On CHCO-TV, “Pathways to Stillness” Frames Ageing as a Personal and Collective Narrative

In Episode 4 of Pathways to Stillness, a public affairs program on CHCO-TV, co-hosts Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon and Vicki Hogarth examine the social and emotional dimensions of aging in New Brunswick. Framed around the theme “The Journey of Aging is About Changes on All Levels,” the episode offers a dialogue rooted in personal testimony and reflective practice rather than expert prescription.

Drawing on viewer responses to a previous prompt, the episode incorporates voices from across the province, offering counter-narratives to common stereotypes about getting older. Cathy, a 47-year-old Deer Island resident living with multiple sclerosis, describes her ongoing commitment to running and performing in a rock band. “Age is absolutely a number,” she says. Al, 64, from Fredericton, adds, “No one who talks to me sees a 64-year-old man,” citing his love for playing guitar. Their remarks push back on reductive assumptions about what older adults are supposed to look like or do.

Theresa from Saint John speaks about her sister, an 81-year-old blind woman who works out every day. “She’s my hero,” she says. Her story, like others featured in the episode, avoids sentimentality in favour of plainspoken admiration for perseverance and routine.

Rather than offering a single definition of stillness, Dr. Irwin-Kenyon, an academic gerontologist and long-time Tai Chi practitioner, uses the episode to distinguish between the “doing” and “being” stories that people live. “Life is about changes,” he says, urging viewers to see aging not just as decline, but as a period of psychological transition, often marked by a shift in priorities. His comments also touch on the emotional labour of caregiving and healthcare work, noting the need for micro-moments of self-care in professional settings.

At one point, Hogarth reflects on how practices rooted in stillness, such as journaling, walking, or breathing exercises, can lead to unexpected clarity. “Sometimes that thing you do that really is just about peace of mind and stillness can be what opens that next door for you,” she says. The observation isn’t framed as self-help but as a starting point for reframing personal transitions.

Viewers’ experiences continue to shape the narrative. Melanie, in one response, notes: “It feels strange to be the same age as old people.” The remark is delivered without irony and encapsulates a broader sentiment shared by many: the dissonance between inner identity and external expectations.

The episode concludes not with a summary but a prompt, inviting viewers to reflect on the moments in their lives when they felt most alive or most like themselves. It’s an implicit call for narrative ownership, an idea that underpins much of the series.

The closing segment features a Tai Chi movement called “Wave Hands Like a Cloud.” Its inclusion is understated but purposeful: a brief physical practice that extends the show’s thematic concern with embodied change and quiet resistance to haste.

Without veering into advocacy or nostalgia, Pathways to Stillness continues to serve as a civic forum—using local stories to explore how aging intersects with dignity, autonomy, and cultural context in small-town Atlantic Canada.