Never Stop Learning

I first heard about the Institute for Retired Professionals (IRP) when a friend -- a psychiatrist who was, by the way, not retired -- urged me to check out the organization. He was an enthusiastic member. "You'll get a kick out of it," he insisted. I did, too.

The IRP was established in New York in 1962 as a school at which the students are the teachers, and vice versa. The weekly courses meet college academic standards, but there are no exams and no credits awarded toward a degree. My friend took me from one classroom to another until I felt like a yo-yo, bouncing from art to history to medicine to politics. Over here an accountant who doubled as a violinist in an amateur chamber music group was lecturing on Beethoven, while over there a lawyer who had served in the state legislature was holding forth on the Constitution. What the sessions had in common, though, was the keen attention the pupils paid to their professors, and their eager -- sometimes fiery -- participation in discussions. Oh, and something else I saw quite a bit of: walkers, hearing aids, and sensible shoes.

The IRP was one of the first programs to recognize that people approaching retirement or already arrived there might not be ready to put their minds out to pasture. Over time, it became evident that they not only enjoyed the extra schooling but also reaped an extraordinary benefit: the mental exercise strengthened their brains and extended their life span. The IRP, which is hosted by The New School, a local university, struck a spark. It has become the model for more than 400 campus-based programs around the country.

At the same time, millions of over-50 men and women have taken traditional college courses, for credit or for fun. Universities around the country now encourage seniors to monitor classes. The notion that people with a touch or more of gray in their hair might want to keep studying and learning is now well accepted. And it's not limited to the college level, either.

Four years ago, my wife Caryl decided to sign up for some classes at a New York art school. I kidded her about becoming another Grandma Moses, and she allowed that it felt pretty strange at first to find herself surrounded by students a third her age. She had never tried her hand at art before, but it turned out she was a natural. Her prints have been winning prizes and turning up in shows around the country. I've since discovered that her story is not all that unusual -- classes of most any kind can inspire a burst of unsuspected creativity.

We are, after all, different from younger folk only in the aging of our bodies, not in our emotions or intelligence, our capacity to learn and create. Whether it's the hundreds of 50-plus students at IRP or the handful of elders at Caryl's art school, we are finally beginning to realize our potential for leading lives at least as rich and fulfilling as those we had led before.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert W. Stock, a New York Times alumnus, is a writer and editor based in New York.