This week we continued our Learning Exchange Group activity regarding age-friendly community features (which we had done at Casa de Manana and Bayside) at the Lunch and Learn meeting with seniors at the San Diego LGBT Community Center in Hillcrest. A large number of seniors participated in the activity this time, and many of them were eager to share their recommendations for community improvements. I got to chat with a senior who was going to turn 90 soon. He took pride in serving seniors in many ways, from organizing annual health fairs to bringing student musicians from local colleges to perform for seniors. Realizing that the needs of people with hearing impairment were invisible in the community, he worked restlessly to have hearing loops installed in the center. His passion for serving others and engagement in volunteerism were truly inspiring. I was amazed by the contributions he had made and was continuing to make to our society.
What made our visit more welcoming and heartwarming was the seniors’ willingness to share with us their personal stories about their childhood, career, and LGBTQ identity. Through the conversations, I learned about the vibrant lives these seniors led, the stigma they had to overcome, and the need for a more tolerant community where people are kind to others. I enjoyed listening to the seniors as much as they liked to share their memories. At the end of the day, conversations with strangers do make people happier.
What made our visit more welcoming and heartwarming was the seniors’ willingness to share with us their personal stories about their childhood, career, and LGBTQ identity. Through the conversations, I learned about the vibrant lives these seniors led, the stigma they had to overcome, and the need for a more tolerant community where people are kind to others. I enjoyed listening to the seniors as much as they liked to share their memories. At the end of the day, conversations with strangers do make people happier.