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Week #4
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A - Passions People and Their Passions - Passions THE ARTICLE WAS TYPED IN WORD Harry J. Getzov What is Eldercation? A precious treasure of untapped wisdom and information lies hidden within our aging population, waiting to be revealed. Such discovery can occur, however, only if we alter our thinking as to what it means to be an "elder" in our society. Historically, our culture has placed a premium on attributes like speed, youth and beauty, and such emphasis has subsequently clashed head-on with our images of senior citizens. And yet, as baby boomers gray in the coming years and the generational landscape shifts dramatically, the time is right for an important conceptual transformation. It's time to change the way we think about aging and older people. Fifteen years ago while still working in New York City as an entertainment attorney and artist manager, Harry J. Getzov made a decision that would inevitably change his life's direction. A longtime fan and student of Studs Terkel's oral history works, he decided to try a little experiment that would allow him to pursue a rediscovered passion. "I loved spending time with older people," Harry states, "so I simply started to visit with them in my spare time. I began initially with family, friends, neighbors and business colleagues who then eagerly referred me to their family and friends. And I have been visiting with seniors ever since - lots of them." As Harry travels around the country, he visits with, and interviews, men and women from all walks of life - all of them over the age of 70. A short series of core questions serves as a conversation jump-off point, allowing respondents to talk freely about lessons learned and wisdom gained, as well as share their feelings about aging. To date, Harry has visited with over 1.600 people, including such distinguished individuals as Dr. Maya Angelou, Hugh Downs, Ernest Borgnine, Ernie Banks, Frankie Laine, Louise L. Hay, Jerry Vale, Bernie Brillstein, Earl Weaver, Dick Vitale, Ruth Harriet Jacobs, Len Dawson, Herb Jeffries, Arlene Bouras, Walt Bodine, Irving Fields, Lolo Sarnoff, Myron Kandel, Henry Miller, Norman Drucker, Marshall Berle, Sammy Shore and Chief Jay Strongbow. During her interview, Dr. Angelou took a moment to express the following about the project: "Your questions, your book, your work, your intent, are not only timely and important but gracious." It is important to note, however, that Eldercation is not focused merely on celebrity profiles. The majority of Harry's conversations are with people he meets in his everyday experience - a cook, tailor, nurse, pizza-maker, veteran, mother, father, bus driver, schoolteacher or retiree. This is the cornerstone of the project: inspired and inspiring conversation with older individuals from diverse backgrounds. "My goal is to present as wide of a spectrum as possible and I am interested in speaking with show business people, politicians, journalists, business leaders and athletes for reasons that go far beyond their so-called celebrity status," Harry likes to point out. "When people are 70, 80, 90, 100 years old, all pre-existing labels seem to lose their significance. People are simply . . . people. And that discovery paves the way for some terrific learning opportunities - providing us with a chance to gain insight about the extraordinary side of growing older." If you would like more information about Eldercation, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]. All contents © 2003 - 2013 by Eldercation, Inc. Harry J. Getzov visits with older people - lots of them. Building on his genuine love for listening to and learning from people in individual and small group settings, Mr. Getzov visits and writes about his experiences with senior citizens from all walks of life as part of the Eldercation® project he created in the early 1990`s. A hobby turned career, Eldercation® was born out of Mr. Getzov`s long-standing passion for tapping into this precious sector of our society. Prior to developing Eldercation®, Mr. Getzov worked as an attorney in the music and entertainment businesses, first as Vice President of Business Affairs at Atlantic/Select Records and then as a solo practitioner, where he counseled artists in the music, theatre, literary, television and motion picture industries. Mr. Getzov also served as personal manager for several well-known entertainers, including such renowned acts as The Jerky Boys. Under Mr. Getzov`s guidance and leadership, The Jerky Boys achieved international success in the music and comedy businesses, selling millions of albums and videos as well as starring in their own major Disney motion picture. The Jerky Boys were twice nominated for Grammy Awards as "Best Spoken Word" recording artists. As the music business transformed in the late 1990`s, Mr. Getzov decided to shift the focus of his law practice more to elder and estate planning issues. While continuing his volunteer work with senior citizens, he chose to return to his undergraduate sociology roots by taking courses at the Brookdale Center On Aging in New York City. "I knew it was time to go with my heart and surrender to the simple truth that I enjoyed listening to elders telling their stories a hell of a lot more than I enjoyed constructing revocable living trusts and counting their money for them. It was time for a change." In addition to a Degree of Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia, Mr. Getzov obtained a Bachelors Degree from Boston University`s College of Liberal Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied at the Brookdale Center On Aging of Hunter College in New York City. Harry J. Getzov is admitted to the practice of law in the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is a member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association. Mr. Getzov speaks frequently to classrooms as well as public and private audiences about Eldercation® and intergenerational learning. For More Information: www.Eldercation.com YouTube The American Perspective is a cutting edge national radio program that is full of inspiration and information which airs on The SOP Radio Network. It`s intended to help people succeed in life. Each week the American Perspective features celebrity guests from around the nation such as Zig Ziglar, Maya Angelou, Yolanda King, Billy D. Williams, Tony Little, Mark Victor Hansen, Dean Koontz, Dave Ramsey and many many more. To Find out more about Judyth Piazza and The American Perspective: www.judythpiazza.com www.thesop.org ht. |
