I’m frequently asked why I started Staying Put or Moving On (a series of short films and other information about where and how we’ll live as we grow older.)
At 67, with any luck, I have at least a few productive years ahead of me. Since I still want to contribute something hopefully useful, the heart of my decision is this:
Many of us were unable to have our own kids. Many more have chosen not to have children or their kids have moved far away. Often people in these situations find themselves without much support – either familial or financial. So I began to wonder what are all of us are going to do as we get older? Who will support us and how will we support ourselves? Where will we live? Staying Put or Moving On, with its character-driven stories about people who are actually facing these questions is a way for us to start thinking about new ideas and solutions and share them with each other. Yep. It’s pretty altruistic. But that’s why I’m doing this.
Yet what I’m finding is many people don’t want to face these dilemmas until they absolutely have to. I can only say, keep an open mind. We don’t have all the answers here, but what we have learned from so many is don’t put off your decisions for so long that someone else has to decide them for you. Check out your options. Our videos and other resources highlight a lot of them at www.stayormove.org. It’s pretty amazing to see how they are increasing at a time in life when you think your options are diminishing.
As Bonnie Raitt sang in her song, Nick of Time:
“I see my folks, they’re getting old
And I watch their bodies change.
I know they see the same in me
And it makes us both feel strange.
No matter how you tell yourself
It’s what we all go through.
Those eyes are pretty hard to take
When they’re staring’ back at you…
Scared to run out of time.
When did the choices get so hard?
With so much more at stake
Life gets mighty precious
When there’s less of it to waste.
Scared to run out of time… “
The choices are difficult! But we hope we can enlighten and inspire you to take the actions that will benefit you and your families the most. Just keep an open mind.
And speaking about keeping an open mind, as you’ll see in our latest story called “The Heart of the Matter”, you can make the best intended, well-thought-out decision for yourself or a loved one, but circumstances change. Sometimes you have to step aside from your own good intentions to get to the heart of the matter… and find a way to respect it.
