If I Haven't Mentioned It Before....

One of the slightly unexpected things (for me) about continuing to go to these water fitness classes is that you kind of get to know the folks who are also going fairly regularly.  And I can't remember if I talked about it before, but it's been kind of a neat and eye opening thing for me?

Many of the people in the classes I go to are older - post retirement type age.  In part because I assume they have the time to go and also because water activities are pretty forgiving on joints and injuries and it's as gentle of a workout as you need it to be. 

I arrived earlier than usual the other day and so ended up chatting with one of the fellows I've been friendly with (he and his wife are nice folk) and he told me a lot about his life and all the jobs he's had and I know it's been said before but my GOD there are some really interesting older folks out there that most of us would probably not interact with for whatever reasons but man has it been challenging my stereotypes that I didn't really actually know I had!?

I didn't grow up with grandparents or even aunts/uncles around so I don't have much direct experience with older folks.  

When I was very little (around five years old) my Mom volunteered (I think?) at a stroke centre helping folks recovering from strokes, and so that was really my experience with "old" people and now as an adult I realize that wasn't a fair or even representation of elders - they were all struggling in extra ways, you know?  Like there was one man at that time and we became friends (as an older person and a young child do) and he made/carved me small animals I still keep by my bed.  He had another stroke at some point and his carving got less detailed and it was harder to "understand" him as I remember it.

And so I think when I first started these classes I assumed these older folk didn't really want to talk to me, and that they were probably not all that interesting but I have no actual idea why I thought that!

I first started pushing myself to talk to them (beyond the polite "good morning" greetings) by asking one gentleman about his tattoo which I had assumed was a military type tattoo but was actually one he got when travelling in Thailand.  (Go figure!). And there's another fairly frail older lady who has a "burning peace symbol" type tattoo and when I asked her when she got it she said something like 2016?  Which... wild!  

I don't know... I think I'm sort of treading gently with myself here because I have some guilt at the blanket train of thought I've probably applied to older people for most of my life, but I'm glad to be learning about people who just happen to be older than me and there are some really neat stories I've heard so far.

Now maybe some of them are dull or grumpy or mean, I don't know, but beyond feeling proud of them for continuing to move their bodies and push themselves physically, I'm liking getting to interact with older folks and to remind myself and relearn the important lesson that "respect your elders" isn't just about old fashioned etiquette... they are actually people who have lived, in many cases, some really interesting lives and seen a lot and lived their experiences and there is more to the world than the stories I've heard from my nuclear family....