Explore the difference between an older, (one who ages) versus an elder, who intentionally and consciously wants to be an active resource to younger generations. The health of any culture’s imagination is its vitality to dream. The young are assigned the task to live into the dreams that need to be born. The elder’s mission is to nurture those dreams with yielding curiosity. We’ll discuss how we can validate and support others by nurturing their aspirations and future ideals—a concept our culture profoundly neglects, resulting in the crisis-of-imagination in which we find ourselves. Today’s world is rife with examples: the deep divisions in our country, rampant hatred feeding racism, inequalities and greed, and a paralysis surrounding the global climate crisis—vexing issues that require all our personal investment. We will look at the benefits to ourselves, to younger generations and to the community of taking-up that conscious decision of embracing our potential as elders. Limited enrollment.
Suggested reading: The Inner Work of Age, Connie Zweig; The Elder Within, Terry Jones; Elderhood, Louise Aronson; and Men & the Water of Life, Michael Meade