The first three weeks of yet another virtual quarter with UCSD and the Life Course students/faculty have passed, and a lot has been accomplished. In the first class after spring break, we went right into recapping our Healthy Aging Projects (HAPs) and highlighting what our next steps would be in the upcoming weeks. My group and I responded to feedback from our professors and fellow classmates, and it felt like we totally reconstructed our HAP--something that kind of stressed me out. However, I truly enjoy how collaborative this class is as their feedback was very helpful in helping us improve our project. An obstacle my group faced in this phase of our project was contacting older adults to participate in our video interviews. Initially we saw ourselves limited to those who had access to technology such as Zoom, but we are working towards other options such as socially distanced in-person interviews, phone interviews, and others. In the midst of it all, I was lucky enough to have conducted one lovely interview with my uncle (see our “Zoom picture” together below) and have learned so much so far.
Our class also discussed the book we are reading this quarter-- Happiness is A Choice You Make by Leland. This book had so many pieces of wisdom demonstrated from the experiences and advice of six older adults the author interviewed (similar to my group’s HAP). I loved how the first chapters we read emphasized the autonomy older adults should continue to have and how they often choose to live in the present and be positive in spite of the difficulties of old age. In contrast, in breakout rooms, it was noted that the six older adults represented only a small portion of the older population and that not all older adults have the privilege to only think about the present and not worry about the future, such as those with food or housing insecurity. Therefore we must continue to keep in mind that aging is a diverse experience and there is no “normal”, “standard”, or “successful” way to age. Each older adults’ state of being now was affected by obstacles they previously faced, or the lack thereof. We must acknowledge these differences and praise older adults not for what they can do but for the fact that they continue to live and age each day. Because living through life and acquiring these experiences, no matter how grand, is an accomplishment in itself.
Our class also discussed the book we are reading this quarter-- Happiness is A Choice You Make by Leland. This book had so many pieces of wisdom demonstrated from the experiences and advice of six older adults the author interviewed (similar to my group’s HAP). I loved how the first chapters we read emphasized the autonomy older adults should continue to have and how they often choose to live in the present and be positive in spite of the difficulties of old age. In contrast, in breakout rooms, it was noted that the six older adults represented only a small portion of the older population and that not all older adults have the privilege to only think about the present and not worry about the future, such as those with food or housing insecurity. Therefore we must continue to keep in mind that aging is a diverse experience and there is no “normal”, “standard”, or “successful” way to age. Each older adults’ state of being now was affected by obstacles they previously faced, or the lack thereof. We must acknowledge these differences and praise older adults not for what they can do but for the fact that they continue to live and age each day. Because living through life and acquiring these experiences, no matter how grand, is an accomplishment in itself.