Charlie Brown and Lucy have done it again! These cartoon characters of Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” make me both laugh and ponder. They share such pertinent lessons.
In a recent cartoon, Charlie tells Lucy that he’s decided “this will be a year of decision”. He proudly shows her a list of things he is going to improve in his life in order to be a better person. Lucy, who has a way of ruining the intentions of others, replies that she is “going to spend this whole year regretting the past”, crying over what she can no longer control. “Why did I do that?”
How often do you have a Lucy in your life, dimming your joy and crushing your enthusiasm? How often does a Lucy step into your day to tell you that you should not make that trip you have planned, or go out with friends in the evening, or even buy new clothes now that you are older?
If I were Charlie Brown, I would have dumped Lucy a long time ago. I don’t want to waste time regretting the past. I want to enjoy today!
An important aspect of aging well is to have people around you who encourage and support you in what you do, people of all generations who uplift you and who show AgeEsteem. You know the people I am referring to. They are the ones who live fully at each stage of life, who dare to act on their dreams, who have a meaningful purpose, who surround themselves with positive people of all ages, and who continue to contribute to society.
AgeEsteemers do not regret the past, they live in the present and embrace the future.
No, Lucy, I will not let your attitude spoil my joy of living.
Bonnie Fatio
“You’re a bunch of old fogies”, my father told the homeowners. He spoke in his deep, commanding voice that made people sit up and listen, whether they wanted to or not. It was an authoritative tone that often left people speechless.
His less than diplomatic outburst was because in the adult community where he lived people had forgotten how to interact with youth. To live there you must be 12 years old or older, and most residents were at least 65.
Why the excitement? Someone had rented their home to a family with teenagers. And the teenagers made noise when they went to the pool in the evening. – Not raucous noise, but enough to be heard, just like the adults could be heard at the pool during the daytime.
In the eyes of the majority it was clear that something had to be done. Surely the youth were drinking, and maybe even taking drugs!
My dad was the only person who had taken an interest in the young people sitting around the pool. He had asked them questions and gotten to know them. Dad knew the kids at the pool were from the High School baseball team. Talk was about their latest game. Their drinks, which were sodas, were in plastic glasses to keep with the pool rules.
When Dad took his evening walk he made it a habit to go by the pool and to chat with them. They were “good kids” in his opinion and had the same right to bring friends to the pool as any other member of the community.
Certainly calling people “old fogies” is not recommended if you want people to listen to you. However, the story has a good message. Let’s not judge people of other generations by assumptions and generalities. Let’s chat with each other, work together, and take time to know each other as individuals.
An important key of age-esteem is to remain relevant, and to have active interaction with people of all generations.
Bonnie Fatio
You are a gift to all generations!
A dynamic 40+ career woman who is highly successful in her field of work and loves her job shared the following advice with me.
When she heard about AgeEsteem her reaction was, “What a terrific idea! Older people need to recognize what a wonderful asset and resource they are. They seem to shy away from younger people, yet we all need each other.”
She went on to explain, “When I first started to attend conferences, my parents told me to always seek out the oldest person. That person was sure to know more than my peers. So I did. I sought out and befriended older people. I learned so much more that way. In fact I owe these people much of my professional success and understanding of human relations.”
So do not shy away from people of other generations. Seek them out, speak with them and learn from them. Share your wisdom and age esteem.
Bonnie Fatio
You Are A Gift To All Generations
You are a gift to all generations!
A dynamic 40+ career woman who is highly successful in what she does, and love her job shared the following advice with me.
When she heard about AgeEsteem her reaction was, “What a wonderful idea! Older people need to recognize what a wonderful asset and resource they are. They seem to shy away from younger people, yet we all need each other.”
She went on to explain, “When I first started to attend conferences, my parents told me to always seek out the oldest person. That person was sure to know more than my peers. So I did. I sought out and befriended older people. I learned so much more that way. In fact I owe these people much of my professional success and understanding of human relations.”
So do not shy away from people of other generations. Seek them out, speak with them and learn from them.
Bonnie Fatio
Big Bird
Big Bird is a gift for all ages, and a symbol of age esteem. When our four year old granddaughter and I met him at Busch Gardens, Florida, we were both equally thrilled. – And we both wanted our photo with her!*
When I met her I said, “Oh, Big Bird, you have been my idol forever!”, later to discover that she was created in 1969. She represents the generation between our granddaughter and me. So this is truly an intergenerational photo.
Big Bird is definitely a friend of AgeEsteem® and a gift for all ages.
- Big Bird makes you laugh, without even speaking.
- All generations love him.
- His goal is to help people learn, especially children.
- He is a role model as a good friend to the other Muppets.
- He reminds us of the importance of play and having fun, at every age.
Big Bird is a gift to all ages.
* I cannot call Big Bird “it”, so I use he and she. Bonnie Fatio
We reflect the age of those around us.
Do you find yourself acting and feeling differently as you relate to people of different ages? I mean actually acting and feeling like you personally are living those ages?
When we are with little children it is almost natural to talk baby talk and to play. Our age doesn’t change but our comportment does.
During the years that I worked at a university, I identified strongly with the students. Interacting with young adults on a daily basis kept me up-to-date on the vocabulary, fads and interests of that age group. Even though I was the teacher, I mirrored this age group constantly and internally felt like one of them in many instances.
This is also a good argument for having people of all generations in our lives. Diversity brings a richness of opinions, approaches, and experiences. Find ways to meet and interact with people of all ages. It provides a great way to live and relive various stages of life.
