WMKV 89.3 FM

AND WMKVFM.ORG ON THE INTERNET

 “LIFE AFTER 50” COL FOR

DEC. 28-09 ON AIR

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YOU ARE MY CONFESSORS ON THE EVE OF THE NEW YEAR 2010.

 FORGIVE ME, READERS, FOR I HAVE SINNED. I HAVE NOT WRITTEN AT ALL WHY I CONTINUE TO APPLAUD THE  “LIFE AFTER 50” STAGE OF LIFE AT 50 AND FAR BEYOND.

 SO LET ME CONFESS NOW: I ADMIRE MATURE ADULTS AND ENJOY WRITING ABOUT THEM SINCE AGE 8.

 I’VE BEEN A PUBLISHED WRITER SINCE AGE 8. I WROTE AND PRODUCED MY FIRST NEWSPAPER, CALLED “THE PAUL STREET WEEKLY” AND DISTRBUTED IT ON MY BIKE TO OUR ELDER NEIGHBORS ON OUR CINCINNATI CUL DE SAC DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

 I WAS HOT.

SO HOT THE GOSSIPY NEWSLETTER DIDN’T’ SURVIVE. WHEN OUR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBORS’ TEEN NEIGHBOR THREW A BIG WILD PARTY WHILE HIS PARENTS WERE AWAY, I WROTE ALL ABOUT IT IN MY LITTLE NEWSPAPER.

HIS PARENTS CAME HOME, READ IT AND THREATENED TO SUE IF I CONTINUED WRITING SUCH “GOSSIP.” MY PARENTS SAID NO MORE NEWSPAPERING FOR ME.

IT DIDN’T DISCOURAGE ME, THOUGH.  I’VE BEEN WRITING AS A PROFESSIONAL JOURNALIST, AUTHOR AND BROADCASTER FOR DECADES NOW. YET NOT ONCE HAVE I EXPRESSED TO MY READERS WHY I CHOOSE TO SPECIALIZE WRITING FOR THE “LIFE AFTER 50” CROWD ALMOST EXLUSIVELY.

SO HERE IT IS. I ADMIRE ELDERS LIKE NO OTHER AGE GROUP. THEY ARE TERRIFIC, TROUBLED, TANTILIZING. WHAT’S UNIQUE TO THEM IS COLLECTIVELY THEIR JOIE DE VIVRE.

IN MY RETIREMENT COMMUNITY EVERYONE IS AGE 55 OR OLDER.  SOME ARE MUCH OLDER. ONE FRIEND JUST PASSED AWAY AT AGE 101. DAILY SHE CLAIMED FIVE FLOORS OF STAIRS FOR EXERCISE.

 MANY YOUNG ADULTS TELL ME THEY COULD NEVER LIVE IN A SENIOR COMMUNITY-- TOO DEPRESSING. ALL THOSE OLD PEOPLE, SOME EVEN SERIOUSLY ILL, SOME DYING, THEY SAY.

THEY SHOLD BE SO LUCKY. OR AS ONE COMIC ELDER SAID, “I TURN FIRST TO THE OBITUARIES PAGE IN THE NEWSPAPER. IF I’M NOT THERE, I GET UP AND DRESSED.”

LIVING AMONG ELDERS IS LIKE GETTING A MASTER’S DEGREE IN LIFE; THEY KNOW HOW TO “SEIZE THE MOMENT.”

SOME HERE  PASS AWAY ON A DAILY BASIS.  OTHERS WILL, LATER ON. AS ALL OF US MUST. THAT’S LIFE.  BUT WHAT YOUNG ADULTS MISS IN THE LIFE CYCLE IS THIS: LIVING TO AN OLD AGE IS A PRIVILEGE-- WARTS AND ALL.

 I HAVE A FRIEND HERE FACING A TERMINAL ILLNESS WITH GRACE, WISDOM, WIT AND MUCH LAUGHTER. SHE’S LEARNED HOW TO GRASP JOYFUL MOMENTS DAILY IN HER LIFE AND SAVOR HER FRENDS LIKE GREAT WINE. OTHERS WATCH IN AWE.

ANOTHER SENIOR I WROTE ABOUT SURVIVED A MAJOR STROKE AND WORKED HER WAY BACK TO HEALTH THROUGH TRUE GRIT AND GRIMACE. SHE FOUGHT TO RETURN AS AN INDEPENDENT TO HER APARTMENT. THE PRIZE: JOY IN LIVING “NORMALLY” AGAIN. HER VERVE INSPIRES OTHERS DAILY.

HEADLINES AND TELEVISION NEWS DAILY BRING US DESPAIR WHOLESALE. IT’S HARD TO AVOID. BUT MANY ELDERS LEARN TO KEEP IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE; VIEW IT AS PART OF LIVING.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REACH ME MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS: AJHORNBAKER@YAHOO.COM. (REPEAT). OR LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR ME AT THE CINCINNATI WMKV STUDIOS, 782-2427.  FOR WMKV, THIS IS

ALICE HORNBAKER, FOR THE “LIFE AFTER 50” COLUMN AND 89.3 FM PUBLIC RADIO.