July 2018
As Gladys welcomed me into her home, I was greeted with smiles in picture frames lined meaningfully on the walls. I could sense that many fond memories were created in this space. The rooms seemed warm and fully lived in. Gladys meets me with her beaming smile and friendly eyes. I am excited to get to know her.
She is 92 years old with three sons and nine grandchildren and exudes pure gratitude, especially for the nonprofit, Aging Is Cool. Before her husband, Howard, passed away eight years ago, they shared a pleasant and content life working as a team in the two-way radio business. The city of Austin had been their home for decades. Supported by a circle of kind neighbors and young children, her family grew up in a fun and peaceful environment. After their sons finished school and moved away, Gladys and Howard pondered how they could spend their time in their newly affirmed empty nest. They joyfully decided to attend ballroom dance classes regularly. Gladys and Howard performed waltzes, rhumbas, and cha-chas with a passion while dancing to legendary Perry Como hits and many more. It was a significantly engaging and active time in her life.
Her three sons and their families all lived outside of Austin, but everyone was still close at heart. Gladys and Howard would spend weeks visiting their boys, reconnecting and exploring. Once they returned home, it was back to the beautiful retired life of dance classes, book clubs, and socials. Then, suddenly, Howard fell ill after a fall and never recovered. Gladys’ partner in dancing, traveling, in life was gone. Her husband’s passing left her with grief, which slowly turned into fortitude to keep going. Later, she realized that without her dance partner, she could not be as active as she would have liked. Also, with the old generation moving or passing away around her and the new generation moving in, she gradually no longer knew anyone in her neighborhood. After recognizing that these changes were not conducive to how she wanted to live the rest of her life, she started to feel a desire to reshape her social environment. Deep down, she knew she had much more living and connecting to achieve. “You have to find something to fill the place,” says Gladys. “When people pass and things change… and that’s where Aging Is Cool comes in.”
As time passed, Gladys accidentally acquired a back injury for the second time. When she decided to go to therapy, it became apparent that Medicare would only pay for so much. As she expressed this challenge to a friend, her friend suggested going to WellMed, a preventive healthcare clinic focused on older patients. Little did she know that her life was about to change in a beautiful way.
Introduce Damien Temperley, a fitness instructor with a British accent and kind blue eyes who sees beyond wrinkles and brings forth vitality innately present in all of his students. She was instantly addicted to his energy and warm-heartedness. “He’s a magnet. In all the three years I’ve known him, I’ve never heard anyone not like him,” she says.
Getting to know Damien was indeed a wonderful experience for Gladys. So it hit her pretty hard when he informed all his students that he would resign from the WellMed clinic. Damien was moving on to the next chapter of his life by pursuing the creation of Aging is Cool with his wife, Amy. The news saddened Gladys and the rest of Damien’s students, who looked forward to his presence each time they came to his classes. Luckily, he was not saying ‘goodbye.’ He was only saying, ‘see you soon.’ When the program officially began in the summer of 2017, Gladys and many others followed Damien along on his new path with extreme enthusiasm.
Gladys participates in as many Aging Is Cool classes as she can, so she is considered the organization’s biggest fan. She attends not only for the exercise but also for community involvement. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in that large of a group where there is so much camaraderie,” she says.
She also loves the diversity of classes offered since they provide a well-rounded approach and encompass many interests. She loves that each lesson makes her life more stimulating and less routine. “He has memory classes and brain classes…sometimes, I amaze myself that I get the right answer,” she admits with a delighted chuckle.
Along with the positive social experiences she has gained, participating in Aging Is Cool has also improved her back and helped her become active again. The results of her regular attendance prove and reaffirm Amy and Damien’s sole mission. A person who has lived more than nine decades still clearly enjoys being physically and mentally challenged in new and fun ways.
During my time with Gladys, she has no trouble sharing her sweet sense of humor. She tells jokes and stories from the past that sometimes make us giggle and even blush. Without question, I see her immense value in our society. She’s wise, fun and still loves to be open to new ideas. And, refreshingly, she doesn’t care very much how the general public sees her. “I don’t feel old. Sometimes it proves to me that I am when I can’t do what I used to do. But I am what I am,” she says in a peaceful yet confident way. Meeting Gladys made me feel as though my life was richer after spending a few hours with her. If this is the kind of person someone turns out to become when they reach their sixties and beyond, then yeah, I have to agree. Aging is definitely cool.
2021 UPDATE:
The last time I saw Gladys was in July 2018. So much has changed since then. The pandemic was a considerable threat to seniors, especially initially when vaccines were not yet available. But I am thrilled to say, Gladys, now 95 years old, is still alive and well.
In March 2020 and beyond, living alone in Austin was a cause for concern, so her son implored her to move to his home in Champagne, Illinois. In July 2020, Gladys agreed and decided to leave her home to be closer to her family. Even though she misses her home, she is still in good spirits, just as I remember her. “I’m healthy. My body is doing well,” she says. Through Zoom, she still participates in Aging Is Cool activities every weekday. She consistently attends brain classes, exercise classes, stretch classes, and many social events. “Doing it online works fine with me. I look forward to it every day.”
During this stressful past year and a half, I couldn’t help but worry about her well-being, and I hoped I would be able to talk to her again. Not only was it a pleasure like the first time, but it also left me with a sigh of relief. Gladys kindly says, “I enjoyed talking to you,” before we get off the phone. My only thought was, I am grateful that you are still here to talk to me, as I hung up.