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Where do you want to grow old?
Aging Well | Last Active: Oct 15 9:41pm | Replies (267)Comment receiving replies
I’m 74 and broke my pelvis in two places several weeks ago. Several months ago I made a small deposit to hold my place in a nonprofit Zen/Quaker continuing care community that will be finished in 2027. Making that commitment gave me a great deal of peace about my future at the time.
I have younger sisters and brothers and their families nearby, but we were a chaotic group until the heat in central Texas this summer focused our attention on the immediate future. My pelvis fractures will heal. I will walk and even drive again, but I won’t entertain the idea of going off on my own now. Various commitments and retirement plans give us three years to find a place to move en mass that is more suited to climate change, a few horses, a bunch of dogs who don’t particularly like each other, and a community that would work for aging amateur cowgirls, artists and musicians and the grandchildren who have just started popping up. This is a tall order. I’m keeping a notebook. I’m also keeping that deposit in place knowing how dramatically life can change. When my beloved husband died in my arms on our little farm in southern Spain seven years ago, it took six months to realize that I couldn’t live there without him. The point for me now is to remain flexible enough physically, emotionally and financially that I can continue to role out of this wheelchair and into the future, whatever it holds. Is anyone else putting climate change in their mix? Minnesota is still on our list. New Mexico lasted a hot minute.
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@artmatters I listened to a youtube segment on this very issue and Asheville, North Carolina won the jackpot of area to be least affected by climate change in the future. I hear it’s beautiful too. However, for me, living near children and in somewhere interesting and beautiful, resulted in my moving from my beloved California to New Orleans, possibly the least likely place to survive climate change. Yes, I have my NOAA weather alerts on and take them very seriously, heading for the airport when needed. But I am extremely happy I made the move. People here seem to accept the ephemeral nature of life. Beauty matters, so old homes are valued and in a constant state of repair. Music is central and since I love traditional jazz, I can easily find entertainment that begins in the afternoon , from in the French Quarter to neighborhood porch concerts. People are incredibly friendly and kind here. There is an active group of seniors at the JCC where everyone is welcome (I hear that membership is half non-Jewish). I may have to move to a Texas community someday where 3 of my 4 children live and can share as caregivers they tell me. And one thing that Texas has… some good art museums. But right now I am a young 83 and want to stay here a little longer. I love your handle “art matters”. Yes it does! I met my partner of 17 years in his art history continuing ed class and we visited many art museums round the world, an enduring gift to me. He just passed after several years of decline and his decision to stay in his apartment in Calif. I miss him deeply even though our connection became just our daily telephone connection. But life is change, and our happiness depends on accepting that
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Artmatters,
Yes, our family has been putting climate change in the mix regarding a future relocation. We all live in New Orleans and have been dodging hurricanes for decades. We had record breaking heat every day this summer for six weeks.
All of us understand climate change and that New Orleans is endangered.
One of our children is moving to Maryland next week. Our other child has agreed to relocate there. As my husband and I are 68 and 71, we will follow along.