Intergenerational Wisdom: Talk Between the Generations
“But Zia, How Can Fascism Be on the Rise?”
My husband and I recently picked up our 24-year-old nephew, Giovanni, from Italy. He’s graduating with an economics degree, so on the drive home, he peppered us with questions about, well,
the economy and politics in the United States.
He also compared and contrasted the American experience with trends he’s seeing in Europe.
Then he asked:
“But Zia (Auntie) how can Fascism be on the rise? Kids just need to talk with their grandparents to learn what it was like. Then we won’t repeat those mistakes.”
I know!
And that is why I AM returning to my intergenerational work!
Sometimes the Call Comes Knocking
This winter, multiple women over the age of 80 asked me to [re]publish my Bridges work.
In case you didn’t know…before I went to the seminaries, I spent nearly 30 years bringing older adults and young people together in mutually beneficial programs.
I also trained teachers, staff in aging services, and others on why intergenerational relationships matter and how to create effective programs that bring generations together.
In short: intergenerational programs are a vaccination against ageism and a prescription for longevity.
This winter, I heard the call.
The Divine Echoes.
So, I asked others to pray with and for me.
One of my prayer partners led me to an editor, Dallas Woodburn, who had personally benefited from intergenerational programming—and whose participation had resulted in a lifelong friendship.
Another Divine Echo.
Bridges Is Coming Back!
I AM thrilled to say that before Christmas, I’ll be releasing my first book on the art and science of intergenerational engagement: Gather the Generations!
And soon after, all of the award-winning BRIDGES manuals, used by more than 35,000 people will be published again.
Want to know more?
35 Years of Bringing Generations Together
It’s the last day of September.
More than 40 governors have declared September Intergenerational Awareness Month!
And this autumn marks 35 years since I launched my career as an intergenerational specialist at a senior center and piloted the Bridges program. You can watch an overview of Bridges on YouTube!
That program has continued consecutively ever since—with the exception of COVID – and has been used across the United States.
35 years!
Generations of people meeting, listening, learning, laughing, and building relationships. Thriving!
Because intergenerational programs are a vaccination against ageism and prescription for longevity!
And I believe we need this work now more than ever.
PLEASE Talk With Someone in a Different Generation
So PLEASE take some time today—and in the coming days—to talk with someone from a different generation about Fascism, World War II, and democracy.
Don’t just talk.
Listen with your heart.
Speak your truth about your own experiences.
Ask questions.
Be curious.
And consider ending the conversation with gratitude—and with hopes for our world.
Because when we share stories across generations, we don’t simply learn about history.
We learn from one another. So the atrocities of history are not repated.
Remembering the Lessons of History
And here’s a 2016 interview that features my mentor, Dr. Ed Klugman, a Holocaust survivor.
The article concludes with this powerful exchange:
“Asked if we're seeing a turn toward what happened in Europe in the 1930s and '40s, Klugman takes a deep breath. ‘I hope not,’ he said.; But if we don't participate in democracy, you could get Fascism into this country.’
Preventing that, Klugman says, requires an appreciation of the freedoms afforded by this country.”
His words are a reminder that remembering history is not enough.
We have to talk about it – which is what Ed is doing in the photo with middle school students.
We have to listen to those who lived through it.
And we have to participate in building the kind of world we want to leave for the generations who come after us.
May it be so.
PS – Come Join Me on this Intergenerational Journey!
I’ll be presenting at the MCOA Senior Center Conference in October.
If you’d like more information, reach out!
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