As we grow older, we must discipline ourselves to continue expanding, broadening, learning, keeping out minds active and open.
I'm not talking about a number, or your age. That's just a number, nothing more and nothing less. Who cares.
For example, when we think about those born on February 29th of a Leap Year? We always remark, John turns 10 today, and he's really 40. You could also say he's 480 months old. You could say he's 14,610 days old... well, you get the point. (You know you can find out just about any stupid inane fact that you want to find on the internet!)
Anyway, I'll get back to my point now.
I admire those who have been around a long time. All have experience. Some have wisdom. I am lucky to know a few who have wisdom.
That brings me to Peter Oakley, known to YouTubers as Geriatric1927. Now here's a man that I'd like to adopt as my Grandpa. Here's an older gentleman, 80 years of experience behind him, living somewhere in the U.K., and has a video blog, a website and is part of a music group on MySpace.
Geriatric1927 has now posted 110 (!!) video blogs on YouTube. He has recently made a video, has uploaded it, and it is being released this year. He has a website in which he challenges other geriatrics to embrace the new technology, and use it for all its worth.
This is his very first attempt at posting on YouTube, only 1-1/2 years ago. Watch this, and appreciate that it has had more than 2.7 million hits!
Additionally, it is only fitting that Peter is now a member of a group called The Zimmers - and very worthwhile to check out their MySpace page. And don't forget to turn up your sound. Rock is meant to be played loud... so the seniors can hear it!
The average age of the The Zimmers is only 79, and Winnifred, the most senior member of the Zimmers, is 99. Gotta love that! (Yes, I know I said age doesn't matter, that it is just a number, but I'm still impressed.)
A Final Note
If Geriatric1927 can do it, imagine the possibility of millions of grandmas and grandpas out there on the Internet. Perhaps it's not practical to believe that they'll have their own blogspot pages, posting their videoblogs, sharing pics in their Flickr accounts, and playing online poker. But the possibilities are out there. You get my drift, I'm sure.
Don't stop learning. Don't stop trying. Try new things. Try old things you've never tried before. Try being nicer. Try being assertive. Try calimari (or not!). It's when you stop trying that you truly get old... old in the doddering sense of the word.
Contributed by Jamie Naessens
Right on, Jamie! (does that date me?). I have a problem with the word "senior". Too many meanings. Everything from anyone older than oneself to a description of a show rabbit. Personally I like "elder"-wise and respected. Better still what the Japanese call their real old people- "National Treasures"
ReplyDeleteI agree with you totally. I love the way the native culture views their elders. They are respected, and their advice is sought out in a consultative way, from the community perspective. It used to work before busy-body governments got involved and broke their culture, but see work from within the communities to try to build that back up. I'd love nothing more to be called a National Treasure when I've attained that kind of wisdom (hopefully anyway!)
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