Blog # 1—Welcome
Margo’s Senior Musings
Greetings, and welcome to my first blog post, which you’re reading either from my newly created website (www.margomerin.com), or on Facebook, or on Instagram. It’s my deeply felt hope that what you read below piques your interest enough for you to return to read future posts.
Why Senior Musings?
In our society, when we have reached the age of sixty-two, the moniker that all of us are automatically given is that of “senior citizen.” Thus—I have chosen to give my blog the title of Margo’s Senior Musings, since I will be exploring with you a variety of topics, some of which will be more serious than others, but all of which are especially relevant to those of us who have reached, or surpassed, the chronological number of 62!!!
Because this is the first post, I would like to provide you with a bit of information about who I am. For three years, from 2018 to 2021, I was studying for a doctoral degree in social work, during which time I focused on researching and writing about issues that are notably relevant during the senior years of life. After graduating from the program at the age of eighty (I was proudly the oldest person at that ceremony!), and two months prior to graduation having become a widow, from which I was experiencing deeply felt grief and sadness about my husband’s death, I was truly confused as to what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Despite the confusion, I somehow knew that eventually I would create a new life, one that would include a new career—to hell with the fact that I was now an octogenarian.
What ultimately came to my mind, after many internal conversations, was that I could intertwine my previous career experiences and formal education with my newly acquired knowledge, and that I would professionally reach out to the senior community. This felt so right, as I believed that it would be purposeful for me to share with other seniors the idea that if I could accomplish something that was not “the usual” for persons of my age, and if I could step outside the box and go against somewhat formatted plans that our society has deemed to be appropriate for me as an older person, then probably many seniors who feels motivated and have confidence in themselves, yet are wavering about doing what they are thinking, could also make happen whatever it is that they wish to do or to try, aside from something that might be dangerous or harmful. What I was unclear about was how to make this new career become a reality, or how to connect professionally with the senior community. Of course I knew that I would never be considered as a viable candidate for employment by most structured organizations—I’m not a famous person who could attract a wide audience.
After much thinking about my reality, and how I could develop a professional life within it, my amorphous plan slowly evolved into one that became real and viable. My first premise was to acknowledge that those of us who are seniors are a very special group of amazing women and men who, in no way, want to be thought of as persons who are basically finished with making meaningful contributions, either for ourselves or within our communities. That mental picture of the older woman sitting in the rocker with the basket of knitting by her side, or of the older man sitting in a folding chair with his fishing pole, waiting for hours for a fish to bite the bait, are antiquated images. Sure, some women, young, old, and in-between may choose to knit, and some men, young, old, and in-between may choose to go fishing, but not necessarily are older women and men choosing to do this as their only way of life, just because they have reached their latter years.
We know that the senior ages encompass a broad spectrum (with occasional exceptions) spanning five decades, including sexagenarian, septuagenarians, octogenarians, nonagenarian, and centenarian, and that within this span, there will be vast differences in how people choose to live their lives during these later years. However, an essential element to keep in mind is that except for potentially dangerous or harmful choices, new opportunities abound for us seniors, as long as we keep an open mind and exhibit a willingness to let go of what was and, instead, to move into the zone of “what can and might be possible that we would enjoy doing and feel good about.” For me, it has been about making presentations to seniors about embracing life every day, regardless of the circumstances, facilitating bereavement groups, teaching meditation and mindfulness, and doing other things that are relevant to who we are as we grow older. Whatever you choose, it can be anything that you deem as viable for you—and most probably, it will be different from anything that you have every done before.
It’s my hope that after reading this post, you are inspired to consider what additions, deletions, and/or adaptations you can introduce into your life that would add richness to the days that lie ahead. Think about what might work for you, type or hand write your ideas, and then print them so that you can take a look at what you have come up with. Put the list away for a few days and take it out again and review what’s on the paper. See what resonates and what doesn’t. Cross off what you don’t like and whittle down the list until you have realistic and doable things that make the most sense for you. Then prioritize. Now you’re getting close to what can really be actualized. Good luck with this.
NOTE: Remember, it’s how you think about things and how much you trust your own, best instincts to make them happen to enhance your reality. ‘Til next time, my best wishes to all of you!