Why we need the Greatest Generation
Fortunately, I have a 94 year old friend who is much like a surrogate father to me. Our relationship started while my dad was still alive. We became closer when dad passed on 5 years ago and have remained that way ever since. It’s a blessing to have an older person in your life to learn from and gain prospective about today’s world based on the experience they have by going through difficult times in the past. And, the beauty of it all is they don’t expect a thing in return.
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My friend was a neighbor when we met. We got to know each other by working on a community project together. To discuss the work, we had lunch several times and soon discovered we had plenty more to talk about than the project at hand. He had been the founder and manager of several businesses. His experiences as a youth, then struggling through the Great Depression and serving in WWII before finally getting the opportunity to succeed in the recovery period in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s helped make him a man I admired – much like my father only in a different way.
His stories were enlightening and often funny. But there was always something to learn from the memories he shared. The way he sacrificed to pursue his dreams. The manner in which business relationships were built and sustained. And the things he wished he had done differently where all laid out on the table for discussion. It was obvious that he was smart; but more important he was, and still is, honest. This meant I could question decisions he made without fear of upsetting him or not getting a straight answer.
What a refreshing change of pace he is from the guarded, uptight ways of many modern business people. Through our relationship, I learned how to enjoy retirement and seek out something meaningful to do with my God-given talents. That’s what brought me to become an advocate for those 65+, start my blog and later found the online magazine, NewSeniors.com. At the same time, I was able to help him through the decision process of moving to assisted living. And, recently, we talked about him giving up driving. He already stopped driving at night but fears this next step would substantially restrict his freedom. So I related how my father did it. This seemed to help.
Mentoring each other seems natural as we grow older. There’s nothing to prove. No control issues. And no financial considerations. Just open, one-on-one discussions about whatever is on our minds. The results are wonderfully therapeutic and amazingly helpful. So I suggest all New Seniors be open to this kind of relationship. There are many people from the Greatest Generation who would welcome the opportunity to have us as friends.
There are people at your church or temple, senior centers, study groups, community organizations and anywhere people volunteer to help others. Maybe the most significant help you can give is to be available for the folks from the generation that give us so much. They won’t be with us forever, but the time you spend together will create memories that last forever.
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