Company Name
Sticht Center on Healthy Aging & Alzheimer's Prevention, NC

Story
Our chair was created by our Brain Fitness group at the Wake Forest Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention. Our group discussed what we expected to happen as we got older, and then what really happened. Most expected that once we were in our70s to 90s, we would be doing something like sitting in a rocking chair, with a large family close around.

But the reality of growing older has been very different. Everyone in our group has enjoyed being independent longer than expected, even as we have faced physical and memory challenges. No one is sitting around in a rocking chair! (Although we don’t mind when we do).

We chose to paint the chair green and include elements of a motorcycle (including flame decals!) to represent this unexpected independence and vitality. Group members broke out screwdrivers, drills, and sandpaper to make it happen. Another common experience was no longer being afraid of the end of life, and unexpected freedom from this lack of fear. This was a really powerful common experience in the group that everyone agreed was unexpected. We found a “No Fear” sticker, which seemed to sum this up nicely! To choose a word for the motorcycle license plate, the group brainstormed and voted on one word we would tell a younger person about aging. We chose “Acceptance”, specifically radical acceptance; the kind of acceptance of change and unexpected experience that allows you to face life and death fearlessly.