(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)
I must say, I am thrilled at the responses we have gotten to yesterday’s Catch about older people going downward in age and outward in relationships as opposed to the more common practice of older people to go upward in age and inward into isolation. I love what Peter said, “So let your body be old but your thoughts up to date.” This is surely possible.
(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)
I know there are older people who might like me, and me them, but generally speaking, it appears older people naturally go up in age and inward in focus. I do not think there is an intent in them to go downward in age and outward in focus. — A Millennial
In a Bible study last night where we talked about this quote from a Millennial in our online community, Roberta made an observation: “Well that’s the first time I’ve heard of ‘down and out’ being about something positive.”
And indeed it is. This insightful comment about encouraging older people to go “downward in age and outward in focus” comes from a Millennial who has observed how older Boomers, like all of us, really, have a tendency to stay within their own peer group. And the tendency to focus in on oneself versus out among others, has definitely been fed by the pandemic, where everyone’s alone time has gotten a big boost.
(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.)
I think John is a pioneer. I know Marti is. Are there others? Are there older, wiser people out there who are willing to invest in me, believe in me, and actually take a risk on me? I have yet to meet anyone like that in any church I have attended. — A Millennial
I read this quote from a Millennial in our community and immediately thought of the ABBA song, “Take A Chance On Me.”
(Click here for a video of John reading this Catch.
It’s that time of year when a young man’s fancy turns to … football? Yes, at least here in America with four teams left standing and two more weekends of playoff games culminating in the Super Bowl, there is a lot of interest in football, even if you maybe haven’t been following it until now. And, of course, if you happen to live in or near Cincinnati, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Kansas City, you might be particularly interested in what goes down this weekend. And even if not, the teams that are still standing are good enough to get this far, so the games are usually thrilling ones even if you are not partial to any team. Here in southern California, we’ll probably be rooting for the Rams, although we’re not going to be heartbroken if the 49ers win because we like them too.
“I am tired of people criticizing my generation,” wrote a Millennial in our recent questionnaire. “Why can’t people just listen — and then call out the best in me? Even if they are considered an elder, I want a friend. I want someone to help me thrive and succeed. And I think I can help them see from a different perspective about what I see in them.”
Come take a stroll with me down the streets of the internet, the only place I know where people the world over are all your neighbors. Mr. Rogers never had it so good. Some people claim you can’t have real relationships on line. We beg to differ.
There’s no two ways about it: Death sucks. And death has visited our Catch community at least twice in the last few weeks.
Priscilla, our longtime MemberPartner from Rochester, New York, just recently moved into a new home, and before she could even adjust to the move, she lost her dear husband, Jack. Born November 9, 1933, he was a sports enthusiast, and coached basketball and soccer at Roberts Wesleyan College. Jack was Athletic Director there for 13 years, and in 1982, he was inducted into the RWC Hall of Fame. Priscilla thinks he’s the handsomest man in the world, and she may be right.
“I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.”
– Martin Luther King Jr. upon receiving the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize
John Fischer The Catch 