Love is ageless at the Westlake Community Services Center
Arlene and Israel are a happy couple who met at a Westlake Community Services Center event.
The desire for companionship and love never goes out of style. As author Anais Nin observed, “Age does not protect you from love, but love, to a certain extent protects you from age.” To this I would add that age does not preclude you from love, but courtship rituals have changed over the ages.
Enter the world of senior speed dating, as presented in the poignant and fun documentary "Age of Love." A speed dating event for 70-90 year olds serves as the film’s backdrop while cameras follow 10 speed daters over one summer.
Some of the daters are recently widowed, others long-divorced or never married. All candidly share their experiences and hopeful hearts as they prepare for the big day, endure a rush of encounters, anxiously receive their results and ultimately go out on their dates.
Bittersweet moments reveal how worries over physical appearance, romance and rejection, loss and new beginnings change – or not – from first love to the love of later years.
A free screening of this film will be hosted on Thursday, Aug. 31, at 1 p.m., at the Westlake Community Services Center. Whether partnered or single, the film is enjoyable and thought provoking, so we invite anyone who is 50+ to reserve a seat. RSVP by August 25th at 440-899-3544. A discussion will follow the conclusion so plan on about 2 hours or so. The Westlake Community Services Center is located at 28975 Hilliard Blvd., on the campus of the Westlake Recreation Center.
If you are someone who is interested in making new friends you may want to also check out our August TED Talk discussion on “The Secret to Making New Friends as an Adult.” For more information about this and other program offerings check out our Pathways newsletter at www.cityofwestlake.org/community-services, or drop by and ask for a tour.
If you do not go online you can relax in our café and peruse a hard copy of the newsletter that is available at the front desk. Hope to see you soon.
Lydia Gadd
I am the Director of the Community Services Department for the City of Westlake. I am also a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.