The area that I live in is filled with houses. Most have been around for fifty or more years. There is also a huge condo complex and a smattering of apartments. The church congregation that I go to is mostly filled with people over the age of 80 and young couples who have just had their first baby. This phenomenon is affectionately referred to as “Nearly Dead, Newlywed”.
This morning I got to lead the music in Relief Society (the women's meeting), so I was standing in front of everyone. The entire middle section of the room was filled with these older ladies. As I was up there, waving my arm to 3/2 music (Really, 3/2? I need to look at that before I pick the songs. Next time I'll find a song with a nice 4/4 beat, and no tempo changes.) I was struck with the amount of experience that was sitting before me.
From a purely mathematical approach—let's say there were 15 of these ladies over the age of 80. 15 x 80 = 1200. There was more than 1,000 years of practical, real-life experience sitting in front of me, singing! Not that singing has anything to do with this, that's just what they were doing.
The writer in me, who is currently ahead in the writer vs. ninja battle, was dumbfounded. What could these ladies tell me? What incredible stories are tucked away in their brains? Imagine the experiences they have been through! If they are 80 years old, then they were born in 1930. How much has the world changed since then, and how much is exactly the same?
Wow. That's all I have to say about that. Wow.
I should take them treats and make them talk!
2 comments:
Just don't let the ninja part of you out when you're trying to get them to talk!
And I loved that ward...of course, I was a newlywed then. But we'd hang out more with the older couples anyway. :)
I volunteered in a rest home (10 years ago) and remember hearing a lady talk about remembering the day the Titanic sank - I so cried listening to her. Ya, I love older people. My parents remembers the invention of Rock and Roll. My grandma was born in 1912...That's BEFORE any world wars.
And someday we will talk about what life was like before the internet and cell phones...frankly I think life was better.
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