Persephone Arbour

Here is a letter from a friend of mine, Dan, whom I met on a plane. A man with extraordinary agility of mind. We do not always agree – but I always listen carefully to what he has to say and he has consistently encouraged me to write a book. This web-site is the nearest I have got so far! Persephone

I think there are enough beings out there who are pushing around words like conscious ageing, elders, wisdom, eldering, etc to offer the audience a thought to make it feel better about their condition. I think its a disgraceful approach. It starts with the depressing commentary: how old are you? instead of the romance language commentary: how many years have you completed? That question instills a powerful feeling of accomplishment. I know this for myself. In fact, when I am asked the former, my reply is: I will have completed 83 years in April.

I think that the “golden years” with kidney and prostate problems, hearing aids, macular degeneration, etc etc… is just another stage in the living process that starts with birth and is completed with death. With this awareness, the fear of dying disappears, and one is free to live happily and joyfully consistent with the capabilites of the mind and body.

What concerns me is the increasing number of young people who are flooding the meditation retreats, the guru retreats, the symposiums, the lectures, et al…… all looking for something that they think will be more meaningful. And, as you know from our presidential election, the word is “Change”. As to what the change is, remains a mystery. David Axelrod, who is now Obama’s senior advisor, masterminded the campaign with the advice that the people must like the candidate, and everything else will fall in place. He was right, and as the story goes, “we will see”.

And you are unique in having something powerful to offer. There are few who have gone thru the emotional impact of your experiences, from the time you got involved with your earliest idealistic adventures to the present day. Your readers would benefit from your willingness to share your ups and downs in a chronological narrative that has provided you with peace.