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Change: A Bigger
Bang In The New Year
By
Suzette Martinez
Standring |
 Milton
- We, as older adults, can produce New Year changes that
are more dramatic and far-reaching than our younger
counterparts. They’re concerned with being trimmer, fitter,
less stressed and more organized.
Child’s play - been there, done that. I say to a junior
generation, “Honey, you only start to get interesting when
you reach your fifties.”
And when you are more interesting, so are the options. After
years spent navigating the unfamiliar terrain of this thing
called “life,” one carries along the flavor of such
experiences (read that: predicaments). By definition, having
survived the spice route makes us zestier and bold. The big
picture comes into clearer focus. It takes years to march
toward the mountaintop with visions of completion – maybe
it’s raising a family, career advancement or money in the
bank. It’s onward and upward toward the goal. During that
Mount Everest trek, we deal with Sherpa changes, crampon
failure and lifeline support. We become adept at managing
adversity. Hopefully, nobody drops into the abyss on the way
up.
Seniors claim the summit. And what’s up there anyway? It’s a
vista spectacular with new possibilities – a chance for
personal fulfillment and fun, after years of being
accountable to others. Not bad for a “pre-GPS” generation!
And so perhaps the new year coincides with plans already in
the making due to thoughts of retirement, or as I prefer to
call it, “reinvention.” We Boomers don’t expect a gold
watch, nor do we fret about long years of boredom ahead. I
see my own friends happily working toward a new identity.
Vivian is reinventing herself as a jewelry designer after
years of office administration. I can barely reach Marina
because she’s always traveling. Adriana at 82 pulled up
stakes, moved to Las Vegas where she basks in sunshine and
pulls slots once a week.
Never say “never.” When you change, everyone changes with
you. Get a pet. They can spark amazing and positive
personality changes. Elderly pet owners have better health
and mental wellbeing than non-pet owners, according to a
1999 study published in The Journal of American Geriatrics
Society. My own little dog reminds me to get outside of
myself and out for walks. Try something new this year.
Sixty-something Carolyn parachuted out of a plane. Sign up
for a culinary vacation. Maybe it’s time to pen those
memoirs. Your grandkids will marvel at your pre-computer,
pre-cellphone and iPod-less upbringing. Never say “never.”
Even feminist icon Gloria Steinem at age 66 got married for
the first time.
Maybe this will be the year to serve others. My friend Ed,
age 57, travels to Jamaica with his church team to help out
at a health clinic. One couple I know, both ages 70+,
continues to raise foster children. Time is on our side.
Generally, we don’t have the daily pressures of raising kids
and schooling demands. Perhaps we’ve carved out a manageable
career schedule. All of our experiences have groomed us for
this moment. The blend of humility and courage bestows upon
the older adult a much wiser view of personal change.
Sometimes it’s a call toward redemption. In 1895 at the age
of 62, Alfred Nobel provided millions to fund the Nobel
Prize for outstanding work in the sciences, literature and
peace. He had been an arms manufacturer and the inventor of
dynamite. A premature obituary had labeled him as “the
merchant of death.” Realizing how he would be remembered,
Nobel was prompted to leave a positive legacy.
The New Year heralds beginnings. New gym memberships and
scheduled “mental breathers” are for a younger crowd. We’re
empowered to do so much more. |
About The Author
Contact Suzette Standring at suzmar@comcast. net. She
is the author of the awardwinning The Art of Column Writing.
Visit http://wwwreadsuzette.com.
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