perspectives

Using Our Experience and Communication Skills to Counter Ageism

I studied German for a couple of years while in college. I don’t remember much about the language, but I do remember how my professor used her experience and communication to counter ageism. My professor had plain grey hair and a thick accent. She often wore a grey cardigan sweater and heavy, black shoes. At the time, I saw her as just another old person who knew German because she grew up speaking the language. Using Experience to Add Perspective Nonetheless, because my professor treated all of her students with respect, most all of us felt free to ask questions.…

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Using Experience and Communication to Bridge the Age Gap

Today, my husband and I are enjoying a visit with our nearly fifteen-year-old grandson, Nick. We asked him the usual questions about school, sports, and his future dreams.  Nick also asked his share of questions. Of course, it doesn’t take much effort to ask questions. However, it does take some effort to listen carefully so that we are really understanding each other. When we didn’t clearly know what Nick was talking about, we asked for more specific details or we paraphrased what we thought we understood. Listening is one way we can use our lifetime of experience to bridge age…

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