David J. Claassen of Brandon is a retired pastor and author from Toledo, Ohio. He recently released his book, Growing Older Gracefully: 31 Reflections on Finishing Well.
“I’ve had a passion for writing since I was a teenager, starting by writing on a picnic table under a shade tree on our Iowa farm with an old Underwood typewriter that I still have,” Claassen said. “The book explores the challenges of the aging process and how we can experience this stage of life as a fulfilling journey.”
Claassen kept the 31 chapters short because he didn’t like reading long chapters in a book and believes most people don’t either.
“It addresses a great many subjects that we seniors must face,” he said. “The material is based on my experience of pastoring hundreds of people in their senior years over my nearly 40 years of ministry. Observing my own parents and those of my wife navigate the senior years also provided insight for the book. I read a number of other books on the subject and gleaned them for helpful quotes and insights on the subject of aging well. Then, too, there’s my own experience of being in my mid-70s that influenced the writing of the book, and, of course, being a pastor, the book has multiple references and insights from the Bible on how to approach this last stage of life.”
Claassen began his book by describing a sign on the outskirts of a small town in Iowa named Readlyn.
“The sign reads, ‘Readlyn 857 friendly people and one old grump.’” Claassen said. “Legend has it that years ago, a hobo got off the train and decided he would make Readlyn his home. The hobo’s demeanor prompted the townspeople to call him ‘the old grump.’ I’m hoping that my book encourages the reader to find ways from becoming ‘the old grump’ as the senior years roll by.”
The inspiration for Claassen’s book came from his life experiences.
“There’s a saying among writers that you should write about what you know,” Claassen said. “Well, I know about living the senior years, and so, as a writer, I thought I’d write about. As a pastor, I also learned a lot and was personally impacted by what I taught and preached in the church. In other words, my preaching and teaching probably did me better than it did for the people who listened to me. I figured that writing a book on growing older gracefully would help me grow older gracefully.”
If you would like to get a copy of Claassen’s book, either in eBook or paperback, you can go to Claassen’s website, www.daveclaassen.com, on which he has a link to Amazon where the book may be ordered.
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