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Additional resources - Writings by Jim Leach
Boomers, Elder Wisdom, and CohousingBy Jim Leach – January 14, 2009
Almost all seniors (50+) relate to the concept of elder wisdom and have some feel for it if for no other reason then the fact that they have had more life experience and that does generally generate some wisdom that they did not have at a younger age. Although many of the Boomer generation do not yet want to admit themselves as seniors most do want to think that they manifest the concept of elder wisdom.
Theodore Roszak in his insightful book "The Making of an Elder Culture" makes the point that we are in the midst of a "longevity revolution" that is inevitable and that is redefining the characteristics and responsibilities of elder hood. This revolution is about to come out of the closet big time as the Baby Boomer generation assumes the elder role in American culture. The boomers are destined to live longer then any previous generation. They are better educated, enjoy better health services, and have the revolutionary spirit of the 60s somewhere in their blood. Ageing breeds transformation and more mature approaches then riots and flower child protests, but the seeds of discontent are still there and our now being fed and nurtured by the bursting of the economic bubble that the boomers have been hiding in since the 60s. As Roszak writes, these boomer elders can and are quite likely to bring on an environmental social order leading us to a "road to a saner, more compassionate, more sustainable world"
Aging breeds transformation. Older people think differently then their younger counterparts that are caught up in raising families and earning a living. They have less need to consume and less attachment to the auto driven consumer based and environmental damaging lifestyle that Americans have been hooked on. The process of managing a cohousing community seems to work better for an elder culture. Some of this is probably due to greater life experience of the resident participants, most of which have had experience with group decision making process through their participation in civic organizations or team building experience through their life work.
A strong neighborhood community offers real value to both its residents and to the sustainability of the larger society, but to do so does require work and commitment from a majority of the neighbors bound together. The hardest and most time comsuming work oftin is in meetings with neighbors reaching agreements, making plans and listening to each other. As with nearly all work, it is both easyer and more enjoyable if it is done with a certain amount of training and maturity.
There is a correlation between successfully taping the power in community and the characteristics of elder hood. Elders are not only more experienced at the practice of community, they are more willing to let go of their personal idiosyncrasies and move on in the interest of the community. They are usually into a simpler life that gains satisfaction more from relationships then possessions, and they get a satisfaction out of the work required to practice good community. Elders often have the patience to endure a less than perfect situation with the understanding that they are working toward meaningful goals that benefit them all and that may have a positive influence on the larger society.
Elders have much to be gained through community, especially a well functioning neighborhood community. A healthier, more secure, and more socially satisfying life is the obvious gains. Less obvious is the empowerment and feeling of accomplishment gained by participation in a self-managed neighborhood community and especially one that has a vision of living a more responsible and sustainable way. The community adds purpose and energy to life at a time when ones life is slowing down and there is a tendency to drop out. Community when practiced well has the ability to allow elders to participate at a comfortable level suitable to their individual needs and abilities, and not too demanding but still energizing.
