When
you think of older adults and seniors what picture comes to mind? A single
woman living on Social Security? A retired couple traveling to Arizona for the
winters? A wife taking care of her invalid husband? Or maybe someone more
glamorous. Sophia Loren, Morgan Freeman or Betty White?
Adults
sixty and older are a diverse lot and hard to categorize. There are the usual attempts
such as by age: the G.I Generation, born from around 1901 through 1924; the
Silent Generation born from the mid-1920s to the early 1940s; and the Baby
Boomers, born from 1943 up to the early 1960s; or by income level: affluent,
middle income and those living only on Social Security.
But
societal conditions have changed. Life expectancy has increased more than 30
years since 1900, working conditions have improved with higher wages and better
pensions, and medical advancements have maintained the health of older adults -
all providing more opportunities for older adults to blossom in their later
years.
Today businesses
are beginning to see the value of marketing to older adults, and are
recognizing the diversity by identifying different subgroups. Some of these
identified subgroups, based on values, consumer behaviors, health status and
attitudes, are the Prosperous Empty Nesters, The Elders, Retirement
Communities, Senior Sun Seekers, the Social Security Set, and Old Geezers.
(Actually I made up that last group, and I know who you are!)
This
diversity creates a challenge for any organization or business wanting to reach
and engage the older adult population. An example of an attempt to address this
challenge is the weekly newspaper I picked up in Salem, whose publisher may be
familiar to many folks around here: David Thouvenal, once the publisher of the
upstart “Weekly Reminder”. He now publishes the “Northwest Boomer and Senior
News” which acknowledges the diversity of older adults by including two
subgroups of older adults in the name of the newspaper.
It is also
a challenge the Center is working to meet - providing opportunities and
supports for the wide range of interest and needs of such a diverse older
population - from the Prosperous Empty Nesters to the Old Geezers.
A
quick heads-up so you can put it on your calendar. The annual Original
Courthouse Regional History Forum Series for 2015, begins on February 7th at
1:30 p.m. in the upstairs courtroom of the 1859 courthouse at 410 West 2nd
Place, This year’s forums will cover Japanese Families in the Mosier Area Prior
to 1942 on February 7; General George Wright, Defender of the Civil War Pacific
Coast on February 14; Time and Change on Mount Adams on February 21; and Delivering
the Mail: Wasco County Post Offices on
February 28. .
For
the 11:00 Tuesday Lecture on February 3rd, I will be discussing a
fascinating topic that I haven’t determined yet. Come and be surprised.
And
have I mentioned that on Saturday February 7th, Saturday Night Bingo
will return to its regular starting time of 6:00 PM with a free dinner graciously
prepared by Cherry Heights Living and served at 5:00 PM for the first 65 bingo
players? I did? Oh, never mind.
For
the Tuesday Night Music and Dance at the Center on February 3rd, the crowd
pleasing Andre, K.C. and Tom will be performing. Doors open at 6:00 and the
music starts at 7:00. All ages are welcome and donations are always appreciated.
The
fictional character that was a reformed jewel thief and safe cracker; and appeared
in short stories, B-movies, and on radio and television was Boston Blackie ; (And
the winner of a free Cherry Festival Breakfast is Renee Briggs who mentioned that
you can still watch old Boston Blackie
movies on the local getTV station.)
Diana
Weston emailed me a collection of pictures of consumer items most anyone under
50 would not recognize: from a McGuffey’s Spelling Book to the inserts made for
45 records. One of those pictures gave
me the idea for this week’s “Remember When” question.
What
was the name of translucent pink styling gel with a unique smell and gelatinous
consistency that was advertised on television in the 1960s? E-mail your answer to
mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or drop it off with a bag of Wil-Hold
Large Brush Plastic Rollers.
Well,
it’s been another week, trying to remember what the score is. Until we meet
again, attitude can make the difference between a good day and a terrible,
horrible, no good, very bad day.
“There
are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.”
~Robert Brault
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