Which Aging Model Do You Subscribe To?

cartoon by Cecigian

Last evening, David Chernikoff led a workshop on Aging for us. He outlined 4 different models of aging. Which one do you most relate to?

• The socio-medical model in which aging is a collection of symptoms and a litany of diminishments.
• The productive model. This is the use-it-or-lose-it approach for people who want to die in the saddle. An extended middle-age.
• The consumer model says,"I paid my dues. Now it's my turn." These people go on cruises, play golf, spend time at the mall, and retire to the sunny South in communities of like-minded people.
• The transpersonal, spiritual model changes the conversation from aging to sageing, assuming that an elder is still growing and thriving and still interested in the future. The task here is to synthesize their personal wisdom and pay it forward in the form of a legacy or by mentoring.

I think i'll take a spoonful of each of the first three and let my cup runneth over with the last one.

Reduce. Re-use. Recycle.

At a backyard party last evening, Jackie told me that she collects the used plastic knives from such events and uses them as plant markers. "I try to reuse them," she said, "so that they don't go straight to the dump."

My own version is that i re-use plastic containers of all sorts to pot up plants to give away--cherry tomato containers (after i cut off the lid), strawberry boxes, Chinese take-out boxes, hummus containers, blueberry pressed-cardboard containers, yogurt single-serving containers.

"Reduce. Re-use. Recycle." is one motto of the Voluntary Simplicity movement. When we voluntarily simplify our lives, we are practicing renunciation, and that is very counter-cultural to our consumer society.

We consider the impact of buying more plastic and try to re-use the plastic that already cycles through our lives in such great quantity.

Renunciation is a factor of awakening. Let's wake up to the impact we have on the life around us.