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Blogger Goes Around L.A. Asking Old People for Advice on Camera
David, 72, is an art historian
Since mid June, Seth Menachem has been walking around his Fairfax District neighborhood, getting to know his elderly neighbors, interviewing them on camera for advice and posting the captivating short clips on his blog, Life Advice from Old People.
"Maybe it's because my dad died, maybe it's because I was so close to my grandparents, and maybe it's a combination of both," he explained over e-mail. "But, I love speaking to the elderly and I love getting advice from them on the things they've learned in their lives. It forces me to reevaluate my life constantly - not a bad thing. Even if I'm doing all the right stuff (believe me, I'm not), there's nothing wrong with checking in to see what can be done better. I actually learn a lot from the people who didn't necessarily do everything right. They reveal the most about life when they reflect on what they lost, what they could have had, and what they should have done differently."
The idea for the blog came when he was hanging out with two of his elderly neighbors who were telling stories and giving him advice on life. "I realized that most elderly have so much to teach and so few people to tell what they've learned," Menachem explained. "I thought I could find a way to make it easy for young people to hear from old people while giving the old people a platform to speak. Frank and Abe have no idea what a blog is, but they did it for me, anyway."
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Menachem, who is an actor and writer by day--he just sold a TV show to Starz called Partners--already has a collection of over 40 videos. Many of them focus on locals, but he has caught a few stars of note including actor Jon Voight and Oscar winning director Errol Morris who both gave some very poignant advice (view those videos below).
Jon Voight, Actor
Errol Morris, Director
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