Many
friends tell me they read the Chronicle every day, not for the local news and
great sports reporting, but to see if their name is in the obituaries. Although
I don’t know anyone who has found their own name, unfortunately, we do find the
names of many of our friends.
Death
is a difficult subject. But when we check the obituaries, we become more
familiar with death as we are reminded our existence on this earth doesn’t last
forever. Death no longer is a nightmare experienced in our youth, but becomes a
reality with which we struggle to come to terms with in our own way. Learning of
friends who have passed away becomes a part of life. And no matter how
difficult, somehow, we learn to live with our loss and to keep living.
Over
the past two weeks we have lost several people who in their own special ways have
contributed significantly to the Center.
Ardyce
Edling was the inspiration for the tap and clogging class that she taught at
the Center for I don’t know how many years because she was teaching it when I
arrived at the Center ten years ago. She was still teaching the class, when they
celebrated her 90th birthday, and I thought if I can be that active at
90, I will have had a good life.
We
also lost David Zopf. David, with his wife Nancy, was a faithful driver for Meals-on-Wheels,
as well as spending hours taking care of the grounds around the Center - particularly
the rose garden. You would often see him trimming the roses and bushes on the
weekends. When he saw something that needed to be done, he would just do it. David
had a dry sense of humor and when he talked to me, I was often uncomfortable,
because I wasn’t smart enough to tell if he was teasing or if he was serious and
I had better shape up.
Then
to make bad things worse, Betty Harlan also passed away. She was an integral part
of the success of Meals-on-Wheels including director - even before Meals-on-Wheels
moved to its present location at the Center in 1987. She was also the Center’s interim
director when I arrived ten years ago. When she retired, she couldn’t stay away
- volunteering her time working at the check-in table for Meals-on-Wheels and as
an afternoon receptionist for the Center. And Betty didn’t stop volunteering
when she could no longer walk comfortably and was confined to a wheelchair.
It has
been an inspiration to have known Ardyce, David and Betty. It is comforting to
know they lived a good life - with determination, purpose and compassion, making
The Dalles a much better place. In the back of our minds we knew this time
would come, but it is still a sad surprise. The Center and Meals-on-Wheels will
truly miss them.
If you
enjoy listening or dancing to live local music, stop by the Center on Tuesday
Nights, when the Simcoe Boys will be performing on March 21st. The
doors open at 6:00, music starts at 6:30 and donations are always appreciated.
The
name for a mechanical instrument used to compute mathematical problems that
looked similar to a ten-inch ruler (but I also learned came in circular models)
was the slide rule. (It must be hard to forget those math classes, because I received
a slew of correct answers from: Bernie Sleep, Lucille and Harold Stephens,
Sandy and Bob Haechrel, Lana Tepfer, Ed Anghilante, Jerry Phillips, Sonja
Peterson and Kathy Shebley, who is this week’s randomly drawn winner of a quilt
raffle ticket.)
But
this week I’m moving from science to romance. Back in the 60’s, I found dating
wasn’t easy for me during high school. But to assist in that extracurricular
activity, my friends and I would wear one of the popular colognes – back when fragrances
weren’t discouraged because of allergic reactions. For this week’s “Remember
When” question, what was your favorite cologne or perfume during your high
school or college days? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com,
leave a message at 541-296-4788 or mail it with a bottle of Jade East, my
favorite cologne.
Well,
it’s been another week, trying to adjust to the time change. Until we meet
again, as Leonard Cohen once sang, “There is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in.”
“It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't
want to be there when it happens.” Woody Allen
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