As we reflect
back at the end of another year, did you ever expect to be where you are now? You
started a point A, life bounced you around to point B, and then somehow you stumbled
onto point C. And now many years later, here you are at point H, wondering how
did that happen! Life is unpredictable and although we try to steer the ship,
there always seems to be deep currents or dark storms sending us off course.
So we
do our best, minding our p’s and q’s, appreciating our friends and neighbors, nurturing
the best in ourselves, and still dreaming about what can be. And as we start
this great adventure for another year, not knowing what we will discover, I
would like to share with you one of my favorite quotes.
“A
mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be
objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned there is both
good and bad in all people and in all things, who walks humbly and deals
charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is
all-knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity.” Eleanor
Roosevelt.
As if
I had this planned, I’ll end 2017 with the final lesson from the Blue Zone’s
Power of 9 which is the “Right Tribe”. Blue Zone researchers found that
individuals who lived the longest were either born into or created social
circles that promoted healthy behaviors. This isn’t new. Remember when your parents
told you to be careful who you hung out with. They knew your social networks could
affect your immediate behavior. But research has also shown that your friends
can have a long-term impact on well-being and can affect whether you smoke, are
overweight, happy or even lonely.
So if
you want to enjoy good health and live longer, join the right tribe and surround
yourself with supportive, positive individuals who push you to become a better and
healthier person.
As we
end this year, I want to thank everyone who has supported the Center through their
donations of time or money, whether large or small. The list is too long to
name every person and business, but you know who you are.
But I
also want to thank everyone who has given to their communities whether as a
driver for the Tygh School Center Community Bus or for The Dalles
Meals-on-Wheels;
volunteering
at the Warming Shelter or the SMART program; or whether you serve the community
through one of the many service organizations.
For
every negative story you hear, there are many more positive uplifting tales of
service that are done not for the recognition, but because someone needed to
step up and do it. For all of you, take a moment and pat yourself on the back
and tell yourself, “Good job”. You are the heart and backbone of your communities.
The actor/singer
who sang the Christmas classic “Holly Jolly Christmas” featured in the 1964
Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer was Burl Ives. (I received
correct answers from Jeannie Pesicka, Don McAllister, Jerry Philips, Jess Birge,
Betsy Ayers and this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket is Dave Lutgens –
who, if you are an old timer, may remember him as “Shakey Dave”.)
You
can’t think of New Year’s Eve without thinking of the late Dick Clark. How many
times have you watched Dick Clark host the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and the annual
ball drop in Times Square? (Now with the Internet, you can watch the ball drop
in Times Square live and still get to bed by 9:15 - which works for me.)
But
Dick Clark’s first claim to fame was hosting a television show featuring
teenagers dancing to the top 40 hits – which I remember watching to learn the
latest dance moves. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name
of this show and for bonus points, in what east coast city was it first
produced? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at
541-296-4788 or send it with a 45 record of “Palisades Park” by Freddy Cannon
who appeared on the show 110 times.
Well,
it’s been another week, making it up as I go. Until we meet again, have a safe and
Happy New Year.
“Lighten
up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more and don’t get so worked up about
things.” Kenneth Branagh