center for
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55 plus population. I think
we have a right here.
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I think that doing the social part of it, providing
the services in addition to the recreation
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is a good component. The variety
of programs that we have…
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Arranged from organized athletics,
like the softball, volleyball,
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programs… A little more loosely
run programs, the ski trip.
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And that\'s supported by the
local transportation district
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in the local ski area who provide a
discount on Tuesdays for seniors.
00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:24.999
So the bus comes up, and then we kind of
count heads, and we get on the bus. Okay.
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[sil.]
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Okay. All right, great. We have somebody
assigned to count heads at the end of the day
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and make sure we get everybody back. But once
you get up there, you\'re free to downhill ski,
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cross-country, or snowshoe. And so that\'s
more of a senior-led, self-initiated program.
00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:49.999
And we hope to get enough ideas and leadership
from people to get all of our programs
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in that kind of a format where it\'s
senior leading senior. We seek to
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offer opportunities for folks to get involved.
Wilbur Sprenger, the stain glass instructor
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as a perfect example in beating a program
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and organizing an effort. And that was
in 1979 when I first started down there.
00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:14.999
This class that I have, that was
by 90 years class that I\'ve had.
00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:19.999
I enjoyed it. It\'s lot of
fun, meeting a lot of people.
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There is a pretty significant contribution
here of older adults leading,
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creating, investing in the programs
00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:34.999
that are offered here.
00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:39.999
Every (inaudible) the drum speaks to
us because it\'s a companion of us.
00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:44.999
It\'s basically just stretched
skin over skeleton.
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I see people have a real
interest in continuing learning.
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And so we can pick programs that stimulate
them as well as entertain them.
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We\'ve got winners on our hands,
and that\'s really… That\'s great.
00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:04.999
We\'ve been offering yoga
00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:09.999
and Tai Chi, which I think
are more contemplative
00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:14.999
and fit that sort of meditation kind of
program. If you take these two fingers
00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:19.999
and place them at the center of your
forehead, you can close the one nostril
00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:24.999
when it\'s on and close the other nostril when you\'re
breathing. Remember, you\'re trying to get the spine
00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:29.999
up out of the ridge of the back.
We\'re just going to be lying down,
00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:34.999
feet behind the sit bones.
Wherever you (inaudible)
00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:39.999
you just have the beginning sensation
of stretch on the back of…
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One side maybe you\'re different.
00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:49.999
If you flex both feet,
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it helps bring the alignment
in, and then just release that
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and come on down. The Tai
Chi, I think, most people
00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:04.999
actually engage in because it
really is about strengthening,
00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:09.999
stability, and fall prevention, and I think
many physicians are encouraging older people
00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:14.999
to explore Tai Chi from that perspective.
00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:19.999
Just slightly adjustment
00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:24.999
in your right foot.
00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:29.999
I am very proud of this
facility\'s philosophy
00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:34.999
and making sure older elders
are a part of the leadership.
00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:39.999
We probably see 3,000 to 4,000
different individuals here
00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:44.999
each year.
00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:49.999
One of the reasons our senior center is so strong and so well received
by so many people is that there are a variety of social outlets
00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:54.999
that people can have here.
Well, it does happen here,
00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:59.999
and it\'s not about age. It\'s
more about interest, desire,
00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:04.999
need, and if we don\'t have what
they\'re interested or needing,
00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:09.999
this is a place that can
help make that happen.
00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:18.000
[sil.]
00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:24.999
You can\'t live alone. You have to have a lot of
friends, and you have to interact, and you\'ve got…
00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:29.999
And that\'s part of having fun. But I think it
would be more than just physical activity.
00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:34.999
I think people are engaged in the arts. So I have
this friend, (inaudible), who is 86 years old,
00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:39.999
beautiful artist. You probably know her.
Oh, it\'s what keeping my wife living.
00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:44.999
Oh, Hag is the most dynamic, vital
person, but she loves her art.
00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:49.999
And so it doesn\'t have to be physical activity, whatever
engages you in, keeps you vital and interested,
00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:54.999
and what? Don\'t you think so? For us, it\'s physical
activity. I agree with you. I agree with you.
00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:59.999
You have to be looking forward to doing something beyond sitting around and watching
a dugong, certainly reading a book. For me, I\'ve never been necessarily to jogging
00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:04.999
or whatever it is because the kind of
work, I do go up and down the chapel,
00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:09.999
and then that\'s exercise. I\'ve
been here at the cathedral almost,
00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:14.999
right now, it\'s about 27
years I\'ve been working
00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:19.999
at the cathedral, you know, I\'ll tell you.
I came in America in 1961,
00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:24.999
so now we\'re about eight, nine
(inaudible) professionals,
00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:29.999
you know, all the people
I watch, the young ones,
00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:34.999
those days, and now I became… They
used to call me the boy. Now lately,
00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:39.999
they used to call me the old man.
00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:44.999
What I do is what I\'ve
been doing all my life,
00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:49.999
it\'s called carving, you know.
00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.999
Whatever is necessary to do
in stones, from ornamental,
00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:59.999
statues, foliage, gargoyle, inscription,
00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.999
everything that needed
to be done in a stone,
00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:09.999
I\'ll done. If you don\'t have the vitality,
00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:14.999
then you think you\'re dead. But
as long as you have motivation,
00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:19.999
some reason, something to reach out,
00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:24.999
you know, some energy in your
life, I don\'t think nobody wants
00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:29.999
to stop the activities. I can say everybody
00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:34.999
is not brandish for all his life.
You never learn
00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:39.999
because always it\'s something new to do.
People used to think that with aging,
00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:44.999
it was all over, it was downhill course,
that was just a maritime before you lose it,
00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:49.999
and that you couldn\'t learn anything new, you
can\'t teach old dogs new tricks. Today, we know
00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.999
all of those images are incorrect
that ongoing learning knows
00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:59.999
no end point in the in the life cycle
00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:04.999
and the biggest factor for maintaining
the skills or even enhancing them
00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:09.999
is ongoing challenge. It\'s
amazing what can come out
00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:14.999
when we challenge ourselves, and
we don\'t want to limit ourselves.
00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:19.999
We want to present
challenges and opportunities
00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.999
through the society for creative aging.
Ours is a community-based model.
00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:29.999
We\'re relying on the resources that exist
within the community. We want to approach
00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:34.999
elders individually that are
still functioning and vibrant
00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:39.999
and independent living as
well as our frail elders
00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:44.999
who are in the poor range of
facilities, be it assisted living
00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:49.999
or nursing home units. Those
who have mental disabilities
00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:54.999
or physical handicaps, to
us, it\'s… It\'s irrelevant.
00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:59.999
You know, we think it\'s
available for everyone.
00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.999
[sil.]
00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:09.999
We think that anybody is capable
of doing a creative act.
00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:14.999
Creativity is within us all.
It\'s not about the product.
00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:19.999
It\'s about the process. And going
through that and expressing themselves.
00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:24.999
Through intergenerational programming,
00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:29.999
we want to connect our youth to our elders
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.999
so that they can look up and see
life\'s lessons that are so important
00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:39.999
and have the seniors share some
of their wisdom with the young
00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:44.999
so that they feel still a
part of society at large.
00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:49.999
The whole thing is not about being afraid,
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:54.999
and it\'s not about making mistakes.
There is no right or wrong.
00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:59.999
Everyone has movement,
and to whatever degree
00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:04.999
that you can move, you can participate.
00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:09.999
We have about one dancer. She came
in, and she said, \"Well, you know,
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:14.999
I have trouble with balance. \" She said, \" No problem.
You know, you can do a lot of the dads movements
00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:19.999
from a chair.\" Well, that concept
was totally foreign to everyone.
00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.999
\"How in the world can you
move and dance from a chair?\"
00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:29.999
But it was amazing. She
was able to go through
00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:34.999
and use her body to whatever
limited range of motion she had
00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:39.999
and express herself. I think creativity
00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:44.999
for those who have already been
involved in their lives, we know
00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:49.999
that it does affect their lives
and their quality of life.
00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:54.999
And so even if someone is
coming now in their 60s
00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.999
who have never done anything before
in the past, with creativity,
00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:04.999
we feel very, very certain
that it will affect their life
00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:09.999
a way that it will keep them
vibrant, keep them alive,
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.999
and stimulate the brain. The
basic biological brain studies
00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:19.999
show that there is no end point
in terms of mental stimulation
00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:24.999
affecting positive changes
in the… in the brain.
00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:29.999
Those positive changes continue
independent of…of age.
00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:34.999
I seem to be possessed
with a need to create.
00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:39.999
Time in 10 seconds will
be exactly 8 o\'clock,
00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:44.999
stay tuned for Ragtime, America.
00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:49.999
[music]
00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:54.999
This is an outlet for that need.
Every week,
00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:59.999
I need to create a program that
will ultimately be broadcast.
00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.999
He actually lived long enough
00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:09.999
and was popular during the time when recorded
sound was beginning to make headway.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.999
And so he actually made some recordings.
We\'re going to listen to one right now.
00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:19.999
Here is Billy Meryl himself
and Eskimo shivers.
00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:24.999
And here I am, 24 years later,
00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:29.999
still doing that. And it\'s fun. I enjoy it.
00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:34.999
Now that I\'m retired
00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:39.999
with a whole lot more time on my hands, this
has become a little more of a major focus.
00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:44.999
With the advent of the Internet
00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:49.999
and all that, we have listeners
anywhere and everywhere.
00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:58.000
You can pick it up anywhere you want to.
People do listen,
00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:04.999
and that\'s kind of exciting.
Creative potential
00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.999
remains a very strong throughout the
life cycle with numerous examples
00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.999
of people first tapping into their creative potential
in the second half of life or and in later life.
00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:19.999
Yeah, I have Ragtime, I
guess is a passion for me
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.999
when you when you look at it that way.
00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:29.999
And once again, this need to create
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.999
is coming through it. I first
heard it back in the 19950s
00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:39.999
when my father brought home a
record, and that got me hooked.
00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:44.999
And then the 1971,
00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:49.999
I was at a friend\'s home for dinner. And
she was playing record by Joshua Rifkin
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.999
and playing Scott Joplin\'s Piano Rags in
the background. And I was transfixed.
00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.999
And so I started collecting,
00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.999
I started learning on my own.
00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:09.999
Pretty soon after that, I started composing,
and I\'ve written almost thirty pieces.
00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:14.999
I think it was 1985 that I had
an opportunity to record.
00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:19.999
And I\'ve since recorded four records.
00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.999
I\'ve written articles,
I\'ve played at festivals,
00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:29.999
sort of picked up a second
career almost as an emcee.
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.999
I guess that\'s the
definition of the passion.
00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:39.999
I need… I need the music.
I guess I need it.
00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:48.000
[music]
00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:54.999
I\'m a painter. And I\'ve
been painting all my life,
00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:59.999
ever since eight years old. I have
necessity at first because I was bedridden
00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:04.999
and drew on anything,
00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.999
and somehow or other, it just sort of got me
started. And from there on, I had to paint,
00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:14.999
I had to draw, and I\'ve
been doing it for 60 years.
00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:19.999
When you paint, you… You do…
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:24.999
You get so absorbed by what
you\'re doing that everything else
00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:29.999
is not important.
00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.999
It keeps your sharp, it keeps you focused.
00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:39.999
I\'m always out there
looking… looking for things
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.999
to paint or just seeing little
different things to me as an artist,
00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:49.999
you know, very important.
And so I\'m always on high.
00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.999
I make the colors a little look colorful. I
make the buildings a little less straight.
00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:59.999
I don\'t use that rigidity
that is in everyday life.
00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:04.999
And this is how I feel. Tear that wall down
00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:09.999
that keeps you from it, and keeps you
from painting and abandon yourself
00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:14.999
and have some…and just do it. Do something.
Do something. Don\'t just sit down and…
00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:19.999
Like a couch potato. In the beginning,
00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:24.999
I hope I would like to create a wave of
interest in campaign finance reform.
00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:29.999
She\'s 89-year-old great grandmother who
is walking the across United States
00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.999
in support of getting big money out of politics.
The media and the Senate was saying that people
00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:39.999
back home don\'t care. And I knew that wasn\'t
true, or at least, I thought it wasn\'t true,
00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:44.999
and if it was true, then
they\'d better jolly well care.
00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:49.999
And that\'s why I walked. It\'s really
overwhelming the amount of attention
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.999
that I\'m getting, a little old lady
who played Scrabble Monday mornings
00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:59.999
and went to a class for a better month
on Tuesday the rest of the time,
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:04.999
taking life easy, reading, and
taking a walk in the afternoon
00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:09.999
and one in the morning, and suddenly
I\'ve become noticed by everyone.
00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:14.999
Now I have cars going by, stopping
00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:19.999
to shake hands with me, or waving out
the window screaming, \"Go, granny, go.\"
00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.999
The whole thing is like a fairy story.
I just don\'t believe it.
00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:29.999
Over the history of civilization, older people
have traditionally been the keepers of a culture.
00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:34.999
And I think it\'s been a
factor of this wisdom
00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:39.999
that comes with aging but also this
are courage to do the right thing.
00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:44.999
We have no problem by asking
for that courteous agreement
00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:49.999
to change their ways. We must change
00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:54.999
their ways for them.
00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:59.999
And then sometimes you see this
in the most important spheres
00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.999
that influence across the society.
When one looks back
00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:09.999
in terms of the original Mideast
peace initiative and agreements,
00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:14.999
all of the key players in making those
decisions were from their mid 60s
00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.999
to early 70s. It was as if
they finally got permission
00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:24.999
as a factor of where they were developmentally to try
something which in the past may have been anathema
00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:29.999
or inconceivable. But I feel that their age
00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:34.999
gave them that courage, that feeling,
that they could try something
00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:39.999
that very bold, it was very
different, and yet would
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:44.999
make a profound impact on the culture.
00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:49.999
I\'ve often thought the person had that the
best take on the aging of our society
00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:54.999
was Maggie Kuhn who once started
the Grey Panthers. Maggie Kuhn
00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:59.999
was a great woman. Her point
of view was that older people
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:04.999
are in a very privileged position to struggle
for the issues of justice. She said,
00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:09.999
\"You know, it\'s up to us to be in the forefront
of these struggles because we shave less to lose,
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:14.999
we have more time on our hands. We should
see some of these issues far more clearly
00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:19.999
than the older generation can.
Our consumption has been falling
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.999
and that this so clear… Well,
that is not sustainable.
00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:29.999
And the question of sustainability is
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:34.999
what elders have been
urging for all the time.
00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:39.999
I think that so many people are involved
in their own personal pleasure persons,
00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:44.999
with all their sports
00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:49.999
and with consumption in the television,
00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.999
and that a life of simplicity
and activism, at first,
00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:59.999
it doesn\'t seem to be
as compelling to them.
00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:08.000
[music]
00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:14.999
The main reason that I\'m a
social justice advocate
00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:19.999
is because I believe that
it\'s wrong to ever kill
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:24.999
her one innocent person no matter how
many other people are going to be helped.
00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:29.999
[music]
00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:34.999
I think that the security for the world,
for earth, for all of its people,
00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:39.999
it will come eventually
through non-violence.
00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:44.999
So that\'s…that\'s my goal. And that\'s my goal as a new
activist new parent also, which is about the worst violence
00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:49.999
that I can imagine.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:54.999
[music]
00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:59.999
We need you, and if you\'re on the fence, and
you\'re considering becoming an activist,
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:04.999
that it\'s necessary,
00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:09.999
and if your heart goes in that direction, even though
it\'s difficult, and it goes against heavy bond,
00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:14.999
and it goes against being able to
spend your time in a leisurely way,
00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.999
join us because we need
every single one of you.
00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:24.999
It is the fact that when
you\'re out of the workforce,
00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:29.999
and out of the recreation,
out of the fast lane,
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.999
you do begin to think about
life in very different ways.
00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:39.999
I wanted to be able to make a difference.
00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:44.999
I had a friend, a coworker,
that passed with breast cancer.
00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:49.999
And, you know, all those
things kind of hit you,
00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:54.999
and then my family being wiped out with all
the cancer, and that\'s how I got started.
00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:59.999
And I started raising money, and then
of course, when we do relay for life,
00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:04.999
you have a tent. And then you
try to get people to come
00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:09.999
and be part of your team, and this is
a wonderful thing. And the first year
00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:14.999
I did it, that was a year I
raised about 5,000 or 6,000.
00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:19.999
I had people gave me as little as 50 cents, and I\'ll
tell you I like the 50 cents like I like the $200.
00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:24.999
It\'s not the amount, it\'s
the end results that count.
00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:29.999
You tap people that you know, people that you
don\'t know because they\'ll tap somebody,
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.999
and doing something for others.
That\'s what gives you the strength
00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:39.999
and the momentum to keep on going.
I\'m not going to retire.
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:44.999
I mean, you know, as long as you got breath, you should keep on
working. You know, you should keep at least using your mind,
00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.999
at least trying to do something
00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:54.999
that\'s going to give quality
of life to somebody else,
00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:59.999
a better life for your children,
for your grandchildren. You know,
00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:04.999
at least you can… I mean, why give up?
00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:09.999
No, I\'m not into retirement.
00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:14.999
All of my friends, my mother,
everyone that\'s retired,
00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:19.999
they\'ve died within twenty four months.
So I don\'t want to ever retire.
00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:24.999
I try to dry wall for 40 hours a week…
00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:29.999
[sil.]
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:34.999
…but on my horses, I\'ll
spend 26 to 40 hours also.
00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:39.999
So it doesn\'t give you much time.
00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:44.999
You have to just keep going.
00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:49.999
All of my old friends, yeah,
we\'re in the racehorse business.
00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:54.999
And so I really listened to them,
and I followed what they said.
00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:59.999
So what I\'ve done instead of going
out and paying money for one.
00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:04.999
I\'ve raised them and keep breeding up
and, you know, I have the factory.
00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:09.999
I can make another one. I\'ve
got the mother and father.
00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:14.999
[sil.]
00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:19.999
I think everybody should have a
good two-year-old in the barn
00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:24.999
so that when they wake up in the morning,
they got something to look forward to.
00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:29.999
And I think it\'s really important.
00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:34.999
This one, Mary, is one of my foundation.
I raised the mother and father.
00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:39.999
And the first time we ran her,
00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:44.999
she just outrun them unbelievably.
She\'s a champ.
00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:49.999
Seems like that when I go home from a
hard day\'s work, I feel so much better
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:54.999
than a day that I didn\'t have to work.
One of the things that I found
00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:59.999
again contrary to so many stereotypes
is the very positive experience
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.999
that retirement presents for
a lot of a lot of people.
00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:09.999
Most people who weren\'t forced into
retirement or didn\'t go into it reluctantly,
00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:14.999
do very well in retirement. I
think I was 52 when I retired
00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:19.999
from the State Department of
Education, and found since that,
00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:24.999
official retirement sort of whole new wife,
00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:29.999
in which I\'m presently
engaged, Community Servings
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:34.999
is an AIDS organization. And it serves hot,
00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:39.999
home-delivered meals to
families living with AIDS.
00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:44.999
I got involved because it\'s very immediate
00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:49.999
in terms of one raises money for it.
The money goes
00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:54.999
directly to buying food, to paying
for the cook who cooks the food,
00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:59.999
it\'s delivered, people are fed,
00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:04.999
and hopefully, lives are
saved or will sustain.
00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:09.999
The linchpin of Community
Servings is volunteerism.
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:14.999
So the staff itself is maybe
10 people who are paid.
00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:19.999
Everybody else, every special event that we run,
much of the work that\'s done in the kitchen
00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:24.999
is done by volunteers. I also
chair the capital campaign.
00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:29.999
Our goal is that we can
create 1,000 meals a day
00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.999
that will be serving people.
I searched for those things
00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:39.999
that are interesting, expand me,
00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:44.999
and are equally important, allow
me to contribute. The giving back
00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:49.999
is something that I never felt as a
younger woman because I was like
00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:54.999
I have nothing to give back. I just want
to take. And I\'m almost ashamed to say
00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:59.999
how much fun it\'s been because
that\'s something I hadn\'t expected.
00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:04.999
It\'s been very sustaining
and fulfilling for me.
00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:09.999
One of the biggest things that happens in retirement
is sort of analogous to what I\'ve described
00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:14.999
as a patron in the arts. Basically,
a patron allows somebody
00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:19.999
to be able to spend more time not in meeting their everyday
needs for sustenance but to pursue other activities
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:24.999
and retirement for many people
00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:29.999
fortunately creates that opportunity.
It gives them more free time
00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:34.999
than they\'ve ever had before, which again is
contrary to one of the stereotypes about aging,
00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:39.999
about running out of time.
Once retirement comes,
00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:44.999
you ought to do things that you wanted
to do in a long time, enjoy life.
00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:49.999
You\'ve gotten there, you\'ve
earned it, so go ahead and do it.
00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:54.999
It\'s interesting that the people in that
group, we have are retired district judge,
00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:59.999
one of the top lawyers
00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:04.999
who is certainly old enough to be
retired, but has chosen not to,
00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:09.999
two retired school teachers,
00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:14.999
and the other man who before he
retired ran a nursery business,
00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:19.999
plants and trees in the summer. One of the
guys that plays with us is still working.
00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:24.999
He\'s worked for the City\'s Housing
department as a retired veterinarian.
00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:29.999
It\'s quite a diverse group.
They\'re all darn fine musicians,
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.999
and we just have such a good time.
00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:39.999
[music]
00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:44.999
I think that after doing that
for a certain period of time,
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.999
there\'s probably going
to be a void that opens,
00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:54.999
like I need to be doing something else. And
what is that something else I should be doing?
00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:59.999
And my answer to that is we should be
volunteering. We happened to be in Guatemala
00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:04.999
sitting next to a guy. He said, \"What are
you doing?\" I said, \"I\'m a dentist.\"
00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:09.999
Oh, well, we have this clinic that
we put together some time ago.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:14.999
And we\'d love to have you come down and volunteer at this
clinic. \" And I thought, \" Well, maybe this is the opportunity
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:19.999
that I perhaps been waiting for.\"
00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:24.999
So I said, \"Yes.\" And I went down
00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:29.999
and spent a month in the
lowland jungles of Guatemala
00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:34.999
working in this clinic.
00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:39.999
And it was such a rewarding experience that I
have been back two other times to do that.
00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:44.999
And I\'ve got another one scheduled,
00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:49.999
a fourth visit scheduled in 2005.
00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:54.999
When we let it be known that we\'re going to be visiting
a certain village, there\'s a long line of people
00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:59.999
that stand there waiting
to see us when we come.
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:04.999
And it\'s very gratifying to know that
for an awful lot of these people,
00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:09.999
I am relieving pain that
they\'ve had to suffer with
00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:14.999
for a long time.
00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:19.999
Older people are going to
contribute to a very great deal.
00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.999
And they contribute nothing significantly in those areas
called voluntarism. Tremendous amount of voluntary
00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:29.999
work that\'s done in our society, that nobody
recognizes from an economic point of view
00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:34.999
in hospitals, in schools, in social
work events. A lot of older people
00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:39.999
now care for older people. They
have various volunteer capacities.
00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:44.999
And all of that is work. The description of
that program is that it composed of about
00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:49.999
35 dogs and their owners and they
visit the children twice a month.
00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:54.999
[sil.]
00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:59.999
I knew about the program, and
I knew that when I retired
00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:04.999
as a physical therapist when we\'re at
the hospital that I wanted to do this.
00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:09.999
So I got in the program very early
00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:14.999
and very early after it had started. And I\'ve
had three different dogs in the program.
00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:19.999
He\'ll be your friend forever
if you give him a treat.
00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:28.000
[sil.]
00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:34.999
I guess the reason that I think
we should all help each other,
00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:39.999
I think that\'s what life\'s all about. The
closer you bring it, the closer… there you go.
00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:44.999
He ain\'t goint to bite you love. Look. He\'s just looking
for his treat. Do you want to feel his soft ears?
00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:49.999
They\'re nice and soft. Feels like
they\'re stuffed animals, huh?
00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:54.999
You see, a lot of kids who have dogs at home,
and they\'re missing the, they\'re homesick.
00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:59.999
And many times, they\'re crying and they\'ll
quit many times. They\'ll be in pain,
00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:04.999
and they\'ll forget about
it and the dog comes in.
00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:09.999
You want to feel its fuzzy foot.
00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:14.999
It\'s not just the children. It\'s everybody.
00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:19.999
I guess… And I guess the reason that it\'s
so great is that it\'s unconditional love.
00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:24.999
I just think you have to give back,
00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:29.999
and you have to keep trying, you have to keep looking
around for people who need help, especially now,
00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:34.999
there are so many. It makes me really
feel like I\'m doing something to,
00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:39.999
you know, payback or whatever people are (inaudible)
back, but giving something back to the world,
00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:44.999
it helped me, something
I\'ve done all my life,
00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:49.999
it\'s trying to do this, and it\'s the continuation,
and I just feel like it\'s very fulfilling.
00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:54.999
[sil.]
00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:59.999
I was employed by Habitat four years
ago as a construction manager.
00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:04.999
I taught school for 15 years and
then had my construction business
00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:09.999
for 20 years. It just was perfect for me.
I love to teach.
00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.999
I have the experience in construction. We
typically build about six to eight a year,
00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:19.999
depends on the year. When
we start at the beginning
00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:24.999
and build from the bottom up.
00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:29.999
The city donates (inaudible)
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:34.999
and that\'s a large amount of money.
It was a good volunteer job,
00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:39.999
so I work here couple days a week.
00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:44.999
I worked for a long time
00:43:45.000 --> 00:43:49.999
and when we have time, you can give back to the community
like I wanted. And now I have a chance to do that.
00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:58.000
[sil.]
00:44:00.000 --> 00:44:04.999
I love working with my hands, and then of
course, the end result of helping people,
00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:09.999
helping the younger people that really need
the help to get going in the world nowadays.
00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:14.999
[sil.]
00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:19.999
Well, I was an old contractor,
carpenter for 30 years.
00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:24.999
Yes. I\'m usually here on
Tuesdays and Thursdays usually.
00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:29.999
[sil.]
00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:34.999
And I served about three
and a half years ago,
00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:39.999
and then Kay started coming
not too long after I did.
00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:44.999
We come two days a week for sure, usually
three. We just have enjoyed learning
00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:49.999
how to do all parts of it, but what
we really like to do finish work
00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:54.999
(inaudible). Act first and think later.
00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:59.999
It\'s kind of nice to work together
00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:04.999
most of the time, just to go out
and do things with your hands
00:45:05.000 --> 00:45:09.999
and have time to do it right. I\'m handy, but I haven\'t done a lot
of this before, so this is also a great learning experience for me.
00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:14.999
I get to learn a lot of new little things I get
to take home and work them in my house too.
00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:19.999
If you make any mistake,
and they\'ll laugh at you.
00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:24.999
(inaudible) Dick taught us many skills.
00:45:25.000 --> 00:45:29.999
I\'ve learned the same lesson many times. I saw these
things, but I don\'t know, it\'s just fun to see
00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:34.999
the house come together, and it\'s fun to see the
people that are going to live in that house.
00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:39.999
Come in and (inaudible)
how excited they are.
00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:44.999
The people that we built the houses
for, they\'re very industrious,
00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:49.999
and they\'re very appreciative of the
things they get. We (inaudible)
00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:54.999
as they work right here alongside us. It\'s
family, and people would work with us,
00:45:55.000 --> 00:45:59.999
and we just enjoy everything we do.
00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:04.999
When I spent a good day on
a loving day with people,
00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:09.999
I am not only grab in the day,
but I\'m investing this day
00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:14.999
in a series of good social investments.
00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:19.999
Our parent organization for our
small group is an organization
00:46:20.000 --> 00:46:24.999
which encompasses the entire state
of Colorado. We\'re also affiliated
00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:29.999
with a national organization ABC
Quilts which is at risk baby\'s
00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:34.999
(inaudible) quilts. And it was
originally started in 1988
00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:39.999
by love ladies who were challenged
by a physician to do something
00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:44.999
about the AIDS babies and how
they were neglected in hospitals
00:46:45.000 --> 00:46:49.999
and about the fear of AIDS. Two
years ago, our north group
00:46:50.000 --> 00:46:54.999
made 299 quilts. We just missed
00:46:55.000 --> 00:46:59.999
our 300-mark goal that
last year we made 306.
00:47:00.000 --> 00:47:04.999
The greatest thing about this
is not only that we are able
00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:09.999
to practice our skills as
quilters, but the fellowship
00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:14.999
among quilters is really tremendous. (inaudible)
ladies, anywhere, we have 130s, 140s,
00:47:15.000 --> 00:47:19.999
and everybody else is 50 on up,
and we even have one who is 82.
00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:24.999
We had birthday party not too long ago.
00:47:25.000 --> 00:47:33.000
[sil.]
00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:44.999
Working these little brightly-colored pieces
of clothes gives us a lift emotionally.
00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:49.999
And it also helps with the babies
00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:54.999
that they love these bright colors, and then
they really enjoy and it perks them up,
00:47:55.000 --> 00:47:59.999
and you can see the smiles on their faces.
It\'s not just a blanket.
00:48:00.000 --> 00:48:04.999
It\'s something a lot more special
than that. This is a labor of love.
00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:09.999
Somebody has put their hand to
the picking of the (inaudible)
00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:14.999
and working with your sewing machine and
creating something that is beautiful
00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:19.999
that can stay with this child forever.
Grandparents are now the principle child minders
00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:24.999
in our society, which is an enormous
contribution because it frees
00:48:25.000 --> 00:48:29.999
the mothers and fathers to go out and work
fulltime. Seniors Incorporated\'s basic mission
00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:34.999
is to improve the quality
of life as we age.
00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:39.999
Because our senior population is living longer, when
will you realize that we (inaudible) in a good way
00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:44.999
because of their volunteering in their
community, the benefits are extraordinary.
00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:49.999
We\'ve have seniors that have, what
I call, reenergized their lives.
00:48:50.000 --> 00:48:54.999
You get a life when you start working here, you
know what I mean? Because I\'m not… I\'m not the type
00:48:55.000 --> 00:48:59.999
to sit home anyhow. So what are you going
to do when you retire, sit home, get old?
00:49:00.000 --> 00:49:04.999
Sure, we\'re all getting
old, but if I push it.
00:49:05.000 --> 00:49:09.999
The Foster Grandparents Program which is
to work with kids one-on-one in schools,
00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:14.999
daycare centers, Head Start
programs, any situation
00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:19.999
that deals working with young people.
No, Wednesday, write here.
00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:24.999
Thank you, Jasmine,
00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:29.999
wash your hands please. This gives
me something to do I look forward,
00:49:30.000 --> 00:49:34.999
like I come from 8:30 until 4:00,
00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:39.999
and I\'m here all day long and participate
in everything the children do.
00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:48.000
[music]
00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:54.999
I\'m usually in the
building trades by nature,
00:49:55.000 --> 00:49:59.999
and that\'s my work, but in the winter,
it\'s very slow, so somebody told me
00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:04.999
about Head Start. And I
believe I\'m a workaholic,
00:50:05.000 --> 00:50:09.999
so I have to do something. If there were some
more grandparents, we could help these schools
00:50:10.000 --> 00:50:14.999
with something, we could help
the teachers, but they have a…
00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:19.999
The teachers have a bigger… Mr.
Jose, push me.
00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:24.999
I\'m going to grandma. Foster
grandparents are the extra eyes,
00:50:25.000 --> 00:50:29.999
ears, and hands for teachers in the classroom. We have
a foster grandparent that is say bilingual in Spanish
00:50:30.000 --> 00:50:34.999
and English working with a young
person who is monolingual.
00:50:35.000 --> 00:50:39.999
We had a couple of children
last year, one from Venezuela.
00:50:40.000 --> 00:50:44.999
And they didn\'t speak a word in English.
Pretty soon, they were speaking better English
00:50:45.000 --> 00:50:49.999
than the children. So I turn around, I
forget at times, I\'d say, \"Hey, vamos kaka?\"
00:50:50.000 --> 00:50:54.999
And over here, \"Miss Dolly, I don\'t understand
Spanish. When are you going to learn?\"
00:50:55.000 --> 00:50:59.999
It was just so cute. But the
children when they left here,
00:51:00.000 --> 00:51:04.999
they were speaking English fluently.
They could write their names,
00:51:05.000 --> 00:51:09.999
anything you might ask them. So this is really a privilege
for the child because they\'re speaking two languages.
00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:14.999
You know, life is very good, but
it\'s what we make of our life,
00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:19.999
it\'s what we make of it,
it\'s what we contribute.
00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:24.999
And I feel I\'m contributing
something out of my own life
00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:29.999
to this child that needs me. So we have
learned that there is a whole stage of life
00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:34.999
out there filled with possibilities
00:51:35.000 --> 00:51:39.999
and whole new experiences that
are interesting and wonderful
00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:44.999
that you don\'t necessarily have access to at a
younger age. Life has quite a different quality.
00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:49.999
It\'s still a pleasure
00:51:50.000 --> 00:51:54.999
to talk with people and it\'s still
00:51:55.000 --> 00:51:59.999
interesting to read what\'s going
on, I still couldn\'t vote,
00:52:00.000 --> 00:52:04.999
and I still support legislators
00:52:05.000 --> 00:52:09.999
that I believe are doing
00:52:10.000 --> 00:52:14.999
a good job. What a time for new beginnings,
00:52:15.000 --> 00:52:19.999
not beset by many of the
distractions of younger days.
00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:24.999
And this is the time,
baby, to really enjoy.
00:52:25.000 --> 00:52:29.999
I think it\'s a combination of things
00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:34.999
that give you this long a
life and this good a life.
00:52:35.000 --> 00:52:39.999
And there was always something that can be done no
matter how old if you are, if your hands still work,
00:52:40.000 --> 00:52:44.999
then you can do certain kinds of things.
00:52:45.000 --> 00:52:49.999
If your head still works, there
are other things that you can do.
00:52:50.000 --> 00:52:54.999
You just keep living. What can you do with
the time that you have with your life?
00:52:55.000 --> 00:52:59.999
What can you discover? The age
of discovery does not stop.
00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:04.999
I think it\'s important to pursue interests
that require high degree of energy,
00:53:05.000 --> 00:53:09.999
and I think it\'s important to pursue
interests that require very little mobility,
00:53:10.000 --> 00:53:14.999
your very little physical energy. And the
significance of that is if later on,
00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:19.999
you have a change in your
physical health status
00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:24.999
where you have less
mobility, not everything
00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:29.999
that you develop requires
high energy, high mobility.
00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:34.999
I met an old man who is 100
years old, and I said to him,
00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:39.999
he was there at this conference, and I
said to him, \"What is your secret?\"
00:53:40.000 --> 00:53:44.999
Now this was many years ago. He said, \"I have four
projects, one I\'ve just started, one I\'ve just finished,
00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:49.999
two on the board. And I have to keep going
00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:54.999
because those projects must be finished.
\"But he said,\" When I get one done,
00:53:55.000 --> 00:53:59.999
I put another on. And that\'s how I stay
young.\" The short of it is in the past,
00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:04.999
people saw old people as, in many ways,
00:54:05.000 --> 00:54:09.999
a growing national burden.
Today, what we\'re seeing
00:54:10.000 --> 00:54:14.999
is old people as a growing national
resource. I will tell you one more thing,
00:54:15.000 --> 00:54:19.999
and that is the surprising fact that
you will never lose any battle.
00:54:20.000 --> 00:54:24.999
You may doubt that, but
when you\'re of my age,
00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:29.999
and you look back, you will
understand, just by taking a stand,
00:54:30.000 --> 00:54:35.000
you change the world in several places.