Making Aging Positive spoke of the growth in how long people are living and the effects of stimulation (mental and physical) on the body. It was very interesting to read of the two groups and how they were affected differently due to the circumstances they were put in. How meaningful experiences and joy can greatly change someone's life, allowing them to live longer and have a healthier life. It also gave an outlook on how the world sees elderly people and how they really show be perceived. The world stops looking at the elderly as people with knowledge and experience and more as fragile objects that can’t do for themselves. Some except that mentality while others fight against it.

As they are our elders it’s very dishearting to see and hear of the marginalization of our elders as they are our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. They deserve respect and to be seen for the scholars and survivors-of-life that they are. As society continues to get older and surpassing their life expectancy we have to create jobs and activities that meaningful to them so they are fulfilled and healthy.

Today was a great experience seeing how some accept their lives or how others are deeply saddened and depressed based on what their lives have become. I really enjoyed talking to Alice as she shared knowledge about her life and her many experiences in life. It paralleled speaking to Al as he had a lot of pains and hardships with his circumstance. He was more focused on the problems (the scarring on his eyes, not getting the medication he needs, etc) and all the things that don’t allow him to do (ie: read). Overall it was a great experience as they had a lot of interesting stories to share that was very interesting. You could tell that some liked the “monotony” of their lives while others did not. Some felt stimulated despite their issues while others feel into a more depressive state.