There are many reasons people may wear masks. They may be worn to present ourselves in ways that are socially acceptable or to shield ourselves from inspection. The reasons for wearing a mask are plentiful and the results can be both helpful and harmful. Mental illness can also be a mask; it can mask who we are. It can be a painful mask to wear and a painful mask to take off. The mask of mental illness can separate the wearer from the outside world but removing it can be difficult. When we remove the masks of mental illness, we find people underneath: people who have names; people who have characteristics beyond their mental illness because they aren’t defined by that illness. How do we remove these masks that are often tight and suffocating? An important first step is introspection. When we take a long, hard look at who we are—not what condition we’re dealing with but who we are as people—we can identify and embrace our many strengths. When we can come to accept our whole selves, we can remove the mask that makes us feel hidden, even rejected.
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My love for old people began when I was a kid. In our culture as Filipinos, we believe that old people should be respected at all times. I can easily recall running into my grandparents and kiss them on the forehead or put our forehead on their hand as what we call “mano po”, as a sign of respect. Even up to now, this is true whenever we see old people we know, a family member or a stranger we’ve met for the first time. Of course it is different in every culture. Given that, I’m always fascinated about the fact that my understanding of old age may be different in another country. When I was young, when someone talks to me about old people, all I can think about are those people like my grandparents, age 60 years old or more. But when I was getting older myself, I realized that getting old is not just about the number. Getting old can mean a lot of things. I believe that when you are more mature, your priorities are changed. This is can be true with old people. When you are old, your beliefs and values begin to shift and your priorities are different. You wish for valuable experiences more than anything else. You value special occasions and you wish you were with your family, than getting material things as a present. The time spent with your family is the most valuable to you, because you don’t see them very often. Furthermore, I truly enjoy talking to old people, absorbing their stories, and receiving profound advice that my young mind can hardly grasp yet. It’s something that makes me happy. I do believe there is a lot we can learn from this genuine appreciation and gratitude for simple social interaction. Especially now, working as a Nursing Attendant in a retirement home ignited my love for the old people. It all goes back to where I first started interacting with old people: senior luncheons. As a NA now, my job is to help assist them on their ADLs and their daily meals. As I work there, I learn to appreciate simple things in life, about experiences the good and the bad. And one thing I realized is that, old people love conversations. In nursing talk, we have a diagnosis titled “risk for social isolation.” And this isn’t a risk that should be taken lightly. Loneliness has been found in studies to be a serious health risk, comparable to that of smoking cigarettes. And genuine friendships in older people have been found to increase resilience after being faced with adversity. We are actually stronger when we have people we can count on by our side. I believe that you can never be old if you don’t consider yourself old. Age is physical but feeling young is another, it is a mental thing. So whatever age someone qualifies as elderly (or old, or aged, or senior), it is up to him or her. I love old people. I think they are some of the coolest dudes and dudettes on the planet, and I will never get tired listening to their stories. They intrigue me, fascinate me, amuse me and teach me whenever I am around them. |
Kimberly AnneJust a personal blog about my life antics. Living my life at 22. Daughter/sister/traveler/soon to be RN! ArchivesCategories |