Have
you heard the phrase “Walk Like a Penguin”? And I’m not talking about the
supervillain in the Batman movies.
It’s
a way to think about walking safely in snow and ice. For the last several
weeks, I’ve been meaning to share this concept, but I kept thinking it’s too
late. It’s not going to snow again. Ah,
the optimistic fool I am.
But
to make sure it doesn’t snow again during what’s left of this winter, I’m going
to finally share with you how to walk like a penguin to avoid falls and slips
during these icy conditions.
I
first saw “Walk Like A Penguin” signs outside The Dalles Fitness and Court Club
(which will soon be another name left to the old timers to remember such as
Treaty Oak, Valley Vista or Camlu). I had guessed it meant to step carefully
but I recently discovered a more detailed description, so I don’t have to watch
a National Geographic special about penguins.
To
walk like a penguin, it is suggested you do the following: point your feet out
slightly; bend your knees and keep them loose; extend your arms out to your side
and hands out of your pockets; and take short steps or waddle.
In
addition, since we haven’t evolved webbed feet yet, wear shoes or boots with
traction. Assume all wet and dark areas on pavement are icy - especially around
snow banks where the melt off freezes over-night. And if it’s still too
treacherous, wow your friends and “Slide Like A Penguin” on your belly across
the snow.
Whether
it’s icy or not, this is a good time to remind yourself that falls are the
leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. So, don’t rush
and stay focused - until next winter when you’ll know to “Walk Like A Penguin”!
“Lectures
for the Curious” start this month at the Center. There is one lecture each week
in March beginning Wednesday, March 6th at 1:00 with Lucille
Torgerson and Widge Johnson presenting “As I Was Saying”- tips on how to write
your life story.
Then
on Tuesday, March 12th 1:00 PM, “From Pioneer Drugstore to Community Icon: The
Waldron Brother's Drugstore” describes the fascinating history of the Waldron
Brother’s Drugstore (also known as the Gitchell Building). Speaker: Eric
Gleason - local resident and professional archaeologist.
On
Wednesday, March 20th 1:00 PM, “Free Telephone Devices for the Hearing
Impaired”. Learn more about Oregon CapTel’s Captioned Telephones and
smartphones offered through Sprint which give people who are hard of hearing
the ability to communicate on the telephone - and these services are FREE!
Speaker: Susan Kirk - CapTel Training Specialist
Tuesday,
March 26th 1:00 PM “Benefits of Using MCMC’s MyChart”. Learn how to access the
many advantages of MCMC’s MyChart: scheduling appointments, checking test
results, paying bills, or searching for medical information. Speaker: Karen
Jones - MCMC Health Information Manager.
If
you have thrown the Chronicle in the recycling bin and forgot when Eric Gleason
is going to speak at the Center, the easiest place to find the information is on
the Center’s website. It’s not fancy but is generally up to date and 95%
accurate (They’ll always be a few mistakes to show I’m not an infallible robot).
Go to www.midcolumbiaseniorcenter.com or just google Mid-Columbia Senior Center.
The
irreverent World War II novel by Joseph Heller first published in 1961 whose
title became a way to describe a “no-win” situation was Catch-22. I received correct answers from Jerry
Phillips, Sandy Haechrel, Lana Tepfer, Bob Earls, Carol Earl, Darlene Marick,
Bobette Stewart, Dan Ericksen, and Sally Forster this week’s winner of a quilt
raffle ticket. And from last week I missed Laurel Slatt, Kathy Viemeister and
Sandy Haechrel.
Lana
Tepfer answered my plea and emailed me this challenging question – the first of
this month’s questions about early technology. For this week’s “Remember When”
question, what was the name of the 15,000-pound computer that was introduced on
TV in the 1950's and tallied presidential election's results before our very
eyes? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at
541-296-4788 or return your answer with a box of 5,000 vacuum tubes.
Well,
it’s been another week, wishing for at least one good idea. Until we meet
again, keep your chin up and your hands warm.
“It’s
your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it and
make it the life you want to live.” —Mae Jemison
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