There’s little about getting older that is generalizable- the changes that come can sometimes be subtle, or stark, and the experience is often different depending on who you are, where you come from and what systems of support envelop you. For four students at the Columbia University Graduation School of Journalism, that reality became clear after they each spent extensive time documenting the stories of individual seniors residing in the metropolitan New York region. You can read more about their school project Here.

But what you really need to do is listen: listen to the stories each senior has relayed. There are podcasts about the burdens of family caregiving, the challenges of aging in place, the quandary of how to continue to engage those who are ravaged by dementia and the unique situation of a long-time older inmate newly released into a 21st-century world. Each of the four podcasts, about a half-hour in length, is worthy of your time. So settle down, or start your walk, and listen Here.