Filmmakers from Voyager recently invited workers from the Easton Area Lifestyle Campus to visit Mary Tony, a 98 year old woman who frequents the facility, at her home. Tony lives alone, so being able to attend the activities at the senior center each week bring her a lot of joy. She explained to the Voayger film crew that her only option is to live alone.
She said that she can’t see or hear and she can’t live with her nieces because they have families of their own. But Tony has made many friends at the senior center, and she looks forward to seeing them each week. However, on the weekends, when the center is closed, Tony doesn’t have much to do in order to pass the time. While they visited her home, Tony divulged her secret for passing the time to the filmmakers.
When she’s all alone, Tony told the crew that she cuts up junk mail for something to do. She explained that she cuts up the mail into small pieces and puts it in a garbage bag and takes it out to the trash. Tony is aware that her habit may be strange to some, but she said that she has to do something or she would go crazy. The workers from the senior center who visited Tony were tearful after they learned how she spent her days. One worker confessed that she never thought about what the seniors do when they leave the center.
Tony was also emotional during their visit. She told workers that she was so grateful that they all came to visit, adding that they made her day and she would never forget it. Although she may be lonely at times, Tony is extremely healthy for her age, and she mentioned the fact that she is thankful for her health in the film.
Although the film’s focus is on Tony, it also highlights a larger problem. According to a study done by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, nearly half of women who are 75 and older live by themselves. The film shows the desire Tony has for love and socialization, which is undoubtedly the case for other women in a similar circumstance.