SpaceCoast boomers A boomer’s passion for life in slivers By angela Smith
Whether he's talking about his love for cruise ships or his intriguing days as a paramedic, the reverence Craig Cusanelli has for life is evident. Before he settled in Rockledge in the early 1990s, he grew up in South Florida, where the sun was always shining, and growth didn’t seem to end. He is old enough to remember the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy in the 1960s, and spent his 20s living the chaotic world of the 1970s. But it wasn’t until Cusanelli was discharged from the Army in 1973, after three years of duty in Okinawa, Japan, that he found the first sliver of his life’s passion—saving lives as a paramedic. “It was dangerous. There were adrenaline rushes every single shift I worked,� Cusanelli said. “Then there was the feeling of joy when you actually helped somebody or saved somebody’s life. There are so many emotions. It’s like a roller coaster when you do a job like that.� After 17 years of saving strangers’ lives, Cusanelli’s instinctive curiosity
about the world and appreciation for the diversity of people became the second sliver of his life’s passion. It led him to follow his lifelong dream of working on a cruise ship, traveling to places he had always imagined. “It was just one of these things I didn’t expect it to be—and to become a cruise director—I just wanted to work on ships as a cruise staff for six months,� Cusanelli said. “I got totally hooked and I started climbing the ship’s ladder, basically...and I stayed for seven years.� Cusanelli now spends a few days as a pier attendant in Port Canaveral, and his other days pursuing his life’s current passion: creating self-historian books for boomers and others — something he realized was key after his father passed away. “When I got married, I tried to explain to my wife about my father and it was just one of those things where I gave her the basics about him,� Cusanelli said. “I didn’t really know the guy. It was sad.� With that, he developed, It’s About Me and It’s About Us, self-historian books that could preserve lifelong memories, like the ones he missed with his father. Sharing a favorite
Senior life Mary Brotherton
Craig Cusanelli works on his journal inspired by his father, shown in the photo.
movie, friends, enemies or most embarrassing moment, according to Cusanelli, are ways to pass on memories that photos cannot. “Pictures don’t tell the whole story,� he said. “I want people to realize that they can fill out this book and have it as a knowl-
edge base for their families. It’s like a genealogy book, but this way they can go back and share stories about their parents that were actually written in the book by them.� For more information about the books, visit selfhistorians.com.
Vibrant Living At Crane Creek, you’ll experience a unique lifestyle so appealing, you’ll feel right at home, right away! Event Calendar July 6 • 2 p.m. Karaoke with Dean July 6 • 9-10:30 a.m. free Blood pressure and Blood sugar Checks with the vna July 19 • 2 p.m. indian river rehab
Ask for the VNA! If you’re a Medicare participant seeing a doctor for a heart condition, orthopedic services, lung problems, or complications from a stroke, then your physician may refer you to a homecare agency. The VNA can help. We work with you and your doctor to develop a plan of care that’s right for you, allowing you to stay safe and comfortable in your own home. When you need homecare, ask your physician for the VNA.
321.752.7550 www.vnatc.com 6NMRLJ[N ,N[]RORNM v 5RLNW\N 11* """"
www.myseniorlife.com
July 20 • 9-10 a.m. free Blood pressure Checks
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Crane Creek Senior Apartments
A premier affordable community for active, independent seniors
ImmedIate Occupancy • european-style Kitchens • Wall-to-Wall Berber carpet • Indoor Heated pool and Spa • Laundry Facilities • pre-wired for phones & cable • 24-Hour emergency Repair service • emergency Response call System • Library • Local transportation
Life enriching activities await you!
2309 S. Babcock Street, Melbourne, FL
For leasing information, call 321-952-5464 JULY 2011 • SENIOR LIFE
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