the old and the frail

Years ago, I was discussing my fears with Jessica. I told her I was afraid of tornadoes, the Amish and old people. It was over 10 years ago and my fears have dissipated or changed now but I realize that my fears were based upon ignorance, which is usually the case. At the time, my only experience with older people came from my grandmas (who I didn't categorize as old people because I knew them as individuals and not as a generalization of the elderly) or from Abe Simpson. At the time, my grandmas were each independent enough to not fit into the elderly stereotype. I didn't even consider them old. Memories of my great grandma in the nursing home were my primary reference whenever the elderly were discussed.

Now, I have a greater comprehension of what being elderly means. I don't buy into stereotypes anymore because through my work, I've seen enough variety. Also, I've educated myself with documentaries such as Sunset Story and now with my class. We just watched a documentary called Living Dangerously about two very different elderly people, choosing different paths and dealing with different issues. It's sad because both people die at the end of the film but that's to be expected. Also, I'm learning in class that dying doesn't have to be an awful thing. Even if I don't go on to work with the elderly after this, I think that this class will be good for my overall experience with life and my own aging process.

So, boom, one fear diminished. Since I'm in Portland, I don't have to worry about tornadoes. Now if I could just find a way to protect myself from the Amish... (*kidding*)