Minneapolis for a lifetime? Debatable

I recently attended my first Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Aging meeting. I am convinced that in the city of Minneapolis elders/seniors don't exist. There is such a thing as the "Minneapolis for a Lifetime: Age Friendly Action Plan," but from what I can tell it's no more than words on paper. Currently this committee meets the second Thursday of each month, 1-3 p.m. in the Trinity Room at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Anyone can show up at these meetings as a guest.  Members of this committee are appointed  through their member of the city council or by the mayor. By designation, Minneapolis is an Age Friendly City, but is it really? What do you think dear reader? As an elder do you exist in the city of Minneapolis? Tell yourself, tell others or tell me via tesha@tmcpub.com.

Elders/seniors – from what I can tell – seem to have two (maybe three) allies on the city council – those being Andrea Jenkins, Emily Koske and maybe Aurin Chowdhury. Turns out I know two of the committee members, those being Shelly Jacobson from my Ward 12 who I know through Longfellow Seward Healthy Seniors, and Ella Dean Wikstrom from Ward 11 who I know through the Minneapolis Regional Retirees Councitl (AFL-CIO). Elders/seniors need to start showing up at these meetings if they want Minnapolis to be for a Lifetime by actually being age friendly. The committee is housed within the Department of Neighborhood and community relations, and is staffed by Christina Kendrick and chaired by Angeligue Kingsbury who is appointed by the Mayor.

And if you have read this far you have taken the plunge into the river (flow) of life experiences that is Stories and Journeys.

 

When I was offered the opportunity to write Stories and Journeys just over 2.5 years ago, I sought the  blessing of two people: those being my brother, Richard Hammen and DeWayne Townsend. They are both deceased. Today, I get the blessings of you, dear reader.

I was honored on Saturday, July 13 when I received a text message from Marcea, DeWayne's wife, which reads: "Can I get you to speak immediately following DeW's service? It would be in the church community room where tea and crumpets will be served." My response was: "What service? When? Sure I can speak." That triggered my creative process that kicks in when I write Stories and Journeys. This was a hard speech to write because I was processing my own feelings of grief through the process of writing. During a phone conversation with Marcea I gave her an overview of what I was writing. She gave me a thumbs up and said take all the time you want to deliver it. 

To shorten up this story. I show up at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in south Minneapolis.  As I was walking toward the sanctuary I looked toward the Community Room. There was no evidence this space was set up for me or anyone else to speak. Technical impossibility perhaps. At the bottom of the order of worship I read the following words: "Following the service, friends are invited to join in the community room at the rear of the sanctuary for sweet treats and conversation." Nothing about speakers. I start to do what I call an "energetic shift" toward sweet treats and conversation in the community room.

 I  make a conscious decision to give Marcea a copy of the speech that I did before leaving. I look around for sweet treats and conversation. I found both. There are PowerPoint pictures featuring DeWayne at different stages and situations in his life playing on a screen in the front of the room. There were conversations with my former Ward 12 City Council Member Andrew Johnson, my Holy Trinity Meals on Wheels drivers, and Bill Miller, former executive director of the Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program. 

When I get home I'm asking myself, what do I do with a speech written but not delivered. I invited the spirit of DeWayne into my house. With his spirit present, I delivered it. I then decided it was good enough to put on file and incorporate in a column some day.

I imagine that DeWayne and my brother are resonating with the last words I remember my brother speaking to me before he died: KEEP WRITNG!