While I had imagined that we’d have conversations about our objects and why they were important to us, Alice and Dot went straight into asking the four of us deep questions. They wanted to know why we had taken the course. Since we were six weeks into the class, how had our perceptions of older people changed? After hearing all four of the seniors’ stories from Casa de Mañana, where would we like to live when we’re older: at a retirement home or with our family? The last question was why was USP 141A significant to us. While the first and last questions were similar, after having a deep conversation with my group, I was more vulnerable with the last question. In the first question. I had said that I had taken the course because I had taken USP 145 last Spring and was really interested in the policy side of aging. My grandparents raised me when I was younger, so I wanted to learn more about the community through a more personal and interactive experience. For the last question, USP 141A was significant to me, because I wanted to, in a way, give back to all the older people who have helped raise me besides my grandparents.
Something that really stood out to me during our conversation was Alice advising to do things when we felt ready. She shared how she used to love fly fishing and tennis, however after a while, she couldn’t do it anymore. At a crossroads, she had to decide what to do; she, herself, made the decision to stop. While she grieved over her loss of those sports, she also looked forward to her new hobbies and interests that she’d develop in the future. It was all about moving forward when we were ready, not when someone was telling us to. While this advice pertained to aging, personally I found it really great advice overall that I will always remember.