Think about the generation immediately younger or older than you. What do you understand least about them — and what can you learn from them?
Photographers, artists, poets: show us AGE.
I feel like I’m in-between two generations…
with a teenager sleeping on my couch… 
She has her own room… but the couch in the living area is her favorite spot… unless she is REALLY sleeping on a day off… then to bed she goes….
That’s my granddaughter… 19 years of age…
She works at night… up into the morning… and then comes to Grandma and Poppy’s to sleep before she goes to her classes at college…
She lives in another town that’s just too far to keep traveling back and forth… so this is our arrangement…
I asked her last night… “Don’t you get tired of having to come here with us instead of going home?”
She answered, “I like it here!”… with that purely honest little face looking up at me…
I was glad to hear that of course… I like having my time with her too…
Her generation has much to contend with…
You hear so much of the troubles… from gangs, alcohol, drugs, sex… The list goes on and on…
Thank goodness… She is here … has her friends 
… family 
… work and school…
Maybe that makes the difference…
We have praised her accomplishments…
Her parents have involved her in outside activities since she was little…
and we have all learned that respecting each other and having open conversation is the best!…
I have learned from my Granddaughter… hard work and determination… the things she has seen and taken with her into her life already… to help her future… Being her own person… but, aware of other’s feelings…
Independent is always what I use as the word to describe her!… 
On the other side of me is a group of elderly people and “special needs”
people that I work with now at my new job… 
We discuss and talk daily… so, I get a real picture of their needs… desires… and regrets…
They live in their memories… 
So I have learned that “making memories” is what we need to do…
Make them so special… so sweet… so wonderful… that we can rely on them in our future years…
Make many friends… keep busy… talk… and continue to grow…
and most of all…
keep learning 
… As I gave a program today about “The Chinese New Year“… I heard so many say, “I didn’t know that!”… and they seemed to enjoy that fact…
that they had learned something new…
Smiles were on their faces… and were asking if I would be back… and what would we be doing tomorrow…
Their comments are teaching me… and keeping me on my toes!
I think I might have the best of 3 worlds right now!
Young adult… my life… older seniors…
Dreams… Contentment… Memories …
How lucky I am!
Related articles
MKG- Memories-Keepsakes-Gifts 
I’m catching up. I saw your post last week about the senior students welcoming you back. I so remember that from when I taught those folks. I bet you are great at it!
Happy New Year! We have very big celebrations around these parts.
so enjoy my new job!…come home with lots to talk about!…
and by reading your post…it seems the Chinese New Year is in full force!
It is true I like to talk to my Aunt Gertie She was born and raised on the farm that my Mom grew up on also. My Aunt raised 6 kids on that same farm. My Grandfather bought that farm in 1911 and my Grandmother came over from Germany on 12-12-12. When my Dad was in the Army we got to go to Germany and we met family and traveled every summer to Switzerland. France, Italy, Vatican City, Spain, Portugal and Fatima.
Even seeing the way kids are learning today is so different from when I grew up. When kids here about life in the days of our parents and us they think how on earth did we survive. The kids today have it too good and are spoiled by all the Electronics they have to use. If they had to learn the way we did and our parents did they would be better off.
I to love to talk to other Seniors and continue to learn from them. You are so lucky Marilyn to have a great job that you are so talented to have and be able to share your talents with these Seniors and also learn from them.
thanks Joan…I am loving it!