A year of Seniors in Conversation

Every Tuesday morning, I get to do a job I love. With my roommates still asleep, my coffee brewing, and my laptop open, I start my day with Seniors in Conversation. 

Seniors in Conversation is a community of predominantly older adults who meet every Tuesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom and listen to a guest speaker. The program was initially created for isolated seniors during the pandemic, to offer education and something to look forward to, but especially to offer a chance to have conversation and see people — even if it’s virtually. 

The program has now been running every week since June, and I feel like I am joining a close-knit community created on my computer each time I log on. 

I have never met any of these people in person, but I have known most of them now for months. There are some I see every week, and I have grown to recognize the room they are in, the chair they sit at, and the cats that can sometimes be seen walking over someone’s camera. There are even some people whose faces I have never seen, but I know I could pick out their voice in a crowd. There are also some people I get to see for the first time, and nearly every week we get to welcome a new face. 

We share a sense of excitement, and for the first 15 minutes we chat about how life is going, what’s happening in the news, how someone celebrated their birthday last week, or what new recipe they found the day before. 

Then, at exactly 10:15 a.m. we begin, and our guest speaker begins his or her presentation. We have had guests who specialize in healthy aging and wellness, elder abuse, mental health or anti-racism. Guests may be stand-up comedians and entertainers or university professors discussing their research. We have welcomed an MPP, an epidemiologist and an Algonquin Spiritual Leader. Every week is different.

What does stay consistent is the feeling I get when we all hang up at the end. This might sound strange, but I feel proud of the community that has been created. I tell my roommates all the time: I can’t believe some of the discussions we have. I can’t believe how kind these people are and how curious, how engaged, how excited they are to hear and discuss these topics. 

We talk about Canada’s history of Indigenous oppression and discuss racial inequalities. We talk about the ever-changing political climate in the U.S.A., and learn about how to be an ally. I am always surprised to find that although some of them are more than 50 years older than me, we are intrigued and engaged by the same things. 

Every other Friday, we meet again. We call it ‘Coffee Conversations,’ and I always come with my cup full. I think these are my favorite sessions, even more than my cherished Tuesday mornings. 

I always spend this time in my living room, on my cozy couch with my laptop resting on two pillows stacked in front of me. The soft, afternoon sunlight shines through my big windows at this time of the day, and I feel like I am in my own little world. 

The Friday group is smaller, and it’s a different atmosphere; instead of hosting guest speakers, we take this time to chat amongst ourselves about our day-to-day lives. I get to hear about what books everyone is reading and leave with a list of movie recommendations. We share our favorite recipes, and I wonder if I will ever try tomatoes and peanut butter together – a snack that I was told is delicious – but I don’t think I’ll ever try it to find out. I get to hear about people’s lives, their history, their passions. In an hour, I feel like I have caught up with a group of friends. 

My roommates are normally awake for this one, and sometimes will sit on the couch across from me and listen to the conversations. I glance up when someone says something funny and can see my roommate smiling along with me. It reminds me that regardless of our age differences, we have so much in common. 

Seniors in Conversation was developed because of the pandemic and was designed to be for seniors who were feeling isolated and alone. I didn’t realize it in the beginning, but it is as helpful for me as much as it is for them. Maybe more. 

Even after this pandemic is over, and we can start to look towards the future with a hopeful sense of normalcy, I find myself hoping we still continue the sessions. 

It’s going to be a sad day when I wake up on Tuesday morning knowing I won’t share an hour and a half with these seniors, but it makes me cherish the Tuesdays I still have that remind me why I love my job. 

(At press time, Trinity had just been notified that a new grant application was approved, which will allow Reaching Seniors in Old Ottawa South’s Seniors in Conversation to continue for the balance of 2021. The leadership team will be taking the month of May off to regroup and plan and will begin our Tuesday conversations again in June.)

If you are interested in participating in our Tuesday ‘Seniors in Conversation’ or our Friday ‘Coffee Conversations’, register to receive the Zoom link by emailing [email protected]. Each session is free of charge, and open to everyone interested, even those living outside of Ottawa. You can also follow us on Facebook, @HealthyAgeingOS