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The return of The Geezer Forum

by PAUL GRAVES Contributing Writer
| May 14, 2022 1:00 AM

In a December 2021 Dear Geezer column, I announced that The Geezer Forum was going on an extended break. In the months since, I have been humbled and pleased to learn that people keep missing the Geezer Forum. In recent weeks, in fact, it seems more people ask me when the forum will return. And I can now say that The Geezer Forum will return in the Fall.

At this point, I still don’t know if it will look the same as our traditional format. That remains to be determined. The one forum I’m sure will happen is the Medicare enrollment session. It will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

But that is the only forum scheduled at this moment. What the Geezer Forum will look like in the fall – and beyond – is not up to (only) me. There will be a Geezer Forum planning group. And that’s where you can be of great service.

After my December announcement, a number of people approached me to offer support for a group-planning effort. But I didn’t take names. I simply enjoyed knowing folks were supportive. Now, I want to take names.

If you are interested in helping plan future Geezer Forums that will begin next fall, please contact me in person or through my contact information at the end of this column. I’ve set a first meeting for us – Tuesday, May 24, 10:30 a.m. at Tango Café.

My hope for that May 24 meeting is that we will identify many topics that could become vital, helpful Geezer Forums through 2022 and into 2023. Additionally, I hope we will explore what form(s) the Geezer Forums might take in the future that could expand ways to give older adults new reasons to embrace the idea of being geezers-in-training. Never stop learning, folks.

A teaser example: A few weeks ago, I had a spontaneous conversation with an elder in his early 80s. Our visit morphed into a notion that perhaps local elders 80 years and older might gather to explore ways we can share our age-related wisdom with younger generations. Hmm, perhaps that could be a “Geriatric Plan B.”

If you want to take part in some fashion on our new planning group, please let me know whether you can sit down with us on May 24. If you can’t, but still want to be part of the planning, let me know that also.

Paul Graves, M.Div., is Lead Geezer-in-Training for Elder Advocates, a consulting ministry on aging issues. Contact Paul at 208-610-4971 or elderadvocates@nctv.com.