When I entered like the story sharing conversation I was paired off with a senior by myself, some people were in pairs. I didn’t know exactly what we were going to talk about because I didn’t know how much I would have related to them. And I didn’t know if I could keep up conversation. But the sheet that we were given to help us with conversation, I didn’t even look at it once, I felt like I could carry on the conversation. 

We actually connected over a lot of things, one thing being cruises and traveling and stuff I love. I love how they have future plans because it goes to show that they don’t really stop life because they are old… you have to keep on living. I really liked that they had a lot to say and I had a lot to say to them and that’s why I kind of found it exhilarating.

This project definitely had me be more attentive to people and more aware that there’s different people in the world, young and old and different cultures. I feel like nowadays we don’t really take the time to listen anymore. I feel like this project had us listening to each other for the first time and I think that’s what a lot of us really miss in our lives. We really need to have someone that’s there to hear us out and help us out and not just fix things but actually be with us. And I really liked feeling like I was being heard and also making them feel heard and feeling how they felt the positivity in that.  

I would say drumming is definitely a part of wellness. It makes me feel powerful in a way because when I play the drum I hear that low resonance and I feel like I’m releasing some kind of power. And I love feeling that whenever I play I know it’s also like an emotional release. When I play the base sound I feel it in my chest. It calls to attention a feeling that is deep down that I don’t usually connect with on a daily basis. I feel the power in me and all the potential that I don’t usually get to display.

I would definitely recommend that other communities try this, to connect seniors to the youth whether it be teenagers or even younger youth children because I feel like we if we start at a young age to connect with older people and hear their stories and their wisdom that could be of value to us.