My group and I read the novel Happiness is a Choice You Make by John Leland. Leland interviewed and followed the lives of six elders of diverse backgrounds-- World War 2 veterans, people who identify as the LGBTQIA+ community, person of Asian and African American heritage, and people with broad socioeconomic statuses. Contrary to societal beliefs, elders are enjoying life at an old age. Despite a decline in their physical and cognitive abilities, older people value the close relationships they build. In contrast to younger people who imagine and seek a lover in the future, elders focus on the people they know currently. Many find joy in items or activities that younger people regard as valueless; for example, Ping looked forward to her weekly mahjong games with her apartment mates and John looked forward to his work. Corroborated by studies, elders retain more positive images than younger individuals who tend to store these images for future use. In summary, Leland argues that it is possible to be happy regardless of one's age. Our discussion questions reflected our opinions on "Do not Resuscitate," an option some decided on their loved ones or their loved ones declare upon themselves. To me, "Do not resuscitate" should never be used because all life is valuable. After our class conversation, I realized how important, albeit sad, to talk to one's parents and loved ones on their decisions over the future of their bodies. If death was normalized in our society, people would be less stressed when a death does occur.
We went to Casa de Manana again. We listened to Deatte share her story at 20 years old. She said she didn't do much but study. It wasn't until she was around 40 that she travelled a lot with her husband--- bragging she went to all 7 continents and every state except North Dakota. She showed us pictures of her on a camel in Giza, Egypt, and the hot air balloon festival in New Mexico. She also travelled to Greenland, which ironically has more icebergs than Iceland. She asked each of us to share where we were from and what countries we had visited. I responded that I originated from Sacramento, California and had travelled to Mexico, Alaska, Wyoming, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, and Colorado. I plan on visiting all 50 states and East Asia. Traveling opens one eyes on wonders of life, and seeing new cultures and geographical features is breathtaking! She is proud of her life. She taught special education for most of her life. She has 9 children because she had always desired a large family. She said that being the only daughter among 3 brothers was lonely. She says that she only has 12 grandchildren, which was few compared to the number of children she bore. I myself can't imagine living in such a large family because I am the only child! She went sky diving for her 90 year old birthday! I know I couldn't since I am terrorized by heights. She was a super adventurous woman and she was a pleasant woman to converse.
Bayside Church part 2 was amazing! Sallie and I conversed with Gloria, an 71 year old lady who immigrated to the United States from Mexico with her husband. She has 3 sons- one who does business administration, another who became a Coast Guard, and one who recently graduated with a philosophy degree. Although both of us may have lived in different decades at 20 years old, we both have similar goals and ambitions: to get married, travel, and reach financial stability. She loves to knit and displayed several knitting projects she completed- a cell phone bag and a hat. Gloria admitted when she was younger she sold her knitting projects as a side business! Gloria is now a proud grandparent of 3 granddaughters at pre-school ages. She tells us while she did not like children at first, she now adores having grandchildren. They bring joy to her life, especially since her husband passed about a decade ago. Her grandchildren are scattered all across the United States, from Virginia to Colorado to San Diego. To her a qualified physician was important to her father’s wellbeing and extension of his life in his last days. Sallie, Gloria, and I share a common love of food! We each shared our favorite foods: Gloria- homemade Mexican food, Sallie- sashimi and cheesecake, and me: strawberry shortcake. Our favorite San Diego restaurants are the Taco Stand and Menya Ultra Ramen. She recommended Sunset Buffet, an Asian food buffet on Convoy Street that serves lunch for under $10!
Today was the first class of Life Course Scholars- part 2! For my HAP Project, I with many others are planning a local Walk-A-Thon, an intergenerational walk-a-thon to bring awareness to the benefits of exercise and connect diverse individuals. While it was difficult to obtain permits, we are settling with a public venue that does not require such reservations including Mission Beach or a sidewalk near the ocean front. We were hoping the race commemorates a specific holiday during spring quarter such as May Fourth, after the Star Wars mantra “May the Fourth be with you” or Memorial Day Weekend or Mother’s Day. Our large group has been assigned to different tasks including location and map course designation, fundraising and outreach, and the day-of-the-event activities. I was assigned to day-of-the-event activities- I am planning to allocate my $100 on Propel packets people could pour into water bottles, granola bars, and bananas. I would also like to make posters to decorate the race, and use sidewalk chalk to mark the distances and pathway to avoid any confusion for our participants. I have also designed a race logo on t-shirts which could be bought for a requested $5 but participation in the race itself is free. The logo I designed as footsteps fading into the background of a palm tree. As a group, we plan to talk with Jadzia, the previous Life Course Scholar who has initiated such idea. With our fantastic team and great dedication, I believe the walk-a-thon would be a success.
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Victoria LeungWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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