What is “52 Shades of Graying?”
“52 Shades of Graying”is a series of 52 short stories that, over a year's time, guides older adults toward various stages of understanding about how to handle newly acquired limitations.
Every Wednesday subscribers to “52 Shades of Graying” receive by email a five-minute-read short story. These 52 stories are fiction but based on my 80 years of experience as a person with a disability.
Each new story is about an older adult (fictional character) who uses hindsight and foresight to offer a takeaway tip and a discussion question about an ageism or ableism issue mature individuals often encounter as they live through various shades of aging.
The resulting online dialogue often prompts members of the “52 Shades of Graying” community to privately share new insights and bedrock values with family and friends. It’s an easy, economical, effective and safe way to journal over a year’s time about topics not found anywhere else.
“52 Shades of Graying” is an online resource where ageism meets ableism in a positive, uplifting (and often amusing) manner within a growing, mutual-mentoring community.
Ageism is discrimination against older people due to negative and inaccurate stereotypes. Ableism is a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with disabilities.
Check this sample story (not included in the revolving 52-story bundle for a year’s subscription) that reflects the type of issues you can expect “52 Shades of Graying” to address on a weekly basis.
Weekly, live chat pinpoints possibilities
Free and paid subscribers also have an opportunity to share their favorite quote or personal observation each week (always tied to the theme of that week’s story). It all takes place in a private, live, one-hour “52 Shades of Levity” chat with me and my fellow subscribers.
The “52 Shades of Levity” chat is open each Sunday at 1:00 p.m. central time for an hour. Free and paid subscribers receive a “chat” link each week in their email so they can join each Sunday’s discussion.
Why I launched “52 Shades of Graying”
When I was nine, I was already walking like a 90-year-old man.
I’ve had eight decades to adjust to the fact that walking is always tentative for me due to my cerebral palsy.
That’s always been my reality.
But, what about the otherwise healthy woman who suddenly, at 75, has a stroke and finds she needs a walker to get around? How does she adjust to that new reality? How does she let her grand kids know what that experience has taught her about life and living -- tidbits she now wants to share with them?
I’m surprised. Very few people outside of academic circles are addressing "aging-plus-disability" issues. But today’s "2.0 mature adults" want to learn how to handle limitations effectively because 26 percent of them who are over 65 years old have acquired some form of disability.
That’s why I’m using my lifetime experience with disability to help (through storytelling) my fellow older adults adjust psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually to newly acquired limitations -- and share their stories with family and friends.
How I make sharing stories easy to do
I include a discussion question at the end of each of my “52 Shades of Graying” stories.
Paid subscribers to “52 Shades of Graying” receive another bonus. They can choose one of their favorite anecdotes that they have written privately or shared with other members of the “52 Shades of Graying” community and highlight it in a personal note to a family member or friend.
They have access to these six “My Latest Legacy Nugget” letterheads:
Birthday
Graduation Day
Holiday Season
Special Day
Wedding Anniversary
Wedding Day
Paid subscribers can use use them all throughout the year to record their thoughts in their own words, one anecdote at a time, for the important people in their lives.
It’s probably something they’ve already posted in one of the “52 Shades of Graying” discussion sections. So, in that case, it’s just a matter of copying the appropriate letterhead, pasting it into a document on a personal device, doing the same thing with the comment and then saving it.
“Nuggets” can be sent by email or snail mail, published in book form or tucked away in a safe place for further reference.
As Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, writes, “The (purpose) of legacy writing is to discover, communicate, and preserve your values, stories, wisdom, and blessings for future generations.”
A “52 Shades of Graying” subscription
is a great holiday or “special-day” gift
Give “52 Shades of Graying” subscriptions as unique gifts for people you cherish.
Use “52 Shades of Graying” as your platform for forming a Zoom community of colleagues/students to explore ageism/ableism issues.
Tap “52 Shades of Graying” for the enhanced affinity you'll gain with your targeted market by aligning your organization, services or products with the concerns of mature adults.
Frame “52 Shades of Graying” as a resource for gaining a better understanding of today’s older adults – valuable for anyone in care giving, geriatrics, physical therapy, senior living services etc.
Special 90% discount for groups
Here’s a unique gifting idea you really need to consider. Subscribe to “52 Shades of Graying” for yourself for one year, choose to become the administrator of a group of two or more subscribers you designate and sign them up for the annual subscription at only $7 each.
That $7 is 90 percent off the regular subscription price of $37 for 12 months. It applies to annual plans only.
You can take advantage of this special discount by forming your own group of friends, colleagues, students etc. and reserving seats for them by June 30, 2024.
As your group’s administrator, you’ll have a private subscriber page for 12 months on substack.com where you can add and delete subscribers within the number of $7 seats you originally reserved.
Group subscriptions for annual plans are available here.
What others are saying
about “52 Shades of Graying”
“Love this … I’m going to subscribe!” - Mary Alice J.
“I resonated with your story!" - Kathleen M.
“Thanks, Jim. Valuable story. You’re real.” - Allen H.
“We know your online posts will lead a lot of people to reflect on their lives, too, and share their struggles and successes. You are affecting the world for good.” – Helen and Jerry Z.
”Thank you, Jim, for these heart-warming stories. Life is good and so are people.” - Brenda H.
”You’re exploring both ageism and ableism in your stories — something I rarely see. Congrats.” - Josh H.
“Jim, I absolutely love reading your stories. You never disappoint …” - Mary K.
The magic of thoughtfulness
Put magic in your thoughtfulness as a gift giver during 2024. Give annual subscriptions of “52 Shades of Graying” to those you cherish.
It will affirm your recognition during the next 52 weeks that, according to Brené Brown, The New York Times best selling author, vulnerability is the base for not only courage, openness and authenticity but also resiliency and empathy.
And a gift subscription to “52 Shades of Graying” is a bargain: 52 short stories, 52 takeaway tips, 52 discussion questions, 52 amusing quotes and 52 chat sessions.
The receiver of your gift subscription will get a full 52 weeks of stories and discussion/chats no matter when he or she becomes a member of the community because “52 Shades of Graying” is a revolving online service. When week 52's story is published, “52 Shades of Graying” reboots and starts another rotation of 52 stories, revisiting story 1, story 2 etc., with new comments and a new live chat and anecdote each week in another annual sequence.
At any time during a 52-week subscription, a subscriber can access all 52 stories by clicking on the archive link on the “52 Shades of Graying” home page.
How to make your gift giving easier
Here’s what to do when you decide to give someone special in your life a year’s subscription to “52 Shades of Graying.”
Your recipient will automatically receive a “welcome new subscriber” email from me.
But before that “welcome” note is sent, you may wish to send a private message (available on your signup form) to clarify several things. Below is a template for that little message. You can edit and use it as you see fit.
Hi, XXXX:
As you will see in an upcoming email message, you are now all set to receive a “52 Shades of Graying” short story in your email each week during the next 12 months.
Whenever your subscription starts, it will automatically roll into 2025 to make sure you receive all 52 stories.
At any time during the year, you can access all 52 stories by clicking on the archive link on the “52 Shades of Graying” home page.
I hope you enjoy these short stories. Here’s a fan favorite.
XXXXXXX
Here’s to mature-adult living!
Jim Hasse, ABC, GCDF retired, author of “52 Shades of Graying”
Sharing our Insights Each Week as We Discover New Shades of Aging
