One of my classmates posed the question is wilderness free? I would like to pose the question is there even wilderness anymore? I feel like there is nature, but there is not really any wilderness anymore. Wilderness implies unexplored, adventure-filled desolate places like Mount Everest. Antarctica would count too. Nature on the other hand is still easily found. There is still forests and lakes and meadows that offer the opportunity to play in nature. The question is really not applicable. There isn't wilderness left to be free.
I liked the solution to slowing down life. Everyone should just take up gardening! It demands the gardener slow down and take a look at the bigger picture/consequences of actions. It helps you promote change with your own two hands and humbles you. It also gets you invested in the future. I wonder about farming (in the sense of keeping animals)? Does that have the same benefits? Is it the same as having a pet? I'm not sure having a pet does, but I think raising animals on a farm does have the desired effect. It is a much grander scale than the single pet.
“All good things are wild and free.” Henry David Thorough said this and I almost agree. I feel like all good things are natural but not necessarily wild.
The Mind Body Spirit connection was interesting to me. I agree with Gulick's theory that everything must be in balance. My life is living proof of this idea. My spirit is suffering and it has had a HUGE effect on my mind and body. I have so much less energy than I did before my brother died. I also can't carry an intelligent conversation anywhere near as long as I could a month ago. On good days, I have found that I'm not as worn out and I can concentrate longer and vice versa.
Generation that survived the great depression is much less into instant gratification and much more willing to wait for good things. This relates back to the gardening concept.
And now onto the concepts of the elderly...
We tend to think of the elderly as incapable, and not active members of society. My Great Grandmother lived to be 92 years old and until the last 2 years, she was fully capable. She lived in a retirement community in which everyone was required to have a door sign. If you didn't flip your door sign over in the morning, the staff would come to check on you. If you flipped your sign over, they would know you were capable and fine. She really enjoyed the freedom and she didn't feel like she was being babysat.
The fact that most Seniors think that they are the exception to the stereotypes we have of elderly is very humorous!
Thinking back to my Lifeguarding experience people we worried about the most were unsupervised elderly and children. Why do we treat senior citizens like they are children? They have a lot of life experiences to share!
What are your thoughts on getting older? I think getting the opportunity to grow old is a blessing! I hope to one day have children and I want them to know their grandparents. Old people have had so many diverse experiences that I have never had (nor probably will ever have). I can't picture myself as old yet, but I hope I get there one day!
How do your parents view retirement/getting older as they approach that age? My mother is of the opinion that she will never be old. She might have many years under her belt but she will never be old. She is 52 years young and refuses to believe that she will ever be old.
There is a plaque that hangs in my mother's office that I think sums up my final thoughts. It has 2 quotes on it:
"Never, never give up" -Winston Churchill
"Never, never grow up" -Dr. Seuss
Here's to growing old without growing up. Here's to a long, full life.
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