First thing you should know about me: I’m the kind of person that is so constantly anxious that sometimes I don’t actually register or remember what exactly I am anxious about. In the past 3 weeks, I’ve been able to sort through some of these anxieties and come to the terms with the fact that part of it has to do with aging. Through this course, I’ve also learned exactly which parts about the myths of aging have made me pre-maturely anxious. It isn’t about the physical aspects which is a privilege in itself because I’ve been mostly healthy up to this point. Instead, it’s the uncertainty and the loneliness and the stretching on of time that has scared me the most. For some, coming to terms with exactly what scares you the most might seem like a bad thing. For me, it has lessened my burden because I firmly believe that in order to solve a problem, you have to fully understand it first. But not only has this course helped me to better understand myself, it has also shown me hope and insight into the kinds of solutions that can help our elders. Whether it’s creating ways to help people age in place or ensuring that there is affordable housing and services, it is really inspiring to see all of the work that people have already done. It makes me excited to join them and to make a difference for the elders in our community. Maybe most importantly, however, I’ve learned that the myths about aging are as inaccurate as the myth that all teenagers are disrespectful (or at least no less disrespectful than any other age group…). It’s a beautiful reminder that all of us, despite age or race or gender or sexuality, have so much more in common than we think.
1 Comment
Jasmine Mounphoxay
2/17/2022 10:51:21 pm
What a beautiful first blog post, Mariyah! I had similar thoughts going into this class and can confidently say that learning more and more about aging has been a great way to better understanding myself as well. There really is no limit to the knowledge we obtain, and this new information we are getting gives me so much hope too. I think more people need to be exposed to the same stuff we're learning to spread awareness! and yes! I would agree that everyone does have more in common than we think. It is quite interesting. Can't wait to read more about your experiences :3
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Mariyah ShadMariyah Shad is a Global Health major with a minor in Business and Anthropology. She is from Carlsbad, Archives
March 2022
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