Active Aging
Ideas for living a purposeful life
by Stacey Mason
Active Aging is sponsored by the Stockbridge Area Senior Center, so what better time and place to introduce myself to the wider community than in this month’s column.
My name is Stacey Mason and I’m your new director of the Stockbridge Area Senior Center. I have worked in the Mid-Michigan area for over 25 years, first with the unhoused and eventually finding my way to serving (we’ll get back to this word) older adults at Tri-County Office on Aging in 2009. There I served as the coordinator of the Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program. I then continued to serve older adults at a senior-subsidized apartment complex as their service coordinator. After working direct-service and middle-management positions, I was ready for a change.
On a personal note, I’m married to my wonderful husband, Mike, and between us we have three grown kids and six grandchildren. We live about five miles west of town, in the home we bought in 2020.
I want to thank everyone—from the senior center members, to the board members, the business owners and all those I’ve met in the community—for your incredibly warm welcome. I feel privileged to be chosen to lead the Stockbridge Area Senior Center!
Why did I choose purpose as a focus this month? Let’s look at the word “purpose.” My favorite definition is from the “Collins English Dictionary” (online):
Purpose
transitive verb
- to set as an aim, intention, or goal for oneself
- to intend; design
- to resolve (to do something)
So what does it mean to live with purpose?
Think about what gets you up and moving each day. Do you get up with a purpose? Are you designing your days to be what you want? Often, people speak of retirement along the lines of “I can’t wait to play golf, go out to lunch, shop, or hang out with friends.” Then they retire and discover friends are busy, joints hurt too much for golf, and they’re not as excited as they thought they’d be about eating out or shopping.
Regardless of whether these specific activities are of interest to you, I think you get what I’m saying. You can choose to age passively, without daily purpose, or you can set about designing your retirement in a purposeful way.
But how?
Ask yourself a few questions: What’s important to me? What resources are available to me?
Think about your values. Are you close to family? Do you want more adventures? Do you like to be of service?
The good news is, you can find many ways to be purposeful at the Stockbridge Area Senior Center! Make the most of socialization, health classes, free lunch, crafts, and a variety of informational presentations. Come explore your senior center to help find your daily dose of purpose!
As for me, a few years back at a leadership training I attended, we were required to write out a statement of purpose. I wrote this: To be of service with grace and grit. And my purpose statement still resonates with me and gets me going every day!
Food for thought: What’s your purpose statement?
The new director of the Stockbridge Area Senior Center, Stacey Mason, chooses to live a purposeful life. Photo provided by Stacey Mason
Stacey Mason is the director of the Stockbridge Area Senior Center (SASC)—a great place to spend time. Visit stockbridgeareaseniors.org or call 517-480-0353 for information.
