looking back, looking ahead

The 2014 National Leadership & Exchange Conference on creative aging was so beyond my greatest expectations!  Will do my best over the coming days to capture some of the highlights - pretty hard to do, since there were so many.

The person who keeps coming to mind is Anthony Hyatt, a wondrous violinist/fiddler, who kept the conference filled with the music of creativity.  How many workshops did he grace with his presence & talent?  As founder of Moving Beauty, Anthony plays for pediatric & cancer patients at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.  He's also co-director for the nonprofit Arts for the Aging program Quicksilver, a senior citizens improv dance company. Add to those accomplishments his role of master trainer for the National Center for Creative Aging & an instructor of a Dance for Parkinson’s class and you've got one much-sought-for fellow.  

So many things to look back on, so many to look forward to over the next four months - an Omega workshop in early August, then doing double duty in October, when I head back to D.C. for National Village Gathering (VtV Network), and up to the Rowe Conference Center in western Mass for a workshop on building coalitions.  

Much as I yearn to attend Sage-ing International's biennial conference out in Seattle at the end of August, must set it aside.  It was really hard, picking which conference to change from "to do" to "wish" - especially since this particular conference only happens every two years.  How difficult to choose between learning about "aging in place" initiatives (helping older people stay in their long-time homes) ~and~ gleaning deeper emotional  & spiritual insights into aging - oops! sage-ing.  

Alas, I learned from last week's conference that it is folly to stay a distance from a conference site.  It might eat up limited $$, but staying onsite is the wisest way to experience a conference.  I am so grateful to friends for letting me stay with them & will always appreciate getting to know them better, but traveling from suburban Virginia into D.C. left me physically drained.  So, goodbye Seattle; hello, Hilton Crystal City!

Turning away from what could have been to what is, am feeling marvelously blessed.  Such an abundance of fresh perspectives on the opportunities & fresh perspectives ONLY available in older age!  No time to weep for what might have been - too much to experience, too much to be done.

Looking back & looking ahead, am offering up here & now thanks to all the forces making this summer & fall a reality!