One day, recently, when the girls came over to our house, Giorgia was super pumped. “Papa, Taylor Swift just yesterday released a new album, and nobody knew until it was released. And we listened to it last night”. “Oh, yeah?” said I. And she begged me to listen to it with her. So, using my Apple Music student membership, I downloaded it, and we listened. Or, I listened. She listened and danced. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was Taylor Swift, but not the pop star version; instead, it was a different, engaging, and interesting version. The album, “folklore,” reminds me of some of my favorite singer-songwriters, especially Joni Mitchell. My wife loves Joni Mitchell. I like her. And although this album is Taylor Swift, I hear pieces of Joni Mitchell in the songs, and that hooked me. So, there we are-the “technically 10 (her description) year old” Giorgia and the 74-year old Papa, both listening and thoroughly enjoying the same music. The following Sunday, my wife and I prepared a socially distanced brunch for some friends and listened to “folklore.” She likes it too, as does her daughter, Giorgia’s mother.
The point is three generations are listening to the same music. “folklore” has transcended generations, which to me, is a very healthy thing for music to do. However, it doesn’t happen very often. Although all three generations love the Beatles, that’s about how the cross-generational music appreciation society goes. Although I don’t actively dislike Giorgia’s other musical preferences, I don’t get it. The same with her mother’s taste in music. But it is entertaining and exciting when the three generations talk about the music we all enjoy, as our perspectives are different. We understand one another better, I think, by discussing the one piece of music that we all love.
Getting back to Gerontology, and the importance of intergenerational connections, each generation has something to teach the other generations. I have learned valuable lessons from my step-daughters about cooking, books, or movies that I didn’t know about, and life from their viewpoints. When they were younger, I taught my granddaughters about many things-I made up stories, and I turned them on to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte’s Web, et al.
As they have grown, the worm is turning.
They taught me about Billie Eilish, “Old Town Road,” and now “folklore.” Recently, Giorgia and I were doing something on my Ipad, and she wanted me to add an emoji. I balked, as I thought I would have to disconnect my blue tooth keyboard. She looked at me, astonished, and hit a key that brought up the keyboard with emojis. I said, “wow,” and she just smiled. Retirement Inspiration of the Month.
– Edward from McMinnville, Oregon, a FAR customer who is finding purpose in this new stage of his life.
Edward
Edward writes for FAR and is also a customer. He is 73-year-old, born and raised in and around New York City. After college and a little graduate school, he took Horace Greeley’s advice and went west. Edward lived in several cities throughout California and currently resides in Oregon. He practiced law for a few years as part of a law collective doing what they called “people’s law,” but spent most of his career working as an internal organizer for the unions.
When Edward’s career ended with the unions, he was determined to become an advocate for older adults. He enrolled at Portland Community College studying Gerontology. He learned a lot about aging and how it applied to his own life experiences and my own aging process. Much of Edward’s writing is related to what he learned in his Gerontology studies.
* The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the Finance of America Reverse (FAR) LLC
This article is intended for general informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as financial or tax advice. For more information about whether a reverse mortgage may be right for you, you should consult an independent financial advisor. For tax advice, please consult a tax professional.
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