Reel Therapy

Unraveling the mind through film.

by Jeremy Clyman, M.A.

Adult Animation: The New Image of "Old"

By Jeremy Clyman, M.A. on July 14, 2009 in Reel Therapy

The traditional or Old School view of the elderly is not a pretty picture. Free associate to the words, "Old" or "grandparent" and you are likely to activate the following images. First, there are the senior moments: trembling hands obliviously unwrapping hard candies with barely the motor skills to complete the task; a conversation that starts as a conversation but ends in bewildered silence, as names and dates are chronologically twisted beyond all hope and recognition. Read More

How about this...

Submitted by Genevieve Charet on July 14, 2009 - 11:08pm.

I'd like to offer one idea on this: the external environment/life structure of the elderly offers some distinct creative advantages over that of the rest of society. 1) Extra free time; 2) Diminished need to "fit in," or "play the game;" 3) A more or less set financial future. How many of our actions are motivated primarily by a need to do what is right for our careers, make the right friends, accumulate the most stuff, etc.? I'd say that if given the opportunity to say "to hell with" the way our potential employers, friends, and the like will view our actions, yeah, we'd probably all be a little more creative. Creative aberrations, those people who make history and impress us with their uniqueness, usually began by stunning and offending quite a few people.

Anybody else have any thoughts on why the elderly frequently experience this sudden burst in creativity? I'd offer another possibility as the fear/uncertainty over death motivating a desire to live in the moment and squeeze every last second of pleasure out of existence...it's the same motivator that draws a lot of elderly people to religious fervor.

Genevieve

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A program that Illuminates the Possiblities that exist in aging

Submitted by Bruce Masters on July 15, 2009 - 7:56am.

We have produced a video / workbook program that changes the cultural view of aging ... a paradigm shift ... that speaks to the discussion put forth.

The program presents the fostering of partnerships as an approach to vitality, satisfaction and workability in aging as expressed by the participants in the video. Checkout the brief description and intro video on our website (www.partnershipsinmotion.com) and an exerpt, one section/chapter from the video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IL7DxpofPg). Thanks

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funny graphic- the joys of aging

Submitted by Maria on July 23, 2009 - 6:17pm.

The joys of aging.
http://www.typobounty.com/Funny/Baby_Boomer.htm

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Adult Animation: The New Image of "Old"

Submitted by Christopher KElley on July 30, 2009 - 8:29am.

What has occurred to me - actually I think I've known it since I was in my thirties [wow! I am actually far enough on my life adventure to be able to say that!] - is that 'retirement kills' and that I intend to work my whole life. I believe - for me at least - that participating in the daily needs of the worlkd will keep me enlivened, the brain juices flowing, my body healthy as I continue to workout 3-days-per-week at 4:30 AM before work - and I am writing my second novel! Yeah!

Cheers!