God, I love Miriam. She knows what life is. There was fun to be had at the first place, and the second place was a living hell. The problem with places like this is that they create a little world, cut off from reality. It's waiting for death in as comfortable a way as possible. You contribute nothing. You exist only to give yourself pleasure, all the while a ticking clock sounds in the background. You exercise your body, but let your mind rot. Tomorrow is the same as today, and the same as yesterday. I'd rather be dead.
Post script I'm so glad Miriam found America gave her something after that terribke experience in Palm Beach County. It is ironic that America gave her hope regarding the aging process since in America there is NO respect for older people. I always remember when I was in my thirties meeting an English woman on the bus in San Francisco and she said that she & husband, after being in America for several decades, would definitely be returning to England to retire because the English respected older people, unlike Americans.. I NEVER forgot that but-- having said that-- the largest generation ever --until the Millennials-- is the post WWII boomer generation and as they age, they have decided to "not go gentle into that good night" [ Dylan Thomas]. It is NOT easy as Americans are addicted to youth the way some are addicted to cocaine, but they persevere and live out the adage: u r ONLY as young as u feel, or I would add-- as u think u r. I think Rosemary got that. She seems so much lighter than when they started their journey in India. They ALL seem lighter and happier and more hopeful and dare I say --younger-- in the true sense of tbe word. Viva!!
Love Miriam and her group. I was, however, taken aback by only white people in the retirement communities and the man who was very adamant about having served in the military ardently supporting a draft dodger.
