Power-Up Friday: Changing Aging

The 4th Eden Alternative International Conference will be winding down today. It may take me a while to digest all of the wonderful things I’m experiencing. However, one story from the past came to mind today:

It was six or seven years ago and I was at a Pioneer Network Gathering in Rochester. I found myself sitting in a conference room late at night, conversing with Bill Thomas and renowned elder advocate Carter Williams. Bill was regaling us with tales of his recent Eden bus tour across America.

All of a sudden, Bill paused and said, “You know what’s occurred to me? I’ve realized that it’s not enough to change nursing homes. We have to change society’s view of aging.”

My initial response was mild exasperation, and I thought to myself, “Just as we’re starting to make some noise with the Eden Alternative, leave it to Bill to push things to an impossible level!”

Fast forward to 6/5/08. I sat in the general session yesterday morning and listened to the stories and looked at the faces around me.

And I remembered that night. And I thought, “Damned if we aren’t doing just that! We really are changing aging in our society!”

Sometimes you don’t know where you’re going until you can look back and see where you’ve been.

-- Al Power