A Fulfilling Life in Any Language: How One Senior Scholar Is Continuing Her Lifelong Passion at The Village

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: There’s no such thing as a “typical” resident of The Village at Germantown. Our senior living community is home to many fascinating, accomplished people from fields as diverse as forensic science, nursing, accounting and even Hollywood set design. And after they make their move to senior living, their stories don’t end … they simply change form. Many continue their lifelong vocations by starting a club, leading a group or mentoring others.

One inspiring example is Sherron K. After cultivating a distinguished career in the language arts, she continued pursuing her passion for syntax, semantics and phonetics at The Village—and even taught her fellow residents a thing or two about the rich history of language. Here is her story.

Finding Peace of Mind After a Storied Career

Before retiring to Memphis to be close to her sister, Sherron spent 40 years as a Medieval Literature professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, where she published numerous works about Chaucer. “The languages of the Middle Ages have always fascinated me, especially medieval poetic theory,” she explains. Sherron also coached the equestrian team—and even brought her two nationally rated horses to Memphis, so they could live out their lives with her.

After spending several years in Memphis, where she also volunteered as an ESL tutor for Arabic-speaking refugees, Sherron decided it would be wise to have a plan in place for any future healthcare needs. “I didn’t want a friend or someone else to take care of me,” she says. “That would be a huge imposition. So, when I first heard about Continuing Care Retirement Communities, it sounded like the kind of arrangement I would want.”

Sherron toured several communities, but The Village truly stood out for her. “I liked the close-knit atmosphere and the abundant intellectual activities,” she explains. “Also—and this may sound superficial, but it’s valid—I loved the horse motif. There’s a big statue of a Palomino out front, and all the streets have equestrian names. How could a horse lover go wrong with that?”

Continuing to Cultivate Intellectual Wellness

Like any family, The Village cherishes its extroverts and introverts, and Sherron proudly falls into the latter category. “The life of a scholar can be a bit solitary, and I was used to spending time alone—but never lonely,” Sherron explains. “I even do step aerobics by myself for an hour each day while listening to NPR with my cat, Zipper, by my side. So, the first few months here were a bit of a culture shock, because everyone is so friendly. People kept inviting me to dinner,” she laughs.

After settling in, Sherron began seeking out others who share her pursuit of intellectual wellness. “You don’t live under a rock at The Village,” she says, “so I’m exploring activities that are more up my alley, such as Curiosity University and book clubs. I’ve also been invited to the woodworking shop, so I may give that a try as well.”

For Sherron, the key to living her best life is continuing her passion for linguistics. She speaks or reads multiple languages—including French, German, Russian, Latin, Greek, Old English, Middle English, Old French, Middle High German and Old Norse. Since moving to The Village, she’s added Arabic to the list as well.

“I found a native Moroccan named Amine—which means ‘just’—through an app, and he’s worked wonders for my ability to communicate meaningfully in Arabic,” Sherron says. “I’m even writing essays for him now. Even though we communicate virtually, he’s like a long-lost twin brother who washed up on the shore in a Shakespearean play.”

Sharing Her Expertise—and Her Love of Words—With Her Neighbors

Retired professors may leave the daily rigors of academia behind, but they can rarely pass up an opportunity to teach others about subjects they love. Sherron is no exception. Recently, she put together a linguistics lecture, which drew in more than 50 inquisitive members of our Germantown senior living community.

“The title of my talk was ‘The Philosophy of Language,’ and much of it focused on one of my favorite Indo-European language diagrams,” Sherron explains. “I believe that the language you speak shapes your reality. It determines what you can think and what you can know. For example, many people don’t realize that English is a Germanic language. Also, while Finnish has different nouns for things like mother, father, husband and wife, there’s only one pronoun—'han’—for he and she. I told everyone that there would be a test next month,” she laughs.

Sherron’s seminar also had the unexpected benefit of expanding her social connections. “A lot of people came to my talk because they were interested in languages, and by the time I was done, I felt like I had found ‘my’ people,” she beams. “They can’t wait for my next talk, which I promised would focus on Arabic.”

Find Your Niche at Our Germantown Senior Living Community

Whether you love painting, gourmet cooking, playing an instrument or delving into history, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to continue your lifelong passion at The Village.

To schedule your tour of our welcoming, family-like community, call us today at 901-737-4242.