Reed Strong, Northwest Prime Time’s summer intern, is a senior in Western Washington University’s journalism program. He speaks to Northwest area seniors and baby boomers for the series LIFE LESSONS. Each is asked the same four questions: thoughts on growing older; advice for the younger generation; what are they most nostalgic about; and how the world has changed for the better.
Born in 1948, Belva Hagemeister is a 66-year-old Washington native, born in Wenatchee and currently living in Auburn. She worked as a manager for a phone company back before she retired, and is currently married with two children.
What have you found are the best aspects of growing older?
“Oh, you can do what you want to. Nobody tells you what you have to do, you can just pick and choose. You can volunteer, get a part time job, travel, or spend time with your grandchildren more. It’s fun!”
What’s the best advice you could give to a younger person?
“Lighten up. Don’t take life so seriously. If you’ve got children, spend time with them and value them. Children love to be respected, and all they want is someone to pay attention to them and listen to them. It’s not heavy on discipline, you do that early in life. Later on, it’s just developing their character and letting them know that we care about them.”
What thing from your childhood are you nostalgic about?
“I think the old values that society had back in the 40’s and 50’s. We’re such a mobile, fast society now we’ve lost that ability to slow down, to get to know your neighbor, to find out who lives on your block; we’ve lost the ability to connect with our friends because we’re so fast in our society. The values were more on family rather than going to a movie or going to a concert. You had picnics together; you celebrated birthdays and anniversaries. Now everyone’s too busy for that.”
What changes in the world do you think are for the better?
“Technology, if you use it for good. I don’t know, it seems like we have really good food! I remember back when I was a kid you couldn’t buy meat after six at night because of the blue laws, but now you can go to the grocery store late and get anything you want. I like the food selections!”
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