While Barbara Riddle has been living in Maine only since the spring of 2020,
she brought with her an enthusiasm and energy beyond measure. Settling in
Millinocket, Riddle found a position with Americorps as an age-friendly
project coordinator and in March of 2020, two weeks before COVID-19 raged,
she closed on her house. She completely embraced her new home, getting
involved in everything Millinocket. She thrived on “the constant mix of
generations at the library.” She developed a 10-year “pandemic” time capsule,
engaging participants ages 11-80. She reached out to the Wabanaki citizens
helping them in their health and wellness center and their Gathering Place,
and, with Americorps, helped people find their new occupations. “I like feeling
useful,” Riddle admits. “I feel like my presence adds something here, unlike,
say, St. Pete,” her previous home. “I need to make something of my life.
Whatever I have chosen, I find the positive aspects and make it work.” Riddle
learned from her mother to dream big! “But follow-through is critical. Don’t
just talk about how you’re going to do something someday. Don’t talk about it
till your doing it.”

The call for increased civic engagement and strengthened social connection
was recently made by the Surgeon General of the U.S., Vivek Murthy, who has
introduced a three-part framework to address loneliness in this country, as
about half of Americans are experiencing loneliness at any given time, and
social disconnection can lead to an increased risk of mental health and
physical issues in addition to premature death. As he stated, social
connection must be a priority and “will require reorienting ourselves, our
communities, and our institutions to prioritize human connection and healthy
relationships.” Maintaining social connections through civic engagement that
aims to make our communities more livable can result in safer, more walkable
streets and age-friendly housing and transportation options; increased access
to needed services; and opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to
lead active, healthy, and engaged lives. Age friendly communities tap into
the wisdom and experience of older residents to develop strong communities
for people of all ages. One way that communities structure their efforts to
become more age-inclusive is by joining the AARP Network of Age-Friendly
States and Communities. Almost 100 Maine communities are members of the
AARP Network

“Maine is a great place to live,” John Lewis proclaims. “My mornings include
regular visits to the Camden Deli, where I meet up with the other folks of
the coffee group.” Sure, they may talk about what’s going on in the town, or
steam engines, but the topics Lewis, the oldest member, prefers to discuss
are ideas with which this lawyer/ordained deacon can disagree. Lewis
continues, “What’s nice about Maine small towns is the opportunity to
stumble into people to talk to. If you’re in Houston, you have to develop
a plan to have a conversation and you never get outside. Or if you do, you
drive in your air-conditioned car from one air-conditioned building
to another.”

Human beings are social animals. The importance of having a robust social
network cannot be overstated in guarding against the risk of becoming
socially isolated and lonely. The first line of defense almost always is
going to be family, friends, and neighbors. When these informal supports are
scarce, then local organizations can provide social support, create a buffer
against stress, and increase your access to resources. Even before the COVID
outbreak, Americans were unfortunately found to be living more isolated lives
than ever before, with as many as 43% of adults 60 years of age and older in
the U.S. reporting feeling lonely. The negative consequences of isolation
and loneliness are not to be taken lightly. Living an isolated life has been
likened to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It is associated with heightened
levels of psychological distress and a greater risk of being abused,
neglected and exploited, hospitalized, falling, and having reduced access to
critical health and social support services. Isolated and lonely older adults
exhibit significantly higher illness and death rates than the general
population. Sustaining any and all avenues for expressions of caring, concern
and social support is critical for preserving the health, safety, and
well-being of older adults. None of us are totally independent.

Kaye-Schiess check off multiple boxes of the opportunities and issues facing
older adults. They each drive regular routes for Meals on Wheels and both
are involved in the local Quaker community (where Pat serves as treasurer).
“Completing the EMT course was probably the hardest thing I ever did,”
says Rick, “but I was able to work for the fire department for five years.”
Pat’s mom needed their help while both Pat and Rick were still working, with
their three young teenagers at home. Then after they had retired, Rick’s
parents needed support. Thus, they work at maintaining an active and healthy
lifestyle to remain independent. “We feel really good that we were able to
care for our own parents, but also realize the work and the stress that
such caregiving creates,” says Rick.

What does productive or successful aging mean? The popular and professional
literature offers a myriad of sometimes conflicting answers to this question.
Some perspectives emphasize the importance of health, mental acuity,
independence and vigor. Avoiding the major diseases associated with old age
is key for others. Still others visualize taking advantage of opportunities
that make life meaningful, such as engaging in service and leadership
activities or remaining gainfully employed as being critical. And, still others
maintain vital aging is centered around an adaptive and flexible coping style
and resilience in the face of challenges. Increasingly, a strengths-based
perspective on what a productive and satisfying (i.e., vital) old age means
is being observed. Such a perspective is much less about whether you are free
of disability and disease or about your physical and functional capacity, and
much more about determining how you personally choose to remain active,
engaged, and socially connected. We are coming to realize that the ways in
which we pursue such a lifestyle is inevitably going to be
individually determined.

Brian Catell started his working career as a professional musician. About
1978, with the encouragement of Dr. Dick Jacobs, a UMaine professor of
clarinet, Catell became interested in piano technology and that has remained
his passion from 1978 to the present. He was allowed to apprentice at Viner
Music in Bangor, where he learned everything he could. Then his university
contacts nominated him for the Steinway training program where he could learn
from the best and Steinway would pay all expenses. He proudly admits that tuned
the Collins Center for the Arts’ Steinway for every piano performance since
their opening in 1986. I want to thank CCA Director Danny Williams for the
trust he has always put in me,” he says. Catell maintains a challenging
philosophy in living a positive life - “You shoot for perfection, you settle
for excellence.” He is grateful for his supportive wife, Lorraine, who also
serves as his business manager. And he has Jimmy Winters who started with
Catell about 20 years ago when he was 14, now taking on more and more. “It is
the tremendous support of both a strong professional network and personal
relationships that has always helped me succeed in life, continuing to
this day.”

No one is an island unto themselves. The stiff upper lip mentality that too
many of us grew up being taught and ultimately believing is actually flawed
and fraught with danger. For men, especially, this urge to tough it out
remains strong, perhaps especially when they reside in small towns and rural
communities like those in Maine. Too many men are infrequent beneficiaries
of help and support offered by relatives and community organizations. The
urge to go it alone, whether motivated by male stoicism, or a desire to retain
control, results in men seeking and accepting less help from others. This, of
course, can have negative consequences for their health and well-being.
Overcoming these traditional views and traditions when it comes to managing
the demands of daily living and growing older is a worthy journey for all of us to undertake.