Thursday, January 15

Ephemera: From Long Ago, Part 2 +


Click to embiggen.















There will be one more set of posters. I'm wondering why posters are not so much in evidence with the current war? Or the last 2 or 3, for that matter.


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There is a newish development here in Raleigh, on the site of an old horse farm. It is called The Cypress of Raleigh, and it is a planned elder/continuing care community. We have a few friends who have moved in there and today we were invited to lunch and a tour of the facility. There's much to like about it, that I can see. It is beautifully planned and built, and the appointments in the clubhouse are first-rate. It resembles a resort and I am sure that living there would occasion moments of glamour and the feeling of being on vacation, especially in the beginning.

But there is a problem for me, which is......I don't think I'd want to live in a place where there are so few people younger than I. It can be depressing to be in the company of only older people, especially some of them. You know the ones I mean? People who see only the negatives in life, who are mad at the world because they are getting older (whether they are infirm or not) and those who are infirm in some way and mad at the rest of the world because of it. The only young people we came into contact with there today were the servers at lunch, and while they were charming and very good at their jobs, it isn't enough. I need to be around young people who have promise and hope for the future; it shows in their faces and you hear it in their voices. When you live in one of those places you have children and grandchildren visiting on occasion, but they might be the only younger people you interact with on a quasi-regular basis.

A community of bloggers (of any age), I think, would make for great living companions. Bloggers as a whole (in my experience) are more positive and show an attitude of making lemonade out of their lemons more than the general population. I wouldn't mind living in an area full of elder bloggers because it wouldn't be a negative place. Does that make any sense at all?

17 comments:

Tabor said...

What you say does make sense. I remember visiting a community like that decades ago for a real estate reason and the people sitting around the swimming pool were so crabby and bitchin' and moanin' about who was blocking the sun...very depressing. It turned me off to those places although I have visited a number since that are very charming.

Anonymous said...

Love the posters They just make you want to fight the "good fight".
You are preaching to the choir about retirement homes. When you see the enthusiam of youth, it just lifts you and makes you smile. When you see the defeat in some of the old and infirm, you feel depressed. "But for the Grace of God----"
Attitudes are just too darn contageous.

Anonymous said...

Sign me up for Bloggersville! I hope you allow toyboys! ;)

tiff said...

Your idea of a blogger's community is terrific!

Heh, grannymar's notion of toyboys is a good one too.

bobbie said...

Yes, it makes sense. I visited once at such a place as you describe. Could not wait to get out. I agree. Living with only elderly people would drive me up the wall. The ideal is probably the old world way of 3 or more generations living together, but in our society it doesn't seem to work. My youngest begged me to go live with them. I just didn't feel I could do that to my wonderful son-in-law. But I have always enjoyed the company of younger people - of all ages. It is stimulating.

barbie2be said...

i think it is important to surround yourself with people of ALL ages. you can teach the younger ones things they might not learn and they can teach you too.

if we segregate the elders, that is when they become the forgotten.

themom said...

I think WWII, maybe Korea were the last wars to have all the posters displayed everywhere. The advancement of the media, made it all a moot point, as the Wars were in our faces from that point on.

Kay Dennison said...

The posters are really wonderful!!!!

I am glad that I live in Ohio. There are some "aging in place" programs for elders -- our governor understands that many of like our residences and that it's better for us to bloom where we're planted. That I couldn't hear the basketball hitting the backboard in the Spring and summer and fall while I'm blogging away would put me crazy.

I live among caring, good people and I will not move anytime soon.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

It makes PERFECT Sense, to me, Judy! I agree with you 150%. It is important to be around younger people for all the reasonms you gave plus, I think you get a better idea where the worls is at when you spend time with people of all ages....!
I like those posters, a lot! I remember during WW2 there were lots and lots of posters and Print Ads about Buying Bonds.....I also remember that very famous poster..."Loose Lips Sink Ships"......!

Anonymous said...

It does make sense. I love having younger people where I work, too. I like their enthusiasm and different perspectives.

Anna said...

I love old advertising! Thanks for putting these up. What a reminder.

rosemary said...

Ahemm....I could be the whiner blogger in the group....balance you know. I agree about retirement communities.....I hope I never have to be in one.

awareness said...

Perfect sense...in fact I think you're onto a great business idea!

Star said...

Would it be a Blogmune? We could all gather there. Sounds nice. Someone was trying to sell us on a 55 and over place. (Sarcasdad qualifies) He went on and on about playing bridge and golfing and bus trips and aai was thinking "oh no! I'm not ready for that yet"

Beverly said...

The posters are great! Do you really wonder why there aren't any around now?

There are so many retirement communities here, of course. When Don and I married, he owned a mobile home, and so we lived there until we built our house. There was not an age restriction, but there could not be children. The old folks loved us.

But I wouldn't want to live in a retirement community either.

Anonymous said...

A blogger commune! How cool! Maybe that could be part of the admissions process..

There's an old Chinese saying I've kept in mind since I was a teen: 'If you don't have an old person around, rent one' - the wisdom that comes with age (in most cases) is worth having around to share!

My mom's in a nursing home (she has MS and needs lots of pro care). It's the best option for her, and I haven't met too many curmudgeons there - but it's not a great place to live.

JeanMac said...

Those posters are terrific.