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J.T.S LIFE REVIEW

J.T.S Life Review
Karen Bardin
Northern Arizona University







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J.T.S LIFE REVIEW
Introduction
In deciding who to interview I contemplated several choices but in the end it came down
to my interest in seeing someone in their mid-nineties who was still very active and appeared to
be in good health. My interest was piqued in discovering what causes a person to stay active and
healthy at such an advanced age. The person I chose will be identified as J.T. She is someone I
have seen for many years in the small town of Wickenburg where I live. When my husband and
I go for our late night walks we always see J.T. at her local hangout, McDonalds, no matter how
late at night it is. I wondered what her story was. As it turns out her story was as interesting as I
was hoping.
A Picture
J.T. reminds me of a picture of how people dressed in times past. She always has a
fancy hat, matching outfits and typically wears high heeled shoes. She stands about 410 but
noted that she was previously 52 but had shrunk with age. She doesnt know what her weight is
but she is quite petite. She has nice gray hair, shoulder length, with loose curls. She has blue
eyes and wears glasses. J.T. was born on July 8, 1917 on Monhegan Island, Maine, weighing
only 2 pounds. She was the third child born to her mother and father. Her father said they could
not afford another child so she was adopted by the nurse that delivered her. She stated that her
nurse mom helped to keep her alive with warm bottles and warm bricks to preserve her body
temperature since she was a preemie.
J.T. spent most of her childhood in Maine, New York and New Jersey. Until the age of
nine her summers were spent on the island where she was born. Since it was a small island with
an equally small population most of the other children were her cousins or siblings. She said it
was difficult because the other children would tease her about having a different mother. During
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J.T.S LIFE REVIEW
the winters her mother went to New York City to work and J.T. would stay with a doctor and his
wife in Maine. She said she was a spoiled brat that gave her mom a bad time. At one point her
mother had boarders and J.T. would steal their cigars and sneak into the forest to smoke them.
When J.T. was nine years old her adopted mother passed away from cancer. J.T. was
placed with a guardian and spent the remainder of her childhood back and forth between
boarding schools. J.T. did not lean towards the academic side of school but was very athletic. In
high school she played field hockey, archery, tennis, track and basketball. At 16 years old she
was diagnosed with Spinal Meningitis and told she would never walk again. She said she had to
get better because she was the captain of the basketball team. She was given a spinal tap after
which she started improving and was able to recover. After high school she was offered an
athletic scholarship to college but said she had no interest in more school. The Great Depression
took place during her teen years but she said it didnt have much of an impact on her other than
remembering that she ate ham and beans, ham and beans, and more ham and beans.
J.T. went from an unstable childhood to an unstable adulthood. Once out of high school
she moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey and began working in the Childrens Hospital. She
admitted she was very naive and soon found herself young, single, and pregnant. She returned to
live with her guardian who helped to care for her and her baby.
At 21 she got married and moved with her baby and her husband to California where she
worked as a waitress. Shortly after the move her husband was arrested for armed robbery and
murder. J.T. was left alone as a single young mother, clear across the country from the only
support system she had ever known. She struggled to provide for herself and her two year old
son. Things took a turn for the worse as her health declined due to a five pound tumor. Since she
was no longer able to care for her son he was placed in foster care and soon adopted. She tries
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J.T.S LIFE REVIEW
to put this behind her but it continues to sadden her to this day that she lost custody of her only
child. This was the only time throughout the interview where she appeared sad.
After having the tumor removed she continued to struggle with depression over losing
her son and turned to alcohol to numb the feelings inside. She became an alcoholic and found
herself homeless and living on skid row in Los Angeles. After this she moved to Seattle but her
problems continued to follow her as she ended up homeless and on skid row in Seattle. This is
where her life took an uphill turn. While living on the streets she heard a street preacher and
turned her life over to Jesus. She said that was the turning point in her life and that she got
delivered from alcoholism and has never struggled with it since. After this she married a man
she met at the mission but the marriage ended in divorce, partially due to the fact that she could
not have children (due to the tumor).
In 1950 she decided to serve her country by joining the Navy, but not without a fight. To
join the Navy J.T. had to obtain a Presidential order from Eisenhower to overcome her
criminal record. She had been placed in jail for playing pool in a mens only pool hall and
therefore had a criminal record. She spent 2 years as a Navy Corpsman working as a lab
technician. After serving in the Navy she married her third husband whom she calls her Italian
husband and the love of her life.
It was with this husband, in 1962, that she moved to her current home in Wickenburg,
AZ. She got a job as a waitress earning .35 cents per hour. After her husband passed away she
met and married her last husband whom she has been widowed from for many years.
Throughout her time in Wickenburg she has been actively involved in the community,
even running for Mayor at the age of 89. She has walked 3-4 miles in the local parade for the
past 38 years all the way up until the age of 93, while wearing a fancy hat and dress and wearing
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J.T.S LIFE REVIEW
high heels. What she considers the highlight of her life was being chosen as the 2012 Grand
Marshall and Wickenburgs Centennial Sweetheart. A large smile spread across her face as she
said I felt like the best movie actress in the whole world. She said she does not struggle
financially but is able to survive on her husbands social security and a small pension from the
V.A.. She continues to stay active in the community and is a member of the American Legion
where she has served as an officer in many capacities over the years. She plays the drums in the
Stub Hill Band which she greatly enjoys plus it provides additional income. She is a night owl
and typically sleeps during the day so most of her nights are spent sitting at McDonalds hanging
out with employees and customers. She said, Youll be lonesome unless you do something
about it. She is also very involved in politics and loves reading, especially Christian romance
novels.
J.T. is in amazing health for being 96 years old. She is not currently on any prescription
medication only vitamins and Ibuprofen as needed and sees the doctor once a year. She says the
secret to being healthy is staying active, eating healthy (she eats a half a meal twice a day), and
being positive. She says You have to throw negativity out the window and just forget it, if not
youre sick in bed and get grumpy.
Philosophy
J.T. has a bright outlook on life even though shes been through some difficult times.
When asked the key to staying positive she said, Thats the only way to be, never go
backwards. In discussing how she feels about getting older she said the hardest part has been
losing all her friends since she has outlived them all. As people age they have a choice to be
negative and anti-social, worrying and complaining about the effects of growing older or to
realize that life is a gift each and every day and to make the most of it. J.T. said she always asks
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for another day and thanks the Lord when she gets it. She feels very strongly about her religious
beliefs and said the best advice she could give to the younger generation would be the The God
Principal You have to depend on the Guy who created us and created this whole beautiful
world. Touhy and Jett (2010) stated Ericksons concept of ego integrity and Maslows concept
of self-actualization seem closely related to development of a spiritual self (p. 90). J.T. firmly
believes that God brought her through everything for a reason.
Analysis
J.T. has been able to use coping strategies such as being optimistic and maintaining
positive thoughts throughout the ups and downs of her life. Through staying active and positive
J.T. has been able to maintain a healthy lifestyle and continues to do many of the things she
enjoys. She has continued to stay active throughout her life. She competed in the AZ Senior
Olympics at the age of 50 and won 3 Gold Medals and a Silver medal in track. She continues to
walk up to 2 miles every day and goes dancing every Friday and Saturday. She says her knees
hurt if she doesnt move.
J.T. lines up with Ericksons view of looking back on her life with ego integrity (Touhy
and Jett, 2010). Overall in looking back over her life she is satisfied with the life she has led,
both the good and the bad. According to Pecks theoretical model one must have the ability to
redefine their self due to the changes that come with age (Touhy and Jett, 2010). J.T. has
definitely been able to make this transition. She said when she retired she had to make
adjustments because life was a whole new ballgame. J.T. said she likes being retired because
Time is my own, I dont have to answer to anyone.


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J.T.S LIFE REVIEW
Insights
In getting older it is clear that personal choices make a big difference in the outcome of a
persons life. It is evident that the statement that older people are unable to learn is nothing more
than a misconception. J.T. did not learn to play the drums until she was in her 80s. I firmly
believe that attitude has a tremendous impact on how we age, not only mentally but physically.
People who set and attain goals and who are involved in creative projects tend to have greater
satisfaction in life as well as better mental health (Goodman, 2000). Imagine all the great
experiences she would have missed out on if she had been told (and believed) she was too old to
learn.
Summary
Im very thankful I had the opportunity to interview and get to know someone who is
almost 100 years old. I feel it greatly expanded my understanding of working with the elderly
population. Its amazing all the misconceptions, especially in the medical field, that people have
when they consider someone who is elderly. I believe in nursing it will be very important to
take the time to get to know the real person behind the patient. In looking at the results from
older adults in focus study groups Calvin, Frazier, and Cohen (2007) found a universal desire
was wanting to feel genuinely cared for, respected and informed (p.12). Listening and
communication can make all the difference in being able to provide the best care possible for my
patients.




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J.T.S LIFE REVIEW

References
Touhy, T. A. & Jett, K. F. (2010). Ebersole and Hess gerontological nursing and healthy aging
(3
rd
ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier
Goodman, J (2000). Adult development theories. In J. Goodman, N. Scholossberg, and M.
Anderson, Counseling adults in transition: linking theory and practice, New York:
Springer Publishing.
Calvin, A. O., Frazier, L. & Cohen, M. Z. (2007). Examining older adults perceptions of health
care providers. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 33(5), 6-12.