Learning from my Role Model

I’m always learning from Gerald Hodge. My first lessons were imbedded in his book The Geography of Aging: Preparing Communities for the Surge in Seniors. Gerald is the former director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University and his book lays out a detailed practical plan for designing “Senior-Smart” communities. After reading his book, I think this issue should be understood as a looming national disaster of the kind requiring an Emergency Measures Operation type response, and I would put him in charge.

His recent e-mail included a link to his thoughtful review of Susan Jacoby’s book Never Say Die, which is posted on his daughter’s award-winning blog Gender Focus.

He also had this to say about You Could Live a Long Time: Are You Ready?

I want to thank you for the tip in your  book about maintaining social contacts in old age. I have made myself a nuisance with my friends by persisting in asking them to come over and have a “conversation”. Well, they do and I so enjoy it. The friends differ and so does the subject matter, from jazz to US politics and local gossip.

Another thing I do, and I think you or your interviewees mention this, is keep involved in my community. I do this by presenting a 2-hour jazz program on our recently-completed community radio station. Jazz is one of the loves of my life; I did a program for ten years at the campus radio station while I was at Queens. The program is on Sunday at four (another one coming up today on jazz before 1940) and I get quite “high” so that Monday is a bust for much serious work.