Victoria in Full Bloom

Ah Victoria! Her harbour crammed with watercraft negotiating their space on sparkling water - close-hauled sailboats skimming by kayakers, water taxis mindful of landing float planes – and all those birds! And this trip – a new sight for me – a duck purposefully walking along the edge of the road – and on the safe side yet – facing traffic. Despite the gorgeous weekend weather that made it terribly hard for all of us to come indoors, some 40 people gathered at Chapters on Douglas to talk about aging well and to celebrate the role models. Have a look at the photos (click that blue square on the right hand side) to see Dorothy and Ida, two of my role models who were interviewed for the book, as well as other role models being celebrated by their friends.

We talked about the shakiness of using chronological age as a marker for physical or mental capacity since we age very differently. And we shared stories about regrets – things we didn’t do and wished we had (It’s not too late!) and the steps some people are taking to make amends and rebuild burnt bridges. One of the seniors told a story about how frustrating it was to be patronized by a salesman. She was shopping for shoes and her daughter who had come along for the ride was sitting next to her. The salesman addressed all his questions to the daughter until she finally said, “My mother is the customer, not me,” and walked away. This is what it took for him to finally speak directly to this vibrant, intelligent woman. The event concluded with a proposal by one woman to continue the discussion as part of a study circle. She was able to get the nucleus of a group and they made their plans to expand. The conversation continues. On to Vancouver