By Pat Samples
Twice in the past week, someone greeted me with “Hello, young lady.” I cringed. I have no interest in being young, or in being thought of as young. These words were spoken from the common paradigm that old is bad, and young is good.
I told them I’m wonderfully old, and I want that reality to be valued and respected. When one of them retorted, “Well, you’re young at heart,” I said, “No, I’m not. I have a wise, elder heart.” Again, “young” was offered as the ideal I should aspire to rather than to honor and thrive with the gifts that are alive in me in my present age.
This type of ageism is rampant. In fact, even the term “anti-aging” is widespread. But aging is not an illness or a defect to be avoided. It’s a time for maturation, integration, and contribution. Sure, there are steps we can take to avoid health declines as we get older. But I don’t believe talking about our state of health should be the defining characteristic of whatever age we are. Also, a vibrant spirit is as intrinsic to getting older as it to being young, though it may take different forms.
I’m grateful that VAN’s Aging with Gusto program promotes positive views of aging and addresses ageism head-on, and I’m thrilled to be its new Coordinator. As one of the earliest members of the Vital Aging Network, I have long had a passion for supporting vibrant, creative, conscious living in our older years. I have enjoyed writing books and speaking across the country on this topic for more than two decades. Recently, I gave a TEDx talk, “Your Aging Body Is a Great Read,” about uncovering the healing wisdom stories that live in our bodies as we age. With Jan Hively, VAN’s founder, I helped to create and coordinate the work of the Minnesota Creative Arts and Aging Network (MnCAAN), which, for over a dozen years, guided Minnesota organizations into providing high-quality arts learning opportunities for the older adults they serve. My work, past and present, and my values are more fully described at patsamples.com.
More important now is my work ahead with Aging with Gusto. I am in awe at the groundwork that has been laid by the prior coordinators and by the volunteers who serve on AWG’s guiding Task Force and those who facilitate the AWG sessions. Aging with Gusto has been offered in dozens of locations around the metro area since it started in 2015, and the response has been overwhelmingly a thumbs-up by the more than one thousand participants. We’ll be planning many more of these events in the months ahead, some in greater Minnesota.
If you haven’t yet attended AWG, check the VAN website for upcoming dates and sign up. If you want AWG offered in your organization, I will help you. Contact me at: patsamplesawg@gmail.com. Staff who work with older adults can also receive professional development training, sometimes including CEUs.
If, like me, you feel some fire inside yourself to support vital aging and to counter ageism, please consider becoming a facilitator who can lead Aging with Gusto sessions. You get to support and witness people waking up to the signs of ageism and make choices to live with gusto, pride, and clear intention as they age. Training is provided, and mutual support among facilitators helps you grow in knowledge, understanding, and facilitation skills. Please contact me to learn more and join this inspiring team.