Day 72 of 365 - In Praise of Age Diversity
Last night I attended a birthday party for a friend who is now 40. Her parents hosted a party for her and invited people from their daughter's many areas of interest. The result was a lively gathering of people ranging in age from infancy to late senior years. It was delightful!
Having such an age range at a gathering makes for quite a variety of conversations and interactions. Everyone seemed to be having a very good time, with nobody left out from the visiting.
For most of the years when we were raising our family, we lived in older neighborhoods which had people of diverse ages, from seniors who had lived in their homes for many, many years to first time buyers, as we once were. I really felt at home on those streets, where people got to know one another, at least by name if not more so.
There were always some people who were at home during the day while others were away at work. As a young mom, if I was out walking a baby in a stroller, I could count on seeing at least a few people on their porches or in their yards who would say hello or have a little visit with us. It made life less lonely for both parties.
One humorous thing I remember about one of the older homes we lived in, is our middle son, as a preschooler. He developed a connection with the older man living next door and sometimes would go on his own to knock on that neighbor's door. Imagine his surprise, opening the door to see no one at first and then looking down to see the little boy who came to visit. It delighted them both.
For one period of twelve years, we lived in a more modern suburban neighborhood. That was where we could afford a larger home for our growing boys. People were friendly enough, but almost everyone who lived there was working and raising young or teen children. Most people were gone during the day and very busy catching up at home on evenings and weekends.
There was something rather sterile about that location, partly due to the street design which did not seem to foster connecting with neighbors, and partly due I believe, to the limited age mix of homeowners.
Once our boys were all in their teen or late teen years we moved back to an older neighborhood again, which felt much more homelike to us. It was lovely again to have houses faces each other across the street, neighbors who would cross the street to chat, and having the mix from young to old once more.
Now, still in the same area, we live in an apartment building which has a preponderance of senior residents. There is a sense of community here, but it is different again. I am grateful to still have interactions with younger people in my various classes I attend. That will, I hope, always be an important aspect of maintaining my vitality.
Having such an age range at a gathering makes for quite a variety of conversations and interactions. Everyone seemed to be having a very good time, with nobody left out from the visiting.
For most of the years when we were raising our family, we lived in older neighborhoods which had people of diverse ages, from seniors who had lived in their homes for many, many years to first time buyers, as we once were. I really felt at home on those streets, where people got to know one another, at least by name if not more so.
There were always some people who were at home during the day while others were away at work. As a young mom, if I was out walking a baby in a stroller, I could count on seeing at least a few people on their porches or in their yards who would say hello or have a little visit with us. It made life less lonely for both parties.
One humorous thing I remember about one of the older homes we lived in, is our middle son, as a preschooler. He developed a connection with the older man living next door and sometimes would go on his own to knock on that neighbor's door. Imagine his surprise, opening the door to see no one at first and then looking down to see the little boy who came to visit. It delighted them both.
For one period of twelve years, we lived in a more modern suburban neighborhood. That was where we could afford a larger home for our growing boys. People were friendly enough, but almost everyone who lived there was working and raising young or teen children. Most people were gone during the day and very busy catching up at home on evenings and weekends.
There was something rather sterile about that location, partly due to the street design which did not seem to foster connecting with neighbors, and partly due I believe, to the limited age mix of homeowners.
Once our boys were all in their teen or late teen years we moved back to an older neighborhood again, which felt much more homelike to us. It was lovely again to have houses faces each other across the street, neighbors who would cross the street to chat, and having the mix from young to old once more.
Now, still in the same area, we live in an apartment building which has a preponderance of senior residents. There is a sense of community here, but it is different again. I am grateful to still have interactions with younger people in my various classes I attend. That will, I hope, always be an important aspect of maintaining my vitality.
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