The Joys of Aging and Advocacy
- Ruth Bernstein
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 29
Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein
My 92nd birthday this August is cause for celebration and introspection for me. I have a lot to celebrate: my growing family has blessed me with six great-grandchildren; my good health, which occasionally needs help from the Tin Man, MDs, PTs and OTs; the assistance of a walker to keep me moving; and Google that provides me with new information or information I no longer remember.
I also appreciate the spell check on all my devices and the hearing technology that has developed over these years—captioning, audio loops, Bluetooth, ever-shrinking and better hearing aids, and the wonder of cochlear implants, to name a few.
A Surprising Connection
My introspection is about how I arrived at this age and, hopefully, will live to 100 so I can attend my eldest great-granddaughter’s Bat Mitzvah. I saw my doctor for my annual exam a few weeks ago. After he had given me a clean bill of health, he told me this story:
He had recently gone to a Bar Mitzvah at a synagogue in Riverdale. While he was there, he had a conversation with a woman who was deaf. He told her he had a patient who had a cochlear implant (CI) and was very pleased with it. She responded "Is her name Ruth Bernstein?"
She knew me from the articles I write for CHC and my HLAA-NYC advocacy work. Both the doctor and I were amazed at this coincidence.
It reminded me of the dedication of the Lifetime Service Award I recently received from CHC: In honor of your lifetime of passionate commitment and impactful advocacy for people with hearing loss. That “commitment” is one of the reasons a woman whom I have never met was aware of my advocacy work.
My Passion for Advocacy
As a Metropolitan Museum of Art volunteer for over 20 years, I helped provide access for people with hearing loss. And, for fifteen years, I was a volunteer gardener in Central Park every Tuesday year-round, raking leaves, pulling weeds, shoveling snow, and chopping ice. Although I had to give up both those jobs because of COVID-19 (the Met eliminated hearing accessible tours) and aging knees, I am still keeping busy.
The AARP Magazine June/July 2025 tells the story of two sisters-in-law who both lived to 104. A Tale of Two Grandmothers focuses on the two women who had completely different lifestyles, yet lived equally long lives. The grandson who wrote the article concluded, “...lasting vitality…is about finding a way to hold on—to meaning, purpose and life itself—in whatever way works for you.”
Finding What Works for You
What works for me at this time is my continued hearing advocacy, weekly art classes, membership in an online, captioned book club, and visiting with family and friends as much as possible (see Ruth with her 4-month-old great-grandson, Eitan, and his mom, Yuval).
I hope you, too, will find the passion and commitment that will work for you and allow you to live a long, vital and healthy life. Onward!
Ruth D. Bernstein Hearing Access Ambassador
Email buzz@chchearing.org to let Ruth know what passion keeps you vital and healthy.
