A Unique Perspective

Perspective

We all arrive at this destination, sooner or later. One morning the face in the mirror looks back, and we see an ancestor of the near or distant past staring back. A few years ago, my mirror gave me a jolt. "My God," I thought, "I look like Mother!" A half hour and two cups of coffee later, I got a grip. Just to be on the safe side, I donned a necklace of Navajo ghost beads. Made of dried juniper berries and trade beads, a ghost necklace, according to belief, keeps both dead and undead at bay. No need to worry if you lack ghost beads; you are, nevertheless, your unique self. Beyond self-acceptance is celebrating who you are and who you will be.

Is anything more dangerous or empowering than discovering and asserting our true selves? It opens the way to critical thought and creative authenticity. Make no mistake, however, it is uncomfortable, not to say, perilous to become more comfortable with changing the status quo than with maintaining it.  

Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity.
~Thomas J. Watson

Nor is change the exclusive purvey of the young! Elders can enter the dialogue. In fact we can and should lead, because we possess the wisdom of life experience and perspective unique to age. We cannot be silent in the face of stereotypes and the marginalization of elder Americans. To do so can only contribute to incremental poverty and decay. 

There is much work to be done to ensure a better world for elders and one we are proud to bequeath to younger generations. Step out of your comfort zone and be in the game!