A Life of Discovery, a Plan for What's Next
For Joseph Slade and Judith Yaross Lee, staying active, connected and prepared for the future are all part of living well. That approach made ThriveMore at Home a natural fit, giving them access to wellness opportunities today and trusted support they can count on if their needs change.
They’re among the most active members of the group. In addition to daily exercise regimens they do at home, the couple bikes three times a week, usually on the Tobacco Trail, for 10-12 miles each time. They swim 1,000 meters at a time, three days a week.
“We enjoy it,” Joseph said of the exercise. “It keeps us pretty fit.” Despite being healthy now, Joseph still wanted the extra support for wellness and possible health challenges that membership with ThriveMore at Home provides. And it gives him peace of mind that his wife will continue receiving support if something were to happen to him.
“We like the program so far,” he said at the most recent in-person member gathering. Instructor Sharon Mills led the group in Tai Chi exercises. Joseph was familiar with the practice because he spent six months in Thailand and saw many people practicing in public parks there.
Joseph and Judith spent their careers as historians, which led to them working abroad a lot. Thailand, Finland and the Netherlands are just a few of the places they’ve lived in or visited for lectures or consulting over the years.
“Judith and I are both historians in the field of American Cultural Studies, but she specializes in American humor, and I specialize in the history of technology,” Joseph said.
They've published twelve books between the two of them, including two that they edited together, and are each working on another one now.
Additionally, they each had Fulbright appointments abroad. Joseph was the Bicentennial Professor of American Studies at the University of Helsinki in 1986-87 and Judith was the Senior Professor of American Culture at Leiden University in 2016.
“She also was the first professor for Ohio University’s PhD program in Communication Studies at Bangkok University in 1994 while I travelled to other Asian countries for the United States Information Agency and she stayed at our Bangkok base with our 12 and 2 year-olds,” Joseph said, adding that they have had fortunate careers.
Joseph credits his upbringing to how he’s lived such a global life. He was born in Georgia the son of a traveling salesman.
“It made me used to moving around,” he said. He’s still committed to experiencing the world and traveling, recently having returned from an international trip with plans for more in the future.
Through ThriveMore at Home, Joseph and Judith can continue pursuing the active, globally minded life they value while knowing they have a plan for what may come next. The program combines wellness, personal guidance and coordinated support to help members remain independent in the homes and communities they love, with added peace of mind for themselves and their families.
