A little more than 10 years ago Maura and I sat at her dining room table. This was not a dream. We had in fact started a not-for-profit organization just as the recession was hitting. We got off to a great start though, and feverishly planned our next steps. In the midst of this discussion I turned to Maura and asked, “How long do you think you want to do this?” “I don’t know,” she said, “at least 15 years or so, what about you?” Almost 10 years Maura’s senior and with, at the time, a conventional idea about one’s working life, I replied, “about five years”.
A lot has changed in 10 years, especially my mindset. After seeing so many older adults (a lot older than me) take the leap to explore their creativity and achieve so much; and reading Ashton Applewhite’s dismantling of the social construction of age-related prejudice, I ask myself, “Why would I retire?” Perhaps the biggest reason for hanging around is the fact that we actually see the positive results of our efforts. Through heartfelt testimonials and one on one conversations, the stories of the impact on the lives of older adults reinforces the rightness of our mission.
I do look forward to spending more time developing my own creative capacity but for right now…
