By Steve Moran

I would have never thought I would write this article ….

I am rather obsessed with the Savannah Bananas and how they are obsessed with the business of creating fun.

It got me to wondering what it would be like if some senior living company decided to be that one senior living company that was completely, passionately committed to making fun their signature offering.

Not So Fast …

I have for years complained about comparing senior living to living on a cruise ship. I continue to believe that even for those who love cruising, they would hate to be stuck living on a cruise ship for the rest of their lives. They would overeat, under-exercise, and have a meaningless life.

But maybe what we need is a more complete view of what fun is.

When You Were a Kid

When you were a kid, fun was pretty simple. Getting presents, playing with friends, going to Disneyland or the water park. Maybe eating your favorite foods at home or out at a restaurant. But as we age, fun becomes a more complex thing.

If you were to make a list of the most fun things you do in your life today, they would almost certainly include friends, new experiences, and new places. But they would also likely include things that are actually hard:

  • Climbing a mountain
  • Learning a new language
  • Learning how to fly an airplane (or I have a few friends who are building their own)

It might also be mentoring younger leaders, feeding the homeless. It might even be attending a memorial service for a resident who passed away.

For me it was taking a bunch of teens to Mexico to build churches and schools. I was the first one up and the last one to bed for 10 days. It was exhausting and the most fun I could ever imagine. It is — for me today — spending several hours each week doing lesson prep so I can spend an hour teaching fifth and sixth graders at church every weekend.

It is sitting and writing articles like this.

So Maybe …

So maybe there is some senior living community out there, some organization out there, that says what we are going to be the fun senior living company — and that would be amazing.

Who would not want to go live in a senior living community where the focus was fun? Would it be great to have your parents live in a community where they would have fun, they would love getting up every morning? And finally, who would not want to work in a senior living community where the focus was fun?