Seniors––Libraries of Information

Do you ever pick the brain of a person a generation or two ahead of you? I had a professor back in school who said senior citizens are like libraries, vessels of endless information just waiting to be tapped. I find this to be very true.

Consider this, many seniors have lived through the Great Depression, so they understand economic hardships. They’ve loved and they’ve lost, so they know the highs and lows of the heart. They’ve been involved in armed conflicts and lonely home fronts, so they appreciate life and understand sacrifice.

That’s a lot of living. It stands to reason, seniors have an impressive resume of life experiences to share.

Here at Vantage, we have our Alumni Club for members 50 years of age and over. I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved with a number of trips the credit union sponsors for this group each year. We’ve watched eagles near Pere Marquette State Park, took in holiday light displays at The Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, learned about Abe Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, and other popular activities.

Each of these trips brings a new opportunity not only for our senior members to meet and mingle, but also for a few Vantage employees to meet and talk with members with additional life experience. I count myself lucky to be able to visit with these “libraries.” I’m always amazed at how in touch they are with the changing ways of society.

Yes, many people born before computers and cell phones are aware of the technology! Despite stereotypes, members of our Great Generation are in tune with today’s technical innovations. They’re very “with it.”

In a recent survey of seniors 100 years of age and older, it was found one in ten send e-mails. Twelve percent share photos over the Internet. Twenty-five percent use a cell phone at least once a week, and four percent even reported downloading music from the Internet. Don’t forget, these are people 100 years old and older! It’s reported 60 percent of Americans ages 50-64 surf online.

Many of our older members take advantage of our online account management. From checking their balances online to paying bills automatically, these members are right in step with all the technical innovations Vantage offers.

Knowing all this, my advice today is simple; before you dismiss a senior as hopelessly out of touch with today’s technology, ask him/her for an e-mail address. Even better, sit down and open the door to their vast wealth of life experience. You just may learn something!