Unless you are a Jeremiah Johnson living in the Rocky Mountains, everyone
needs to participate in a network of social supports. When raising a family and
working full time, those supports came easily. But when the last paid job is
only a memory; friends and family have moved or passed away; and the body?
Well, it certainly ain’t what it used to be - all these changes make it harder to
get out and stay socially connected.
But the effort is worth it. Staying socially engaged provides many
benefits for your overall health and wellbeing: new relationships, feelings of
accomplishment from learning new skills, the knowledge and information gained
from others, and the mental stimulation. In fact, a 2009 Archives of Internal
Medicine study showed that social activity for older adults is just as
important as exercise and found that folks who were socially inactive
experienced physical decline at a rate 1/3 more rapid than those who were
socially active – even if they exercised regularly.
But I imagine most of you reading this column are already socially
active and maybe even feel you are busier now than when you were working! (But
instead of doing what you had to do, you can now do what you want to do, when
you want - which is no small potatoes.) But you may also know someone, a friend
or even a parent, who you feel needs to get out more and start doing things.
For those folks here are several suggestions.
Enjoy a nutritious lunch at the Center provided by Meals-on-Wheels
for a suggested donation of $3.75 for anyone over 60, participate in religious
or spiritual activities of your choice, attend community events such as the February
23rd A Taste of Literacy (a benefit for The Dalles SMART Program) at the Sunshine
Mill. Or for something smaller and quieter, join an interest group (or start
one) such as the third Thursday book group at The Dalles/Wasco County Library
or the Quilters and the Needle Nutz at the Center. And then there are many
places looking for volunteers of all shapes and sizes.
Often transportation is a barrier and if so, you can call LINK at
541-296-7595 to reserve a ride. You may find it less convenient than owning
your own car, but how convenient is it to pay for insurance, gas and change
flat tires? The fare is from $1.50 to $5.00 each way and you will need exact
change. Reservations must be made by 3:00 PM for a ride on the next business
day and you may request a ride one to thirty days in advance. And they will
make every effort to fulfill all requests for rides.
By popular demand, Nehemiah Brown, a Pacific NW vocalist in the smooth
vocal style of Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett, will be returning to the Center on
Friday, February 28th from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. The cost is $3.00 per
person.
7h3 5imco3 Boy5 will BE back A7 7HE C3N73R
n3x7 7u35day 7h3 25th playing 7h3ir rou5ing 57yl3 of mu5icfor your
li573ning and dancing 3njoym3n7. 7h3 door5 op3n a7 6:00, mu5ic 57ar7s a7 7:00
and you’ll b3 hom3 by 9:00 or clo53 7o i7. 3v3ryon3 i5 invi73d And dona7ion5 ar3 ALWAY5 APPR3CIA73D
I
stumped most everyone last week except Alex Currie who is the winner of a free
Saturday Breakfast on March 15th. And the two Americans who won Gold in the 1960
men’s and women’s figure skating competition? They were David Jenkins and Carol
Heiss, who later starred in the movie “Snow
White and the Three Stooges”.
For this week’s “Remember When” question, here’s
something a little easier but still sports related. Before Bob Costas and
Bryant Gumbel were the prime time hosts for the Olympics on NBC, Jim McKay was
the host for six Olympics on ABC. But he was also the host of what weekly
sports show that spanned the globe “to bring
you ... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat...”? And for the bonus
question, what sports event do you remember most vividly from that sports show?
E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788
or send it with two season passes to the ESPN Sports Complex in Orlando,
Florida.
Well, it has been another week trying to keep my head above water
while keeping a smile on my face. Until we meet again, it’s not important what
song is playing, just keep dancing.
“I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way
(s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled
Christmas tree lights.” Maya Angelou
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