PREFACE
Seniors have been through so much and have endless wisdom to share with the world. Through our Senior Storytelling podcast, an initiative of the Elderly Embrace Care Network, we hope to preserve and share their beautiful stories for the rest of the world to hear.
MR. HILDENBRAND'S STORY
Mr. Hildenbrand (Hildy) was our first ever Senior Storytelling interviewee, and he was a wonderful teacher I had the privilege of learning from last year. He shares wonderful stories and advice with us students each day, and I interviewed him for this podcast in August. He has had an eventful life and inspires so many people. His love of life (and cars, of course!) is apparent, and he has such a lively spirit that never fails to make me smile.
When asked if there is a decade of his life that he would relive, he said that he is happy where he is now, and he insightfully stated that you should not let yourself become overwhelmed by regret as you may become trapped in the past. Throughout the interview, he encouraged youth to never underestimate themselves and let doubts prevent them from doing things they hope to do. Here is one of my favorite quotes from Mr. Hildy during his interview:
"You can do pretty much anything if you try, you just have to figure out how." - Mr. Hildenbrand
MRS. MEANS' STORY
Mrs. Means was our second Senior Storytelling interviewee, and she was interviewed by Reagan, her granddaughter who is also a member of our organization's team. Mrs. Means was very open and honest throughout her interview. She shared lessons she hopes youth will learn, regrets she has from her younger days, and an uplifting message for seniors. She has experienced so much and hopes that other people, especially youth, can learn from her.
Throughout her interview, her love of family and life are very clear, and her laughter is contagious. One of her messages to youth is to stay true to yourself and never change who you are to who the people around you want you to be. She also explained that you should live in the present moment and not just sit there waiting to reach a certain point in your life. This is one of my favorite statements Mrs. Means made in her interview:
"Enjoy the here and now. Don't fritter away your youth saying I can't wait until.... " - Mrs. Means
THANK YOU FOR READING
I hope you have enjoyed reading this article, and if you would like to listen to the full podcast episodes, you can check them out here: anchor.fm/seniorstorytelling or on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other platforms. As always, please feel free to reach out to us at info.elderyembrace@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. We will surely get back to you as soon as we can.