Much loved local resident Margaret-Anne Hayes has given us an insight into the Vintage Models that greatly contribute to society.
In ancient and modern non-Western societies, the aged, the ancient, the elderly, are venerated, revered, and admired for their wisdom and their years of experience.
They are not seen as a drain on the country’s finances, or as selfish hoarders of bedrooms by refusing to sell their homes to the younger generation who are finding it so hard with current interest rates to buy their own homes. (When we bought our first home 66 years ago the interest rate was 18.8 per cent).
Those born from the 1930’s to the 1950’s did not have life as easy as those wishing to turf them out of their homes. They lived through the Great Depression, then World War II and an Australia getting back on its feet after the war with the heartbreaking loss of so many lives.
In the depression so many families struggled, then during the war rationing made life difficult for many. As Australia got on its feet, there was a huge shortage of building materials, so many families lived in generational homes, newlyweds, parents, grandparents.
With PTSD not recognised or even understood, many of the ex-servicemen struggled, trying to wipe away the horrors with alcohol which led to a lot of domestic violence.
We have just celebrated the 100th birthday of the wonderful Sir David Attenborough, born in 1926, who lived through this time and who has offered so much to society. Whilst not quite as fabulous as Sir David, older Australians have so much to offer society as well as, like him, continuing to set high goals. Actors appear in theatre and in films into their 90’s, researchers, scientists, writers, just keep doing what they have always done.
In my own small circle, there are two Professors in their middle to late 80’s, both still working, writing books, mentoring. Of my three 91-year-old friends, one runs an exercise group twice a week, one is, and has been for 45 years, secretary of her body corporate, and one still drives regularly to the country, four hours from Sydney. Of my Octogenarian friends, one still chairs Federal and State Government organisations; others cook for the homeless, organise their local district U3A, where they often lecture. Some run mothers and baby groups, teach ethics in schools, volunteer to garden ‘for the elderly’ (!); teach yoga, Pilates, computer studies, craft, cooking, and/or are valuable contributors on various committees.
In my suburb, the local Uniting church has held a twice-yearly ‘Flea Market’. For the past 44 years. In that time, over one and a half million dollars has been raised to support local, state, national and overseas grass-roots charities. Apart from a handful of ‘youngsters’ in their 50’s and 60’s, the majority of those involved in this wonderful event are well over 70 with many of us well into our 80’s and that’s not to forget our three 90 year-olds. Over two days of unpacking and sorting and an action-packed market itself, those who are in the autumn, if not the winter of their lives, not only have the best, fabulous, time with laughter paramount, but create a building filled with beautiful, weird, unusual, rare, crazy objects, all of which find new loving homes, stay out of landfill and create new memories.
All of this brings me to those who I think hold the country together — aged volunteers. Look around you and at every corner you turn there will be an older volunteer. In hospitals, schools, charities and not- for-profit organisations; retirement villages, nursing homes, universities; teaching English as a foreign language; in science, law, the arts; in theatre, music, sport. In every facet of life in Australia you will find an ‘aged’ volunteer. If on one designated day, at a certain time, every volunteer in Australia downed tools and stopped what they are doing the country would literally fall apart, I have absolutely no doubt about that.
So next time you are talking to an ancient, enjoy their wisdom, you may find it fascinating and certainly not boring.
By Margaret-Anne Hayes OAM
About Margaret-Anne
Margaret-Anne has raised over half a million dollars for cancer research and for those affected by drought, fire, poverty, homelessness, and domestic violence. She did the first of three half marathons at 68; jumped out of a plane twice in her mid-70’s; shaved her hair; organised balls, live auctions and dozens of fundraising events.
She is a motivational speaker, a recycle queen, gardener, cook, and a passionate volunteer at the Turramurra Uniting Church Flea market. She plans to jump out of a plane again on her 90th birthday, continuing to raise funds for research into Pancreatic and Bile Duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) and to assuage homelessness in older women. She has been writing a book, ‘Older but DEFINITELY Not Invisible’, for quite a while, but is only up to the second chapter.