Kendal at Oberlin Blog

Concerts, plays and other artistic performances. Lectures by scientists, authors, civic and government leaders.  A state-of-the-art fitness center. Men and women from diverse ethnic, cultural, economic and sexual backgrounds. A 24/7 vibe. Sporting events.  A vibrant nearby town.

During her first week on campus, Sarah Dalgleish visited Kendal at Oberlin for Oberlin College’s annual day of service.

“A cool place with amazing people,” she thought.

Sarah’s interest in Kendal continued to grow, and as she looked for a topic for her Winter Term 2018 project, she decided to combine her interest in radio journalism with older adults.

No surprise, the market for books about older adults is big and growing.  

When we think about love, lots of images come to mind, from the serious to the small. We think about who we love, like our family and friends, including our furry four-legged ones, and what we love, such as walking along a sandy beach or indulging in our favorite sweet.

At their 50th reunion at Oberlin College in 2008, Louise Luckenbill greeted her old classmate, Harvey Culbert, with a hug and condolences for the death of his wife the previous year.

“Something clicked, and afterwards I emailed Louise saying, ‘Let’s stay in touch,’” says Harvey, who had moved to Kendal at Oberlin in 2002.  

One of the cornerstones of Kendal at Oberlin is a rich intergenerational atmosphere that provides residents with lots of opportunities to engage with younger generations.

Carl and Barbara Whitehouse visited Kendal at Oberlin and a half-dozen other life plan communities before deciding to make Kendal their new home. The couple knew little about Ohio, having spent their years in Vermont and Canada, and knew no one at Kendal.

Many of us enter old age with ageist untruths stuffed in our backpack.

Dementia. Falling.  Not if, but when.

Playing tennis, running, gardening, dancing. Now, but not for much longer.

Baby boomers have impacted the American cultural landscape ever since they began arriving in droves, beginning in 1946 and continuing through 1964.

One area of the landscape they definitely redefined was sex and sexuality.  Boomers had access to birth control pills, legalized abortion and no-fault divorce. Now as they reach their 70’s, these boomers are continuing to speak out about sexuality, with encouragement from men and women even older.

There is something great about the beginning of a new year. It’s a blank slate full of promise, and an opportunity to re-evaluate and make changes to those habits that aren’t working for us.