SAGE Session: Senior Mentors

We just had the most incredible - absolutely inspirational - college session.

Last week, we interviewed/played with infants, children, and their parents to gain experience on the type of interaction and questions we should ask this age-specific patient group.

This week, we met our senior mentor, Ernest 'Bud' Mantz, a 90-year old man who really is.... a super man. I came out of the session so moved, so inspired, so excited about life and the future. I felt so honored to meet this man, to hear his stories, to receive his life advice...

So Bud, the superman. He has hiked, traveled, kayaked -- any physical activity ever possible -- all over the world. He starts his sentences nonchalantly like, "When I was on my last five miles of the Tour de France..." or "While I was hiking across the Sahara Desert..." He lives his life driven by what he described as a sincere, natural energy and passion to really.. be alive. He doesn't do what he does because it's "good for you" or "healthy" or "recommended" by physicians, philosophers, educators, whatever. Every day he lives, each moment is to fulfill his passions and to do what he loves with the people he loves. He embodies passion, raw energy, and love.

He gave us several pieces of advice which really.. made me teary-eyed.
One is to find the things that we would love to do... and just save the money and time to go do each and every one of them. It doesn't matter what a particular goal is - doesn't have to be some crazy adventure half-way across the world. Whatever draws us in like a natural magnet.
He told us that all of the regrets he has in life is not what he has done but what he has not done. I know we've all heard that before, but it vibrates so differently within when you hear it from this amazing person who truly lived life following that personal mantra.

He talked about how he used to be a hiking guide for this rugged, unmarked terrain somewhere in the US. He told us about this one time, he met this Native American man. During their conversation, the man held intently in front of his face a random piece of nature - a rock or leaf or twig - while gazing directly and deeply into Buds' eyes. Later on, the Native American man, alone in front of his fire, would get out those little amulets? reminders? of the people and places that have marked his memory and would thus no longer be alone. (Bud told us the name of those small trinkets -- but I forgot it at the moment -- managan? something like that.) Bud then told us to have something like that as well. Bud himself keep various notes of all of his important experiences. And, while he was hospitalized after an injury, he was able to look at those notes and be reminded that he is not alone - that his life has been filled with blessings, amazing people, unforgettable memories which are alive and within him each and every day.

AHH... I'm getting a little teary-eyed just thinking back to this afternoon...

I asked him if he has any secrets to a good, long-lasting marriage.
He said that each man and woman has his or her own set of interests and hobbies, but it's nice to be able to share passion and activities and adventures together. When he hiked across the Sahara, his wife followed because she "married him to be with him." However, he also said that spending too much time together can lead to irritation, so it's also nice to spend some time separately. So, for them, after a trip, his wife would go off to some city or country and go explore her own interests. Then, when she returned, "it'll be like honeymoon all over again."