Intergenerational Collaboration

After World War II, there was so much prosperity that it seemed like a grand idea for everyone to have his/her/their own everything. Suburbs grew fast. Many of us grew up in a single family home in the classic nuclear family. Suddenly everyone had air conditioning, and his/her/their own car, and nursing homes for elderly relatives.

“There is nothing you know that you haven’t learned from someone else. Everything in the world has been passed down…if you understand it as I do, mentoring becomes your true legacy. It is the greatest inheritance you can give to others. It is why you get up every day - to teach and be taught.” - John Wooden, “A Game Plan for Life”

The cultural symbolism of a potluck isn’t lost on organizational psychologists. We want to create workplaces where everyone symbolically brings what they cook best to the table, and we all are better off for it.

Integration or “to make whole” is a foundational part of wisdom. As we age, we realize that a compartmentalized life is a scattered life. We grow old, and we grow whole.

The Middle Age Millennial is making news! First, it was CNBC, with its focus on "Middle-Aged Millennials." Then, a recent column in the NY Times surveyed the same demographic under the title, "Millennials, the Data Says You're Middle-Aged. What Do You Say?"

I grew up in a household where we revered multigrain bread for its digestive benefits. In that same spirit of variety, a growing number of us seem to be appreciating multi-gen households for their collaborative benefits.

I loved my recent Canadian Rockies and Pacific Northwest vacation, especially amidst a scorching heat wave. Hiking an average of 15-20,000 steps a day in the lush tree canopy woke me up in all kinds of ways, with nature as my inspiring teacher.

A new study has been released under the title of this blog post that should remind society why elderhood is an important life stage, not just to those of us entering it, but to society as a whole.

Inscribed over the University of Colorado Library entrance is this quote by Dr. George Norlin, former president of the University. It’s an etched-in-stone reminder that the power of cross-generational connection and collaboration could genuinely improve the world.