CONNECTING: Did you go “over the right and through the woods to
grandmother’s house” for the Thanksgiving holiday? If so, we have
plans for your weekend!

Instead of watching the football games on TV or sleeping on the
couch, try talking to each other – especially the generations
separated the most by age and physical distance.

In a release, the Cooperative Extension Service tells us about
the isolation which probably has the most effect on the oldest
people in our society but can have an impact on other generations
as well.

Here’s what its experts had to say: “Life expectancy in the
United States has increased 28 years since 1900 and continues
upward. The number of Americans over 65 will double by 2030. Other
nations are aging even faster.”

“As Americans plan to live longer, special interests are
segregating people by age. If we do not connect generations through
understanding, each generation will build defenses for battle. You
can see the beginning of this as seniors cross the street to avoid
the group of teenagers approaching their direction.”

Here are some of the ideas they passed along to bridge that
gap:

* Visit an assisted-living complex or nursing home – over 60
percent of nursing home residents get fewer than 1 visit per
year.

* Research your family genealogy.

* Connect with family members of a different generation in
person, or by phone, letters or e-mail.

* Reach out to a neighbor of a different generation.

* Volunteer or give to an organization which promotes
intergenerational activities.

* Work on your financial and estate plan considering
intergenerational transfers.

* Gather and celebrate with members of different
generations.

AND ALSO: Don’t wait until it’s too late to think, gee, I wish I
had asked Dad what he did in World War II. Do it now. Or ask
grandpa about his early days in the oilfield. Ask grandma about her
hardships during the Depression.

These things are called oral histories. You don’t have to get
fancy, just sit down, pen in hand, and ask an older relative about
their life in the “old days.” What did they do before TV was
invented? What were the styles of clothing? How much money did they
make?

You get the picture. Now get started.