From Age-ing to Sage-ing

Then what are elders?

They are wisdomkeepers

they are pioneers in consciousness

Serving as mentors,

they pass on the distilled essence

of their life experience

–Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.

Rabbi Zalman who passed away at the age of 90 was a City Club Honorary Member. One of the things that made Reb Zalman unique was his commitment to living it, instead of preaching it. He was fully alive because he was able to face his mortality, and learn from it; he strived to morph from age-ing to sage-ing.

What’s your plan for aging? Since none of us take any of it with us, how are you planning to give back? Do you get frustrated reading the morning paper, or are you taking an active leadership role in society, however small, to make a difference?

When I first bought and renovated Highland, I used to be angry, all the time, about the transients living in our backyard and littering Boulder Creek. Since the situation was untenable, and I had no power to change it, I decided to change my perspective by “adopting" the section of the creek between Highland and Eben G. Fine Park.

Every day, or as often as I could depending on the season, I took a brisk walk along the creek to get my exercise, inhale fresh air, bathe in negative ions, pick up litter, see the homeless and say, “for the grace of god, that would be me.” 

Over the past 40 years, my attitude of gratitude, and my ability to do something to maintain and beautify Boulder Creek, however small, has changed my life and made Boulder Creek Linear Park one of Boulder’s Jewels.

But once again the current pandemic and its economic impact has turned Boulder Creek into a combination of Boulder’s homeless shelter, transient holding pen, sanitarium, and a drug den. As I am now older, and hopefully wiser, instead of getting angry, I roll up my sleeves to see what we can do to address the pain and suffering many of us are feeling, especially our homeless population who continue to live miserably and die violently outdoors.

— Sina.