Don’t believe what so many people think about old people: that they are over the hill. The truth is that we never stop growing, learning and gaining wisdom. Unfortunately the culture which reveres youth and technology often takes no interest in interacting with the older generation. The result is a wealth of learning and experience lying dormant when it could be shared.
My thoughts on the subject are often communicated with others as I present motivational speeches encouraging older people to reach out to younger people and share stories of the past. I have had so many wonderful experiences—singing with the Raging Grannies, telling my story about being a Rosie the Riveter, writing a column for a newspaper, and much more. Now at age 91 I have the distinction of being the oldest standup comedian in the northwest. I found that there was a poetry reading night in my area and dug down into my self expressive verse that I wrote many years ago and dared to share it. I have written two books and a mini-book about senior sexuality which I brought to the Humor Project Conference in New York State. It was so popular that it sold out and I must now begin a third printing.
Friends sometimes ask me if there is anything that I can’t do. I say, “I never talk about what I can’t do.” It is my advice to anyone to put your best foot forward and never ever let ‘em see you sweat. Let the light shine out of your eyes when you prepare to go out into the world, wear a stunning outfit and remember your youthful spirit. We oldies are just ten-year-olds with wrinkles and great wisdom. Yes I know that some people have more pain than others, but never let pain define you. Always remain your genuine self, reaching out into the world that needs your stories. Some of the comics that I go on stage with envy my age as I have a lot of years to draw on for story-telling and humor.
Every year I prepare a folder of all the things I want to accomplish each year. At the end of the year I look through the folder and if there is something I haven’t accomplished I put it at the top of my next list. One year I realized that I had never taken a short story writing class so I enrolled in one at the UW. I found myself, a woman of mature years, sitting in the classroom along with many younger people. At first I thought I had made a mistake but I worked very hard writing stories to have critiqued in class. When I got my stories back, they were all marked up on the margins so I was delightfully surprised when I got an A grade at the end of the quarter.
I never wait for anyone to come to my rescue. When my husband died and people who had sent cards and flowers stopped contacting me for a while I reached out and brought the world to me. In speaking to groups I emphasize that each one of us is our own best friend. If we wait to get that call inviting us out to lunch we may never get out into the world. So be proactive. Share your enthusiasm with others around you. Don’t be afraid to say hello and get acquainted. Life is too short to sit and feel sorry for yourself in a world where airbrushed beauty is the norm on TV. Create your own world of friends and activities and interests. Go to bed each night thinking of your agenda for the next day and you will never feel out of the loop. Yes, life can be beautiful if you become involved, try what you never thought you could do and work at it until you fulfill your dreams.
Georgie Bright Kunkel is a freelance writer and motivational speaker who can be reached at gnkunkel@comcast.net or 206-935-8663.
