Bayside is a hidden gem in more than one way.
This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of speaking with Zenny, Gloria, and Cris. Though this was Cris’s first time at the center today, she enjoyed it immensely and looked forward to returning. As we ate together and sketched out their concerns, praises, and ideas for the community, Zenny pointed out to me that even though Linda Vista is considered on the lower socio-economic end, it has its secret gems. A lot of aid goes towards supporting this extremely diverse neighborhood. Not only are there activities for the youth, but also for the elders. There are fun classes like knitting and crocheting, but also healthy workshops from the local universities. What struck me in particular was when Zenny said the nurses would teach the seniors about abuse that happens within the home.
I realized that in that moment, Jane Jacobs’ oft-repeated phrase “eyes on the street” can also become “eyes in the home.” It shouldn’t just be a general awareness of outside issues, but how internalized feelings of fear and resentment towards the elderly can manifest into ignorance, negligence, and, sometimes, violence. Based on the two visits to Bayside, I have gathered that people who go to the community center have a good idea of who is who, and in turn, watch out for one another. Bayside is a model in which to follow, not just in the way we treat our elders but also how communities should be built.
The Linda Vista community reminds me of my VIS 102: Cross-Border Urbanizations class. Right now, we are learning about how grassroots movements are everything. Within an agency, there are elders who act as the roots of the movement, and the youth who provide the energy and sprightly ideas of what’s hip and what’s in. In fact, we had a few speakers from the San Diego Groundworks organization speak to us about the importance of mentorship. In many ways, their aims resonated with the goals of this course. They spoke to my class about “passing the baton,” about how knowledge can’t be confined to just a single person because once they pass, how can the wealth be shared?
We need each other—need the energy to bolster the wisdom, need the advice to temper the fire. It is so easy to write off the elderly as part of the past, but truly, their experiences of the past allow them to better anticipate the changes of the future. Ultimately, it is a reciprocal relationship in which both young and old learn from the other to create communities that will be better equipped to anticipate the storms of what's to come.
This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of speaking with Zenny, Gloria, and Cris. Though this was Cris’s first time at the center today, she enjoyed it immensely and looked forward to returning. As we ate together and sketched out their concerns, praises, and ideas for the community, Zenny pointed out to me that even though Linda Vista is considered on the lower socio-economic end, it has its secret gems. A lot of aid goes towards supporting this extremely diverse neighborhood. Not only are there activities for the youth, but also for the elders. There are fun classes like knitting and crocheting, but also healthy workshops from the local universities. What struck me in particular was when Zenny said the nurses would teach the seniors about abuse that happens within the home.
I realized that in that moment, Jane Jacobs’ oft-repeated phrase “eyes on the street” can also become “eyes in the home.” It shouldn’t just be a general awareness of outside issues, but how internalized feelings of fear and resentment towards the elderly can manifest into ignorance, negligence, and, sometimes, violence. Based on the two visits to Bayside, I have gathered that people who go to the community center have a good idea of who is who, and in turn, watch out for one another. Bayside is a model in which to follow, not just in the way we treat our elders but also how communities should be built.
The Linda Vista community reminds me of my VIS 102: Cross-Border Urbanizations class. Right now, we are learning about how grassroots movements are everything. Within an agency, there are elders who act as the roots of the movement, and the youth who provide the energy and sprightly ideas of what’s hip and what’s in. In fact, we had a few speakers from the San Diego Groundworks organization speak to us about the importance of mentorship. In many ways, their aims resonated with the goals of this course. They spoke to my class about “passing the baton,” about how knowledge can’t be confined to just a single person because once they pass, how can the wealth be shared?
We need each other—need the energy to bolster the wisdom, need the advice to temper the fire. It is so easy to write off the elderly as part of the past, but truly, their experiences of the past allow them to better anticipate the changes of the future. Ultimately, it is a reciprocal relationship in which both young and old learn from the other to create communities that will be better equipped to anticipate the storms of what's to come.