Reading and talking about growing and aging

FLORIDA — The Florida Public Library has joined forces with the New York Council for the Humanities to offer "Growing and Aging," a monthly reading and discussion series for adults.

The five-session series begins Thursday, March 6, at 6 p.m. with an informal coffee house for participants to meet, collect reading materials and greet local scholar Gail Bates who will lead the discussions.

Bates, a retired adjunct instructor on the Sociology of Aging at Ramapo College of New Jersey, is also a former director of adult programs at two agencies in New Jersey.

Using materials provided by the Council for the Humanities, attendees will read and discuss a variety of thematically linked texts that focus on how to create satisfaction in one’s later years.

'Third age'
Literature on aging shows a new shift in the development of a third stage of life for ages 55 and up. This “third age” provides time for exploration of a new purpose, a new career, volunteering and/or travel.

These new opportunities often dovetail with the challenges of caring for one’s health and the health of aging parents.

“Through reading funny poems and short essays of various aging topics, we hope participants will gain an awareness and optimistic view of the contributions one can make in our families and communities in our later years,” librarian Terry Numa said. “We’ll be using literature as a springboard for discussion one idea, the aging process, from a variety of perspectives.”

Essential information
Each session kicks off with an informal coffee house meet and greet at 6 p.m. where specialty coffees and desserts will be available.

Discussion follows at 6:30 p.m.

The series continues on Thursdays:

March 20.
April 17.
May 15.
June 5.

Adults of all ages are invited to sign up online at www.floridapubliclibrary.org or by telephone at 845-651-7659.