As I continue to close in on my 60th year — my gosh, it’s less than two years until I reach that age — I continue to marvel at the roles of senior citizens in this country. During a time when image seems to be important for so many unimportant reasons, it’s the senior citizens who fascinate me.
Senior citizens have lived their hustle-bustle lives and they generally spend their time teaching about their experiences while enjoying their children and grandchildren. While so many younger people are busy selling themselves, seniors have experiences to share and stories to tell.
They teach us how to handle tough situations because they have already experienced what we endure on a daily basis. Survival is something they have already done and the mere fact that they have lived to be a senior citizen many times is most important of all.
And regarding Southern Utah, some of the most fascinating residents are its seniors who have journeyed to St. George or Cedar City or other smaller towns to enjoy a quieter lifestyle. They come from California, Nevada, the Midwest or other areas after visiting Southern Utah and discovering the beauty and the people.
As an example, there are good-natured and sincere seniors such as Mel and Zoe Aldrich, who have lived here for decades. Or there is 92-year-old Winnie Washburn, who moved to Cedar City from Escalante after traveling the nation as a pastor’s wife for more than 60 years.
The list is endless, and you could listen to seniors for hours while making note of their personalities and their past accomplishments.
When senior citizens speak, it’s generally in a caring and sincere fashion with not a smidge of negativity, although the majority have lived through some treacherous times dating back to the Great Depression and wars.
While so many others panic over the slightest of challenges, we learn that seniors will usually go with the flow even during their toughest times primarily because they have been down the road before. They know that freaking out does not accomplish a thing and they teach others many times simply by the way they react.
For about two years, I have been a publicist for a memory care and assisted living community called the Cottages of Green Valley in Henderson, Nev. Once a month, I visit the community to speak with a senior and each time I leave, I am amazed at the experiences the people can share.
In a majority of the cases, the senior has been moved into the community from a home he or she has owned for years. Even though they receive some of the best care in the world, the mere fact that they have left behind their personal residence seems like a frightening and sad experience that I would not want to experience.
However, in just about every case, the senior being interviewed is happy about his or her move, and is tickled to be around people who have experienced the same change. While their independent surroundings have been replaced with more of a controlled environment, the seniors seem happy with their newest challenge.
I have visited the memory care and assisted living community so many times that I now consider it a humbling experience each time I complete my assignment. I have interviewed Jack Andrews, the former pilot for the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower. I spent hours speaking with Othena Williams, who was known as the Queen of Henderson, Nev., during her decades of operating a dress shop and serving on community boards.
Both Andrews and Williams have passed and I vividly recall that I was saddened by their deaths even though I didn’t know them very well at all. The short time I spent with both of them was periods I’ll never forget thanks to the stories they were so kind to share with me.
Then there is 98-year old George Dunn, who still practices Tai Chi, plays the guitar and gives pep talks at every opportunity. He remains a favorite at the community where he keeps a busier schedule than many half his age. And when he has the time, he’s writing poetry.
“All people need is a hug,” Dunn said.
We should treasure our seniors and it frightens me to know that many of them are cast aside or forgotten in their final years. During a time when our country is being victimized by a worsening economy, it is the seniors who tend to suffer the most. And that’s sad, because it’s the seniors who have given the most.
Mike Henle is a Las Vegas-based
freelance writer and
author of the book “Through
the Darkness: One Man’s Fight
to Overcome Epilepsy.” He can
be contacted at mhenle@aol.com or through his Web site
www.mikehenle.com.
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