Were
you ever called a “Fraidy Cat”? Unable to go to sleep without a night light. Or
teased because you were too scared to watched Godzilla. Your imagination could
run wild with all the “could be’s and maybe’s” - that monster could climb out
from under the bed!
But as
we have matured, so have our fears. And what was never a second thought, is now
something to worry about: we stumble once, we worry about falling; we find a
new mole, we think skin cancer; when we can’t remember an old friend, we’re losing
our memory. And then while trying to sleep, late at night, in the dark, the
fear of dying creeps into our minds. (Okay those may just be my fears, but you
get the point, right? And maybe a night light is still a good idea.)
And
while our fears, can keep us safe: staying off tall ladders, making the mammogram
appointment, and getting our daily exercise, unreasonable fears (like the monster
in the closet) can keep us from experiencing new opportunities. We let the fear
of a disapproving look, keep us from painting; the fear of losing a loved one,
keep us from forming new relationships; and because we are afraid of looking
awkward, we don’t dance.
To manage our fears, it helps to stay connected with
family; enjoy the laughter and support of our friends and to plan and prepare
for the “inevitables”. (I hate to remind you who are in denial, but we are
going to get older; we are going to lose friends and loved ones; and someday, we
will pass from this earthly existence - but hopefully not too soon!)
Life
is too short to worry about how short life is; too short to play it safe and
miss all the opportunities and possibilities. None of us know what is going to
happen today or tomorrow, let alone ten year from now. But as we live with our
fears, we can still embrace each day - while enjoying the dance as long as the
music keeps playing.
While grazing on the Internet, I found this memory tip
posted on the blog “Marc
and Angel Hack Life”. (It seems like memory isn’t
just a concern of us older folks.) To improve your memory, they suggest before
going to sleep at night, reviewing everything you did during the day - in
specific detail as if you were watching a video replay. At first you may not
remember much, but with experience you will gradually remember the details of
your day – and maybe even remember where you misplaced that missing book! Try it
for thirty days and see if it helps.
At the
Center’s Tuesday Lecture on April 9th starting at 11:00, Gae and Don
Wimberly will discuss The Dalles Relay for Life - scheduled for Saturday June
22nd. Relay for Life celebrates survivorship, offers hope while raising
funds to end the threat of cancer.
And before the river rises and the
wind starts to blow, playing tonight at the Center is “The Strawberry Mountain
Band”. And next Tuesday “Martin and
Friends” will be plucking away for your dancing and listening enjoyment. Music
begins at 7:00, everyone is welcome and donations are always appreciated
The Oregon
native who wrote “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and who was “too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a hippie," was Ken Kesey (And this week’s winner is Merry
Prankster Dennis Morgan.)
But for this week’s “Remember When”
question, let’s move to the Korean Peninsula. There have been bellicose threats
coming from the young premier of North Korea, but that region has always been a
flashpoint since the end of WWII. But on April 11th1951, who was the
Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command
(UNCOM) that was replaced by
President Harry Truman, but returned to the states with a hero’s welcome before
he “faded away”? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or send it with a picture of the
Port of Inchon.
Well, it has been another week
enjoying the walks down to the river and back. Until we meet again, as Mae West
once said, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
“The very basic core of the human spirit is a natural passion
for exploration and growth. This growth comes directly from our
encounters with new experiences; and hence there is no greater destination in
life than to have an endlessly changing horizon – for each day to have a new
and different sun.”
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