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Centenarians in today's world
Longevity and world science
Essay help on Centenarians in Today's World
Introduction Centenarians in today's world
Longevity and world science
Chapter 1 Society and Early life of Iris Scantlebury in
Barbados at the turn of the 0th Century 187-
105
Chapter Childhood and teenage life in Barbados 105-
118
Chapter Iris Scantlebury as a young adult worker and
Homemaker 118-17
Chapter 4 Social and political changes in Barbados 17-
166
Chapter 5 Family life changes 166-000
Chapter 6 A Centenarian's Religion
Chapter 7 The secret of long-life, health and diet systems
Chapter 8 The role of sport and recreation in a
Centenarian's life
Chapter Travel and Education
Chapter 10 Economic, Social and Health Conditions Of Iris
Scantlebury
Summary
Introduction
Centenarians in today's world
Longevity and world science
It is suggested that old age results in withdrawal from the labour force, loss of earnings and therefore decreased income, poverty and economic deprivation on the elderly. On the other hand there is evidence, which supports the alternative view that old age does not necessarily mean economic deprivation. It is argued that there are a non-taxable benefits, social security payments, health insurance, reduced travel cost, family support and so on, which might serve to mediate the economic impact of old age.
As the 1st Century came Barbadians were seeing an increase in the number of females and males centenarians born on the island. At present the oldest centenarian is 10 years old. The majority of today's centenarians still live at home with their families while a small number resides in District Hospitals or private homes in Barbados. When it comes to revealing the secrets of longevity most centenarians summons it up to hard work, a good supply of ground food and the grace of Jesus Christ.
Centenarians over the passed years have contributed earnestly to our society socially, economically, religiously and politically. These outstanding individuals have also worked on our sugar plantations cutting canes, weeding, spraying, dropping manure, haling-canes and fixing plantation equipment. While others went as far as establishing their own businesses as shopkeepers, hawkers, bakers, fishermen and the list goes on. Centenarians have also passed down to our generation "old time" remedies for the common cold to high blood pressure to a small crack under the toe. In addition, "old time" stories about the obeah men and women and ghost stories are stilled being told today as they have been passed on from generation to generation although they have been replaced by Bed Time Story Books such as Jack and Jill, The Three Little Bears and Cinderella to mention a few. Many games such as Pick Ups, Rounder, Marble Punching, Hop Scotch and Ring games like " John Belly Mama", There is a Brown Girl in the Ring", "Find the Leader, Open your window Mrs. Sue have survived and are stilled being played today.
Although many young children are not seen playing these games as in the passed due to the fact that our society have undergone several changes. The invention of Computer games and other technological games are also to blame for such lack of interest in such games. However, we can still see some of these games in our Primary Schools and wider community where the "old time" village life still prevails.
The Government of Barbados alone with the Governor General of the island have recognized the important role which all centenarians have played in the political, social, religious and economic process in the country which is also mention in our National Anthem, "In plenty and in time of need when this fair land was young, Our great forth fathers sowed the seed from which our pride is found". Hence, all centenarians on their Birthday are visited by the Governor General were he or she spends a few hours chatting about the "old time" day while celebrating with family members and close friends on such a happy occasion.
At present they are no books, pamphlets, documentaries or any other source from which the life history of centenarians can be used as research material or for personal pleasure. It must be noted that the life of centenarians and the elderly are adventurous, exciting, unique and full of local history. Many young adults Barbadians do not see the need to communicate with the elderly within their communities because of the impression that they have nothing in common with each other. Sadly enough the elderly within Barbados are often left to live on their own in poverty, abused, abandon in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital or in the District Hospitals on our shores, they
suffer from loneliness, broken hearts, illness, financial difficulty homelessness and mental problems.
As Barbadians we must realized and see the importance of the elderly within our country, for they are the building blocks of Barbados. Therefore, we must respect and care for them, if this is not done we as young people and adults would certainly have no roots or culture to pass on to new generations to come. Therefore, we need to document this rich history of Barbadian village life, wither it is through the means of television, radio or books.
The centenarian whom we would be examining is Mrs. Iris Scantlebury. This short but powerful lady only turned one hundred years on the 5th of September 00, she currently resides at Rock Hall St Lucy in a house which she and her husband Whitfield Da Costa Scantlebury not only built together but also raised their nine children side by side. Mrs. Scantlebury has lots of experience and wisdom to share with fellow Barbadians, her story is just like any other filled with happiness, disappointment, death, pain and many blessings. May her life history inspired and motivate us to be more appreciative of our families and the things we often take for granted in our lives.
Chapter 1
Society and Early life of Iris Scantlebury in Barbados at the turn of the 0th Century 187-105
I Iris Scantlebury was born on the 05th of September 10 to the proud parents of Josephine and Joe Alleyne. My family was made up of three boys and two girls I being the third child. I played a number of games in my early childhood alone with many friends from my neighborhood in Josey Hill St. Lucy such as Catchers and Hide and Seek. As a child attended the St. Clements Elementary School located in Pipe Corner St. Lucy.
Chapter
Childhood and teenage life in Barbados 105-118
I went to work on the Pickering Plantation since my parents could not afford to send me to High School. My sister Lola was a shopkeeper while my last brother did agriculture work, however, my two oldest brothers worked in the Waft packing good into boats that were called Lighters for export. Almost everyone used to walk to town at night it was nuff laughter as we talk to keep each other company, sometimes ghost and obeah stories were told and children used to be frighten. If on the way to town and you got sleepy people use to stop and sleep in the cuscus grass on the side of the roads.
Chapter
Iris Scantlebury as a young adult worker and Homemaker 118-17
I always loved children and I born my first child at a very young age, I called her Carmine. I worked at the Pickering Plantation located in the Parish of St. Lucy; I often walk to work and took the shortest route through Rock Hall gully. Carmine's father named was Torrid and he had lost his life in the prime of his youth as a result of the quarry in which he worked cave in without any warning and took his life. I was devastated by his passing and know had to work extra hard since I was the only person to support my child. With time my heart healed form my lost and I became close friends and then lovers with another gentlemen, his name was Mr. Whitfield DaCosta Scantlebury who arrived from St. Peter in an area called Nichol's, he too worked as an Agricultural worker at the Pickering Plantation.
As the years passed Whitfield and I were the proud parents of Conrad, Ralph, Keith, Arlic, Selwyn, Yourlene and Norma Alleyne, after the birth of my last child Norma we both decided to get married. Our wedding was held at the St. Lucy's Parish Church located in St. Lucy. My husband and I both worked hard on the plantation in order to provide food for the family, things were hard in those day, people today work for two to three hundred dollars but my wages were only 6 cents a day, and this had to run my house, buy food, and support my children. I was an excellent cook cause I learn from my mother Josephine and her mother, I used to cook all sorts of food never pick out anything, want ever I cook was ate. Some of these dishes were breadfruit, salt beef, yams, eddoes, conkies, bakes, muffins, green banana, beef tough, cocoa, corn meal dumplings and green peas cook up in rice. We had no modern beds to sleep on, I use to send my children out in pasture or gully to cut cuscus grass, which was later, dried and stuffed into cocas bags to make beds to sleep on. Children will always be children and urinate on their beds this was a common trend in those days and many insects were harvested in these beds giving off a bad odor. At Christmas time now Barbadians paint their homes, buy tiles, carpet, new curtains, ham, turkey and a wide variety of drinks. However, Christmas for me was quit different than the way it is celebrate today. I remembers I used to send my children to pick tall grass from the pasture or gully behind my chattel house, I made it into a brome to sweep and crown web the house while straw bromes were used for the yard, this was home made by bundling together the grass and tying with three strings at separate areas. The straw broom was made from dried coconut stems and a mackerel tin that was place at the top, people also made them to sell. We did this because we could not afford the type of bromes we use today or tooth brush, toothpaste or deodorants instill we substitute toothbrushes for coconut husk; toothpaste for blue soap and deodorant was powder or nothing at all.
Paint was expensive and me and my husband used white marl and mix it with water to create the appearance of snow at the front of the house, on Christmas day men from the nearby villages would visit everyone's home singing Christmas song while playing the drum, steel pan, flute or cymbal, after which a small monetary contribution was collected.
Chapter 4
Social and political changes in
Barbados 17-166
Within the Barbadian Society leading up 17 white individuals on the island discriminated against black people even though slavery had been abolished some years ago. Whites more than blacks established themselves socially and politically, in essence white people had the power to treat blacks and poor whites as they chose. The majority of blacks like myself worked on low income jobs, worked long hours, never received any compensation of any kind for illness or injuries on the job and workers were hired and fired at any time by those in authority. Whenever I was pregnant I used worked to I deliver my child and was back out to work within a matter of days.
These problems came about because whites had all the power, blacks could not vote in any elections and we did not have a trade union to right for our rights. Families during this period were quite large some families included up to twelve to seventeen children in one household. Parents working for low wages found it difficult to make ends meet during this time. Living conditions were deplorable; diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and small pox were extensive on the island and claimed the lives both adults and small children as seen in some our cemeteries across our twelve parishes.
I knew that in order to keep food on the table men often stole ground provisions from nearby plantations at night, often they were shot at by the overseer and if caught the police was called in. In the case of women the overseer often asked for sexual favors in return for freedom and the stolen food, if by chance a woman objected to such advances the police would be further used as a treat. As a result, many wives bourn children who were not their husbands or boyfriends, this further led to the break up of relationships and some marriages in my district.
Communities in Barbados, were as violent as today's society which is filled with kidnappings, murders, guns, knifes, drugs and bad behave children. Each individual were their brothers and sister's keepers, a community were everyone looked out for the other person. Men used to fit with their fist or maybe a rock or two mostly over women at dances, many village fights broke out at the stand pipes were women, men and children went to catch water. Someone would wait until someone's bucket is filled and processed to put the bucket on their heads, then someone else would gave that person a push and all the water would fall to the ground and that person would then have to stand up and wait his or her turned again. People also quarried over whose bucket were at the pipe first. Those were the good old days, filled with laughter and fun. Young people today do not know what is respect, if your mother and I were not on speaking terms your child still had to speak to me and my child to you, and if by chance my child passed you and did not speak you were in title to gave him or her a skin of licks and when they arrived home I would then gave a fresh set of licks also because someone would have told me what my child did wrong. Today it is a different story some parents have their children spoiled, indiscipline and graduate them into men and women before their time.
Communities backs then were quit safe to life in and walk around, the doors of houses and windows were never locked but always starring open. I remember on many occasions when I left my windows and doors open to go by the village shop or to walk down "Balls" to catch water or visit" Over Gully" to wash my clothes.
Blacks and especially in my community were so poor that many children did not attend school since their parent cold not offered to send them, others who got the chance attended what was called Elementary Schools up to the age of fourteen or maybe earlier depending on your families financial situation. The uniform for school was either khaki or flower bag pants and shirt, no shoes were worn and only wealth families like the Greaves, Ward's and Campbell's worn shoes, proper khaki uniforms and were the ones who had lunch money and a full lunch since these families had servants to tend to their needs.
My children attended the Mesh House School, and lunch was mainly stew potatoes, bakes, muffins, lemonade and water that I prepared. Me our my husband could not afford to send our children to High School and between the ages of ten and fourteen my children went to work in the positions of Agriculturalist, Domestics and Shop Attendants.
Children were often sent to learn varies trade such as masonry, carpentry, boat building, welding or domestic worked, this extra income although small still contributed to the house hold, will other stayed at home to take care of younger siblings as their parents went to work.
In addition, only parents who were well off could afford to keep their children in school after Elementary School High School was the next level and this included schools like Harrison Colleges, Queen's College, The Lynch School and Modern High School.
Barbados political parties had severe franchise restrictions, which retarded the development of political parties. The first party on the island can be regarded as the Democratic League formed by Dr. Charles Duncan O'Neal in 14. Other parties were the 'conservative' and the 'liberals' who represented vested interest and workers had soon form. The vast majority of successful candidates were always 'conservative', but in the 17 elections the 'liberals' were successful in electing out the 4 members of the Assembly.
The 17 disturbances marked a political awakening of Barbadians generally, and the following year the Barbados Progressive League was formally launched by some past members of the Democratic League. Grantley Adams was Vice-President the first year and its President soon after. By the early 140s, the League was divided into three sections two of which were the Barbados Workers' Union and the Barbados Labour Party (B.L.P.) with Adams as Chairman of both. The lowering of franchise requirements in 14 greatly expanded the number of eligible voters, and it was followed by the formation of two new political parties, namely, the Electors' Association and the West Indian National Congress Party.
The strength of the three existing parties was about equal, but in 148 elections the B.L.P. returned 1 of the 4 members of the Assembly, the Electors' Association , and the Congress Party . The introduction of universal adult suffrage in 150 triple the electorate and produced completely different results in the 151 elections the B.L.P returned 16 members, the Electors' Association 4, the Congress Party and the Independents.
In May 155, the newly organized Democratic Labour Party was officially launched by Cameron Tudor and Errol Barrow (previously of the B.L.P). As
well as O. T. Allder. They were joined by the elected members of the Congress Party shortly before the 156 elections but the D.L.P. won only 4 seats to the B.L.P.'s 15. Will in the 161 elections the D.L.P.won 14 seats to the B.L.P.'s 5.
Barbadians now saw the existence of co-operatives, credit unions, and burial societies during this time. In 16 education became free to all nationals attending government institutions. Recently the system has been extended to include lunch for $1.00 a week at primary schools, a textbook loan scheme, income tax, and allowances on uniform and subsided bus fares. Pre-school or nursery education, secondary modern schools emerged in the last three decades with the opening of St Leonard's Boy's and Girls (15) Princess Margaret and West St Joseph (155) Parkinson (160) Springer Memorial (164) St Elizabeth's and Ellersile (166) St Lucy Secondary (171) and lastly St George Secondary (17).
Person who wanted to earn certificates or diplomas institutions such as Home Craft Centers (145) and the Evening Institution in (148) The Community College (16) Hotel School (164) and the Samuel Jackson Polytechnic (170). Tertiary education was offered by the University College in 16 at Harbor Road (Martin 166), which was moved to Cave Hill, there was also Codrington College as well. Therefore, barbarians had the opportunity to acquired education at its highest level and it was largely the work of the Barbados Democratic Labour Party, which was lead by Errol Barrow. Barbados requested Independence from the British Government in 165 after much consideration this request was granted officially on the 0th of November 166.
Chapter 5
Family life changes 166-000
My family went through tremendous changes between 166 and the year 000. My daughter Yourlene jaw tooth was growing down on her nerves in the jaw bone, eventually this tooth was extracted but it was too late Cancer had already develop and soon spread to the jaw bone. Doctors at the Hospital made the decision to removed this side of the jaw bone and in order to gave her face shape Doctors used bolts and screws to solve the problem, after a while were these bolts and screws were located began to juice the Cancer had taken over the face. At the age of 5 my daughter Yourlene Alleyne passed away at the District Hospital located in St. Lucy, she left one son and two daughters behind one of which was a little baby girl. This family tragedy made live very difficult not only for the family but more so for me since this would have been the second person that I was close to who died.
In time my family heal and recovered from there lost, my daughter Carmen and Arlic moved to the United States in search for a better life and found jobs as domestics. Even know I still miss them a great deal and look forward to any phone calls, postcards or visits to Barbados by them. Arlect left her daughter Donna to be taken care of by me in Barbados.
My husband Whitfield DaCosta Alleyne suffered from high blood pressure which eventually took his life at the age of sixty-six in the year 166. I remember that day since it was the day I lost my beloved husband, it was a Sunday afternoon about 00 o'clock when he took ill Ralph, Conrad, Keith and Norma were at his bedside will my son Selwyn was summons by Yourlene boyfriend Herald to returned to the Hospital as soon as possible. It seemed to me that Whitfield was only waiting for his last son to arrive so that he could speak his dying words. When Selwyn came he went straight to his father bedside by this time everyone had assemble round the bed where Whitfield laid, as Selwyn sat on the bed while holding his fathers hands he slowly whisper, "Selwyn don't forget Iris gave her some of what ever you have", he later passed away and Funeral arrangements were soon organized. The turnout was handle by Fred Greaves who owned Greaves Funeral Home and was the brother of son Selwyn's girlfriend Annetta; he took the body to the Funeral Home in Church Hill St Lucy. Selwyn went on Monday to the Funeral Home to help dress his father who was later buried in the afternoon at the St Lucy's Parish Church.
As the years passed my children moved away from their home in Rock Hall, Ralph moved to Hope Road, Conrad to Allendale, Selwyn to Jemmott's, Keith to Durham's and Norma remained at home along with Yourlene three children, Donna joined her mother Arlic in the United States soon afterwards. Today, both grandchildren and greatgrand childrens lives near me since all of my children remained in the parish of St Lucy.
On Thursday 5th of September 00 at ten o'clock in the morning my birthday party was held at my youngest son Keith's home in Durham's St. Lucy, celebrations started as family and close friend from all over the twelve parishes on the island joined together to celebrate the life of a friend, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Father Goodridge who is my present Reverent started the ceremony with a prayer; the St. Lucy's Parish Church choir was specially invited later presented me with Special music and service. A short sermon was delivered by the Reverent, which told the congregation about my character and the gratitude towards God for awarding me this wonderful achievement in my life.
The Governor General of Barbados Sir. Clifford Husbands was also present, and took part in the celebrations by making a speech and giving a toast to me. As the hours passed more guest arrived and the Advocate Newspaper journalist was also present and chatted with me, more and more fruit baskets, bottles of wines, postcard in their envelopes unopened, and other gifts wraped neatly in their gift papers were placed on the tables and in one of the bedrooms, while the telephone seem not to stop from ringing.
On this memorable day I was quit tried after such excitement but was stilled happy that I reached the age of one hundred years surrounded by four generations of grandchildren and seven surviving children out of nine. I am not able to read my bible as I used to in the passed but I continue to sing some of the hymns I can remember as part of my worship at home.
At least ones every month I look forward to the visit of my Reverend Father Goodridge, who gives me worship and communion services while spending a few hours talking mostly about my health. I openly thank God everyday for sparing my life so that I can see another day.
Chapter 6
A Centenarian's Religion
From the time I was a little girl my mother use to carried us to church services with us. And as a result religion has also been part of my life. I attended the St. Lucy's Parish Church from a little girl up to my old age. I have also tried to encourage all my children to worship God.
In my old age I still tries to worship God and I praise him everyday for what he has done for me. I take my religion seriously because of the goodness that God has done for me and my family, if it was not for him I do not know what would have happen to me.
Chapter 7
The secret of long-life, health and
Diet systems
I believe that I have gained long-life as a result of the hard and long hours I work on the plantation, raising eight children and keeping up with them, a good supply of ground food (yams, green banana,) and the goodness of Jesus Christ whom I has served for the majority of my life. My favorite foods and drinks in my old age is rice and chicken, corn meal cocoa and I like orange juice, lucazade, mauby and seldom a glass of wine or brandy to thin out the blood. My health has not been too good as I came closer to one hundred years. I have high blood pressure, which is monitor by medication. My three sons are all diabetics but she has not been grace with this illness as yet.
A few years ago I had a touch of Shingles but has since gotten over such sickness. The family started to give up hope since I was very ill but I told them that God had other plans for me, he wanted me to be one of the ones to reach one hundred.
Today I cannot walk around as I used to between her early seventies and nineties, I have arthritis and sometimes my feet are swollen and hurt terribly. Likewise, I still gave praises and honor to God for not forsaken me, and giving me the chance to reach one hundred, an age which many individuals will not reach.
If people want to live long you need to eat plenty of ground foods and cut out the junk foods and fast foods. People need to cook food at home and not eat the ready cook foods that you put in the microwave. We old people never had anything so, and we could not afford fancy foods to cook but our parents still made sure we had food to eat such as soup with corn meal dumplings, breadfruit, bakes and salt fish and cocoa.
Chapter 8
The role of sport and recreation in a
Centenarian's life
Sports and Recreation for me was working on the sugar cane fields haling canes unto the trucks, weeding grass around the crops such as eddoes, yams and sweet potatoes. I find peace and rest relaxing at home with my family while remembering the good old days. Since worshiping God at my church is no longer possible due to my limited movement and arthritis in my legs I still finds joy in praising my creator by sing song of praise and adoration, in earlier year I used to read bible tract that were post in from the United States of America my daughter Arlect and listen to the Radio Fusing program on VOB which have since been abandon.
In my early nineties I could stilled be seen walking strong around the house and to the top of my gap every morning. I also took the hoe and cutlass from my shed and weed the grass around the house. Even more amazing was the fact that I continued to baby-sit my daughter's grandchildren and great grand's, while making formula and changing diapers. I believes that the majority of my young years were spend in recreation, as I often used to walk from St Lucy to Bridgetown to take clothes and food for my brothers who worked packing goods on board ships in the Waft. Picnicking was the sport and recreation of the Barbadian society as hundred of pincers would turn out in their numbers from the east, west, south and north of the island dress in their finest clothing, at that time up to sixty-six buses meant in King George Memorial Park in St. Philip. Music was licking down, people were dancing and having a good time, food was plentiful and of different variety; fried chicken, rice and peas, gravy, lamb stew, puddings, cakes, bottles of brown rum and, whisk were on the menu for the day. Today as I reached my one hundred mark I is not as strong as she used to and her sport and recreation have been limited, but I still have a strong voice and I listen to Christian radio station while watching the Young and Restless, Bold and the Beautiful and my favorite television shown Days of Our Lives, for a lady of my age I can still explained or filled anyone in on the actors and the picture itself. Two of my brothers departed at the harbor bound for Cuba and Panama to work, but up to know I have not heard a word or received a letter from them but believe they are all dead by know and may have left family behind.
Chapter
Travel and Education
I got the opportunity of my life when my daughter Arlect sent an airline ticket for her to join her in the Unite States of America for one month. I had never ever travel on a plane before and was quit frighten at the though of flying so high in the sky but at the same time I was looking forward for such a one in a lifetime experience. As I made her way to the States I vividly remembers the bright lights of the City and my granddaughter Donna placing a jacket around my shoulders at the J.F Kennedy Airport. Every morning breakfast was made for me and sometimes consisted of; eggs, bacons, toast, tea, coffee, corn flasks and orange juice were some of her favorite foods. I went shopping in Queens, Brooklyn, and New York and meant some of my daughter and granddaughter's friends. I also remember visiting the Twin Towers which were destroyed by terrorist earlier this year, I remember that my head began to spin from the height, it was a beautiful scene as you look around New York, it was something which one would always remember even if they are gone.
In terms of my education I did not go one to finish my learning but thank God that I can read, write and count on my own. My parents were poor but we still turn out ok, it does not matter how poor you are but if you believe in God and have dreams he will help you to accomplish them.
Chapter 10
Economic, Social & Health Conditions Of Iris Scantlebury
As the bible says the root of money is wickedness, I have never worked for any lot of money in my lift time; the most money I am getting now would be my pension. I do not have much of it but I make do with what I have. I do not get any money to spend really since I do not go to the store or shopping anymore, I am an old woman now so I do not have much need to spend money. However, I still keep a few changes in my purse to send for anything I may need from the shop. My daughter's oversees always send back or bring hats, dresses, under pants, wigs, anything they think I may need. My daughter even sent up a wheel chair and walker for me. My granddaughter buys the other items I need with my old age pension.
In my old age I have benefited from the old age pension, which I receive every month, when I used to catch the bus to go to the Doctor or Speighstown I ride on the transport bus for free. From the time I came alone knew about the Welfare Department. In my time they was a district hospital in St. Lucy near to River Bay and women used to go there to have babies we used to called it the Almshouse, but have change to a place which take cares of the elderly. I know of nurse who came and take care of the elderly and one used to come and check up one me too.
My son Keith prepares my food, during the week and my daughter Norma and her daughter Betty give me breakfast on mornings and food on weekends, I am not able to cook anymore. Any vegetables is usually pumpkin, okras, yam that I eat, I am not so keen, one the other types of vegetables now. I usually use Complain, barley, oaths and saga porridge to drink and it keeps me full during the day.
I was forced to retired earlier than I wanted to, I was always sick with high fever after all my children were born, doctors could not help cure me, my son Selwyn went out to work picking pound grass to get money to feed the family while my husband continue to work as usual.
My daughter Norma, her daughter Betty who is the head of the family and her two daughters live in my house, which my husband and me built together. It has two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and a dining room. It need the roof changing and my son Selwyn and his son Rally came and change it for me cause the house was getting wet when the rain fall. The toilet, bath and pipe are outside of the house.
In my younger years I used to cook on wood and used kerosene oil, up to today which my daughter Norma still sometimes cook on kerosene oil stove. My granddaughter Betty brought a fridge, gas stove, television, video, radio, telephone, furniture's and carpet to petty up the house.
Some old people do not have anyone to take care of them, they are lonely, family members put them in homes for someone else to take care of them and they need someone to talk to them. Sometimes I feel lonely when I am home by myself.
In my younger years I had a number of friend all over this country but as you go your separate ways one tends to lose contact with each other. As a young woman I also used to keep company with the older women because I realized that they had lost of wisdom and understanding which could guild me in my life and training my children. I believed I had friends from all over Barbados, in my older years I used to run into them in Speighstown or one of their children who I ask to say hello for me. My grand children as comes home and sometimes say that I saw X or Y this place and they say hello. Some come once in a while to visit me at my home in Rock Hall. At my one-hundredth-birthday party were friends that I have not seen in years but they still remember me all these years and wanted to celebrate with me. Other friends have passed away a long time ago.
My neighbours are my granddaughter Alison, her two children, Fredrick, Quering, the Babb's, Hinds and Lettuce. All my neighbours and I speak to each other, they come and visit me sometimes. The members of the Chance Hall Seventh-day Adventist Church also come to visit me and give me service and food hampers sometimes.
People often called me a senior citizen, old girl, old, and moms. I do not mind people calling me these names I am proud to reach such an age. Young people sometimes don't want to listen to old people they feel they know all about life, but old people have experience which younger people don't have.
I do not see my other children often, but I see my son Keith almost everyday, the others in America usually call on Mothers Day, Easter, Christmas and one my Birthday. My daughter Arlect comes back every year now, this is years that I have not seen my daughter Carmen; her daughters visit me when they come on holiday. They write letters, send postcards, phone and send money for me. I do not hear from my sister Laya or from my other brothers who went to Cuba, the rest arte dead.
I visit my doctor every month, if I am really ill she comes and visit me at home. My doctor is a private one and my pension helps to pay my medical bills, and I am presently on medication by my doctor. My granddaughter gives me the tablets to take.
Sometimes my memory goes and comes, I use to have a big appetite but I hardly eat food know, my eyes are not too good either but I can still see, they run water, I can hear fairly well. I usually sleep during the day but some time I am restless during the night.
I am old and all I am looking forward to is to see my heavenly father, I am not afraid of death, I have serve the Lord all my days and I kept trusting in him. I have enough money to bury me, I made sure I safe something, and I don't have a will made out.
I don't see my grandchildren too often; some come and visit me, ask for me and call on the telephone to see how I am doing. I saw the majority of them at my one hundred-birthday party last September. We all get alone well and they have behaved themselves and kept out of trouble.
SUMMARY
Barbados will continue to be bless with it's elderly population living long enough to be called centenarians as a result of a excellent health care system, the monthly pension which is provided by the government, the survival of the extended family and the varies homes on the island who cater to the elderly.
Iris Scantlebury, have seen both good and bad in her life as she develop and travel through the path from childhood unto adulthood, she has seen and experience what it is to be poor and the many changes which our society have undergone since 10.
With the pension that she receives from the government and the finical assistance that her family makes available Iris has been able to life a life without poverty since all her needs finically, spiritual, socially and mentally are being meant. Although most of my friends are dead I still have a few remaining, my neighbours and their children get on well with each other. My children and grand children visit me once in a way and the majority does not live two far from me, while, my children overseas call me or send post cards for special occasions.
Iris has know reached her final stage in life as an elderly person and have prepared herself mentally and physically for her father Jesus Christ if he should come at anytime or call her to eternal rest, may her life story touch our hearts and motivate us to treat the elderly with love and care as we too will get old someday.
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