A couple months ago I ran a commentary by Marc Estrin called Poopy Old Man. In this commentary, he talks about feeling increasingly invisible to the people around him as he gets older. It’s a rather dark perspective on aging.
This is a response to that commentary, and offers a somewhat different perspective on getting older. Here’s a conversation between Larry Massett and Marianne Ross of Washington DC.
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Who are they?
Larry Massett is one of the world’s most interesting radio producers. He lives in Cabin John, MD.
Marianne Ross is the director of a multimedia company called Concerts in the Country, in Washington DC. She spends much of each summer in the Northeast Kingdom, working with Bread and Puppet Theater. Here’s Marianne:
… right in front of the mailbox – THE ORIGINS OF WAR!!
I have a friend who has turned seventy, who is most excited to be with young people. She is often homeless, but lives with dignity and grace and great style. The wait staff of local restaurants are her best friends and greatest support. She has the skin of a thirty year old, and the laugh of a twenty-something. Youth is her strength, aging is just something she puts up with. She has little tolerance for the aged, for their company that is; she is compassionate about the trials of other old and older folk, but chooses young people as her best companions.
Thanks for these programs..
Thank you for this marvelous comment Judith…!
A lot of opportunities out there for working with young people GAL with the local court, reader at your local school, mentor in your local school, volunteer at girl/boy scout camp, just takes some looking. At 81, I have three different volunteer “jobs”.
This conversation made me smile. Marianne is one of my favorite people. She taught me how to stilt walk (though I have forgotten) and she has always supported my artistry. She is definitely not poopy, and because of her age, she has so many more stories to share. Hooray!
Thank you Marianne and everyone. We are old in the world together at this time. Treasure my memories of sitting
among the grasshoppers on a hillside at one of Bread and Puppets ‘ circuses years ago in Vermont.