Inspire Me

My name is Kevin McConnaughay—not related to the actor, who misspells his name—and I am the new Americorps VISTA working in the Coming of Age national office in Philadelphia. I’m 22 years old, a recent graduate of Grinnell College, and an import to this community, having just spent four years in Nowhere, Iowa (not far from my home in Peoria, Illinois). The job that I’ve been asked to help with basically boils down to communications and marketing. It will be my mission for the next year to get the word out about the programs that Coming of Age runs and supports, as well as the philosophies that Coming of Age stands for.

In a new place, at a new job, I feel like time is flying by. I don’t want to stop and catch my breath yet, though—I’m too afraid I’ll miss something. So I’m chain-drinking coffee like it’s water and striving to adjust to the change of pace.  Despite (or perhaps thanks in part to) my caffeine-induced jitters, I’m having a blast and loving this adventure. My purpose—the focal point of my new experience—is to help older adults find ways to utilize their treasure troves of personal resources to impact their communities, and I’m absolutely chomping at the bit to get to work. So, when Mady  Prowler the Assistant Director at Coming of Age learned about my passion for writing and approached me about starting up my own blog, I was thrilled, pumped, jacked, and a number of other adjectives as well.

It wasn’t long before I hit a snag, though. It turns out that I don’t really know how to accomplish what I want to accomplish. How can I hope to serve older adults when I don’t know the first thing about the experiences they’ve had, their thoughts, or their goals? I realize that the most important thing I can do right now is to learn how things work and really try to connect with people who can help me.

Ideally, I’d love for this blog to become a space for conversation, where everybody, anybody, -- you--, can share experiences, impressions, opinions, and anything else on your mind. Most importantly, I need help answering all the questions I have. What changed for you after 50? What concerns occupy your thoughts? What do you wish you’d known at my age? Is there any wisdom or advice you could impart on this jittery kid caught in a whirlwind of new experiences?