“I don’t need anything new in life. This is what I do” I went to see my doctor the other day and I said, hey why did you call me in? He said, ‘I just like to talk to you.’ I said, “Man, I got stuff to do!” Ira Watkins is an artist. “It helps … Continued
“I still feel optimistic” My dream is to make it another five years, god willing. I just want a healthy future. Interview translated from Spanish Thanks to the programming and friends she’s met over the past several years at Mission Neighborhood Center in San Francisco, Rosa, 81, feels like she’s 15 years old. “This center … Continued
“To me, this is all a gift…” Freedom, freedom is a hard won thing. Every generation’s got to win it again. Hene, 77, has been advocating for the rights of older adults longer than she herself has been a member of the elder community. As a young woman, she campaigned for presidential hopeful John F. … Continued
“I didn’t think there was hope for me and I didn’t think I would live to see 63.” Today, on November 13, Sergio Flores has just turned 63. “I didn’t think there was hope for me and I didn’t think I would live to see 63,” he shares. “When I was diagnosed with HIV in … Continued
“I believe that things work out the way they are supposed to…” This could possibly be the best time of my life. Things don’t get to me the way it used to. I’ve seen enough. And I’ve seen everything at least twice. Eric, 65, joined the Senior and Disability Action network a few months ago … Continued
“To me, he’s my friend. I’ve never had a friend like that” Our grey hairs show the way our life went…what we did, what we saw… The calendar hanging in Marie Luna’s kitchen in her tidy one-bedroom apartment is full of names, numbers, times, and big x’s – she is booked straight through fall. Timothy, … Continued
She knows she isn’t alone here [Rosa’s] friendships at the Center have grounded her and offered her solace and happiness in a big, foreign-feeling city. In the years before Rosa, 85, joined the vibrant community at Mission Neighborhood Center on Capp Street, San Francisco, she was left at home alone while her daughter, with whom … Continued
“You don’t have to sit at home doing nothing! There are programs out there!” Keep your mind right. Try to get out. Gwen Thomas wants you to get up off the sofa and get out there. “There’s programs out there for people over 65,” she states. “You don’t have to sit at home doing nothing! … Continued
“I always do my research before I paint” I always do my research before I paint. I did a history of Peru. It’s huge. The art of Jenny Miller is detailed and idiosyncratic. Its colorful palette and intricate details – from type of material to custom text embedded in the works – shows the artist … Continued
“Respect yourself, so you are respected” I want to keep learning, and I want to keep communicating with the people here. Esperanza is from El Salvador and this interview was translated from a conversation in Spanish. After her divorce, Esperanza Salazar found herself at a crossroads. She had raised her children, supported her spouse, and … Continued