Coastal Carolina

As I reflect on life-long learning during my sabbatical, I am also spending time with family and friends.  I am currently visiting with my sister and her husband in South Carolina.  It has been my home base as I visited universities in North and South Carolina.  My visit coincides with a serious injury and hospitalization of my brother-in-law.  I am trying to be a supportive guest as my brother-in-law deals with the pain and frustration and my sister tries to figure out how to be most helpful.  It is an amazing dance we do with our families.  It helps that we are sure that underlying all the efforts is unconditional love.  Even though there are mishaps, anxiousness and anger, we are truly trying the best we can.  What else can we ask of our loved ones?

In my visit to Coastal Carolina University, I learned that the university has a 30 year history of offering life-long learning to people over 50.  They have three sites all run by one director who I had to ask if she ever slept.  She is clearly here to serve and loves working in this program.  Her biggest budget item is the promotion of the program so that when and if the funding is cut that the word of mouth from attendees of the programs will be all the promotion she needs in the future.  She is warm, welcoming and inclusive of everyone who enters the program.

In my discussions about ageism experienced at Coastal Carolina, they said that it does happen.  However, in South Carolina, over 50% of the population is over 50.  The baby boomers are here or coming in large numbers.  According to the Director, we "boomers" attacked every other "ism" we may as well bust ageism.