I was interviewed for a public radio show this week about disaster relief with older adults. As is the deal with any reporter, they have a vision of what they are going to report in their story, then find voices to fill out the piece they are going to do. What the reality they find turns out to be has little effect on the final story.
I was challenged to convince the producer that older adults are not feeble victims of the elements, but experienced veterans of bad stuff. They have resilience and strength because of their age, because of the disasters and emergencies in the past.
I told her how middle aged people were devastated by losing everything they had. How they just couldn't imagine how they would go forward. And how older adults were more likely to be a resource and have the confidence that "we can get through this."
Not many depression era elders are overly impressed by the current economic crisis. When the economy failed in the 1930s there were few social programs, there was no safety net. Now a days, we have a lot of help. We won't starve, except for lack of asking. If you happen to be one of those folks who feel like all is lost, find a senior citizen to talk to. They just might set you straight.