Reflection on Aging: By Julia Travassos
Going into this gerontology class I was not expecting to learn as much as I did. Through this class I was able to learn not only about physiological changes the body goes through but also the important of how you view aging. One of my favorite parts of this class was the guest speakers as well as the life project. No matter how much you read about peoples experiences or how aging occurs or why but hearing from a person in the context of their own lives makes it stick in a way the textbook cant. That being said, on the more academic side of things we learned a lot about the theories of humanities and the natural process associated with the aging process. We also learned about holistic care as well as ethic and legal issues surrounding death and dying. At one point we even got to step into the shoes of a client as they got a terminal diagnosis and went through the end of life process. Although we could not actually do the virtual reality ourselves, watching the scenario was moving and difficult to process.
I have worked with the older population for several years now at a local assisted living. My favorite part about working with the older population in a long term setting was getting to hear all about their lives and the interesting things that they were able to achieve. Through talking to my residents as well as through the life project I have been able to learn so many life lessons. I was also able to get a glimpse into what life was like for these people and how their experience formed the person they have become. Some of the most important lessons I have learned from the life project is the fact that life is too short to do something that you do not enjoy. I also have learned the importance of not holding grudges and not having regrets because if you constantly life in the what ifs or what I should have done then you are not able to move forward. The path your life takes you is the reason you are who you are and if you didn’t travel that path or if you changes something along the way then you would not have ended up where you are currently and those lessons would not have been learned.
The life book project also presented me with an insight into my family that I otherwise would not have gotten. My Gramma is a rather private person and doesn’t share a lot about her childhood with me or even her own kids. After the interview, I had learned so many new things and aspects of my family’s past that I had never known. Aside from the personal benefits of this project, it was also insightful to be able to hear a personal account of their life and then interpret if they were able to achieve the different stages of Erikson’s. We have been learning about Erikson’s for years but by getting to put someone’s life story through these questions you can see how the stages are important in someone’s life. Maybe people, including myself until recently, view aging as a negative part of life and something to dread. That being said through this class I have learned that aging is a part of life and it a rather beautiful part of life at that. One of my biggest takes always from this class is the fact that getting old is not something to fear. As you get older and live more life you are able to learn so many lessons and meet so many new people. You can also start your own family and help to influence the next generation which is an amazing thing to think about. While I still don’t necessarily want to be an adult, I not afraid of aging as much anymore.
