Connecting Unschooling and Ageing
I’m lying on my bed thinking about ageing when my daughter Sophie appears. “I thought I’d come and have a chat with you before I go to bed,” she says as she curls up alongside me.
“I’ve been mulling over an idea for a podcast,” I say. “Can I tell you about it?” Sophie nods so I continue: “I’m going to talk about ageing. It seems like an appropriate topic because my birthday isn’t far away.”
I tell Sophie how I don’t mind getting older. Yes, I’ve had a lot of birthdays, but I like being who I am. I’m fit and active and I’m still learning. I’m surrounded by beautiful people. Life is good. It’s exciting. The only downside is my ageing appearance.
“Because I have wrinkles and crinkles, everyone looks at me and then classifies me as ‘older’,” I tell Sophie. “And that’s a problem because older people aren’t valued. What if people younger than me think that I haven’t got anything worthwhile to say or offer? Getting older would be far easier if our society valued age. I wonder why it doesn’t.”
“The problem starts with older people,” says Sophie. “They don’t respect younger people. They’re quick to criticise and put us down. They’re not really interested in what we’re doing or thinking. They don’t realise that life is hard for us sometimes and they dismiss our concerns by saying such things as ‘You’re young! What have you got to complain about?’ How can we respect older people if they don’t respect us?” Sophie is speaking from experience.
Older and younger people respecting each other. Mutual respect. I’m thinking about unschooling. If everyone lived an unschooling way of life, would the problems associated with ageing disappear? Would we live in a world where it isn’t shameful to look older? Would all wrinkles and crinkles and other signs of an ageing appearance not bother us because we’d know that there is something far more important: Being respected for our wisdom and experience. Yes, everyone, regardless of age, would feel like a valuable and important member of society.
In this week’s podcast, episode 125, Connecting Unschooling and Ageing, I expand on the conversation I had with Sophie. I also share some stories including one about Ian, a remarkable older friend. Yes, not all older people lack respect for those younger than themselves. Some touch children’s lives in very special ways, generously sharing their talents and encouragement. I think you’re going to like Ian’s story. I hope you will listen!
Show Notes
Blog Posts about Ageing
Ashamed of Being Ashamed of Looking Older
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling.
So how do you feel about getting older? Are you looking forward to the new pleasures associated with a different phase of life? I wonder if you also know some extraordinary older people who are making a difference to children’s lives.