Sue Garvey
The concept of SPRY came to me about 8 years ago while talking to my hairdresser. We are both about the same age and he said what he hates about getting older is people treating you like you had regressed to being a child, like a server saying something like “Hi sweetie, what would you like today”? Or talking down to you like you don’t understand things. Treating you as if you are inept and feeble. Or “I love that little old lady, she’s so spry”! As if having energy makes you unique as you age. Or he’s 65 years young today! Like that’s a compliment.
Don’t get me started on “OK Boomer.” The idea that we don’t understand how things are today. We aren’t tech savvy, don’t understand how difficult the job market is, like we haven’t tried to find a job in this economy. I’ve gotten four jobs since turning 60. I’ve had to fight through the difficulty of trying to play the job-hunting game, just like everyone else, with the added handicap of facing age discrimination. I’ve learned new software and programs non-stop since I learned to type on a manual typewriter in 1972 and had a class in computers that talked about punch cards. I’ve lived through the constant updates in technology during a period when most of what we have today was just beginning. Like things costing more doesn’t affect us, because we supposedly lucked out and were able to buy a home, when they can’t even contemplate owning home. I understand that anger and feel helpless when talking to my son, who is 36 and can’t understand how he’ll ever buy a place. But we live in this economy too! Being a boomer doesn’t make things easier. A lot of seniors have never owned nor will ever own a home. Like being screwed over by capitalism and greed; by more and more things, that make all of us more secure and stable, are being taken away.
After that moment 8 years ago, I am now ready to turn the idea of being spry on it’s head and am ready to act. I am being joined by two good friends that embody both similar and different aspects of being SPRY. We are not “spry”! We are SPRY! We are not naive, clueless people who are looked at like we’re helpless. Our bodies have changed, but we are who we’ve always been! Fun and serious, goofy and intellectual, tireless or tired, meeting challenges with determination and committed to living the best life we want, no matter what that looks like to you.
To me SPRY is not giving in or giving up. To not feel helpless in the face of aging. To embrace our natural curiosity and getting out there doing and learning new things. To be unafraid to try to make friends or to be alone, but not lonely. To embracing the things that made us US, way back when we started, no matter what that may be. To dance our asses off to a live band, to sing at the top of our lungs while hearing our favorite songs in the car, to be creative, to be bold, to travel together or by ourselves, to push ourselves to do things that make us uncomfortable, to not give up being who we are at the core of our spirit and intrinsic nature.
If the idea of SPRY resonates with you, we hope you’ll join us in this exploration. What exactly SPRY will be is evolving – maybe a podcast, maybe meet ups with like minded people, maybe a blog or cool website, maybe just sharing with each other and knowing there are people out there just like us.
For now, we’d love you to hear your ideas of what SPRY means to you. How you’d like to show up for yourself in this very exciting, fun and interesting part of life.
Please drop us a note at sprycurious@gmail.com or fill out our contact form and let us know what you think! And keep an eye out for additional information as we develop more fully into the concept of SPRY.
–Sue Garvey, CSO