Elder Tales are conversations with older people in my community, people who have life stories that should be heard. These are not particularly unusual or extraordinary folk, rather they are the type of people we can meet every day, and yet we too often don’t have the opportunity to hear their stories and the life experience and wisdom they contain.
Our elderly community are a rich treasure of such stories from lives lived through world and social events that can be very different from our own; to hear these stories often we need to give time, grace, empathy and relationship to the story teller – my experience of caring for older people as a doctor over 30 years is that they tend to hold their stories tightly, and share only when they feel safe. The modern, contemporary phenomenon of oversharing through social media platforms with people we hardly know can be an anathema to older people.
This podcast is an opportunity to hear some of their stories through the relationship I have and the generosity they offer. Whether the tales are fictional, narrated by me from my award-winning collection of short stories, 'This Old Stick,' or interviews with real people in their homes, I hope you can listen and hear with compassion and delight.
A Review from Blink PR:
GPs are among our most trusted healthcare professionals. The trust that Andrew Corin has earned with his older patients, coupled with his exceptional talent for creative writing, has created a platform for him to share the treasured stories of elders in our community.
It’s this storytelling, shared through his book of short stories, This Old Stick, and through his podcast series Elder Tales, that creates moments of magic that play out in the theatre of our minds. His sensitive and thoughtful interviewing style reveals candid stories from older people of resilience and survival that offer insights into the very full lives of older people as well as lessons into how tragedy and trauma can be overcome.
These insights have never been more valuable. In a world disrupted and divided by the impact of a global pandemic, Andrew’s book and podcast series reminds us of the power of positivity and the strength of human spirit and connection. They also serve to challenge attitudes towards older people and prompt people to be more thoughtful about being open to other perspectives and worldviews.