Another “praise” report! Read on to find out what it is for!

There are so many other benefits for the senior population, that all who are able to get out, should take advantage of. For example: yesterday, I attended an event that was sponsored by the Central Midlands Council of Governments.

In mid January of this year, I joined the Tri-City Senior Center so that I could take exercise for my weak back. I was able to improve that condition and I hope to continue long after my back becomes “ normal” again.

With a new strain of COVID spreading, this event was entitled, “COVID-19 Outreach“. We were given valuable information that everyone, not just seniors, should be aware of. The presentation was excellent and we were given the opportunity to ask questions and share experiences, if we wished to.

In addition to learning about about the new vaccine, we were reminded about the dates for open enrollment for Medicare. Again, we got our questions answered.

Because of “Hurricane season” still in force, we were reminded of everything we should have ready in case, this destructive force of nature should hit our state and the community where we live. We sometimes think, “ It can’t happen where I live” but that is not always the case! Mother Nature can change her course in a moment.

Not only was this event a gathering of all of the members of the Senior Centers in Lexington County to be made aware of vital information concerning seniors, but it was a fun time! Our senior population likes to dance! Not everyone took to the dance floor, but many of them did! This is not only fun, but exercise!

One of the highlights was lunch! A delicious meal was provided by a local restaurant in Gilbert, where this “gathering” took place. It is so much fun to enjoy food and fellowship! And “to put the icing on the cake“ each senior was presented with a gift bag as we left to return home, which contained masks, a thermometer, a kit to test for COVID at home, hand sanitizer and a few other items.

Being a member of a Lexington County Senior Center is one of the best gifts anyone could give themselves. IF you are a “senior” or know of a senior who would benefit from belonging to a group like this, I urge you to contact the center in your area.

I am a senior, and since some of my closest friends had passed away, I wanted to make new friends…Oh, I have wonderful friends at church, which I am with on Sunday, but I needed more fellowship, so when I joined the Senior Center at Tri-City, I found it “ALL.” I now have exercise, informative programs, lunch, and a “ new” family that I dearly love!

While I am sharing all the benefits of belonging to a Senior Center, I must give credit to my Director Sarah Laird, who plans so many exciting things for our group, and to her Assistant Director, Susan Guyton…to our excellent bus driver, Steve Cox..and to the latest member of the staff, Stephany, who heads up our meals. The four “S’s” at Tri-City are very best!

Whoever said that we enter the “Golden” years as we age…must have known that the group is seniors is a shining example of that! 🌝

Adjustments…there are many along Life’s Pathway!

This morning my mind wandered back to my “beginning “ and some of the adjustments through the years!

First of all, I was born in my Grandmother’s house…so I know having a baby around changed so much for my grandparents, as well as for my own parents. Three years later,my brother came along. Another adjustment for us. I lost my “position “ as queen bee! An adjustment because then I shared the spotlight with my brother!

The years passed by and I started school. I loved my teacher and became her “helper” with things like erasing the blackboard or collecting papers and taking them to her desk. She was my inspiration to become a teacher. I never thought things would change.

Then when my father got a job in Charleston, the family moved the day after I completed the fourth grade. Another adjustment! I spoke with a North Carolina drawl…and suddenly, in Charleston, they spoke a “foreign language” compared to mine! I dearly loved living in the Holy City! My neighborhood was filled with large homes built in the 1800 hundreds! We lived near Colonial Lake in one direction…and the Four Corners of Law in the other one. I adapted to the adjustments with no problems and sad when we had to move to Columbia because my father was transferred to work at Owens Field as Flight Director there. Once more, another adjustment!

Years went by, high school ended, friends moved away. Time changed again! Fast forward…after I entered the working world…I was grown…independent! Then, I got married and had much more responsibility…a job, keeping house…lots of adjustments!

In time, along came a beautiful baby girl…then another precious little girl. Those were wonderful times! But you again took on more responsibilities! Adjustments!

The years fly by…those little girls grow up! After a while, they got married and started families and homes of their own. As an old saying goes…”Nothing is certain , but death and taxes!” That won’t ever change.

Next comes retirement, death of your partner, changes in your health. The list is very long! Inside, I still feel “young” but Mother Nature does her work…and soon you are “Mature.” I have reached that stage! I am thankful to have been around this long…and that I have “adjusted” to all the ups and downs…the good health and the serious problems, the happiness and sadness…and am still here to experience more “adjustments” before I go on to Heaven…and live happily ever after!

Time flies when you are having fun!

Actually, time flies no matter what is happening. When I look back on my childhood and even later when I was grown, I had a routine that allowed me to accomplish all the things on my daily “what to do list.”

Life was much slower paced in “the good old days.” I am not against progress. We have made great strides in so many areas of life. If I would begin making a list of all the beneficial changes, the paper I would use might stretch for a mile or so.

For the most part, changes take place gradually and we think very little about what is happening. Then, after a while we realize that almost everything is different.

Names of companies change when they merge due to acquisitions. Many trusted names we could always depend on fade into oblivion. I loved to shop at the A and P. I think the name was the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company when it began. My Mother would buy groceries there when I was a child, in North Carolina. Later when we moved to South Carolina, that was her favorite shopping place.

After I grew up, got married and had a family, I shopped at the “A and P.” Then one day, the company went out of business. That was the end of an era. And the loss of that food chain was a huge disappointment to a large segment of the population.

Now, with all the modern technology and so many time saving appliances, you would think there would be much more leisure time. Think again. Almost everyone has some type of a device that has become a “ time waster” of sorts. Now, when families get together, quite often, everyone pulls out their phones, fingers begin to move and there is no verbal communication.

There are hundreds of examples like that. Eckerd’s Drug Store, Sears Roebuck, Tapps Department Store, Berry’s, Haltiwangers and Kohn’s. All those names are familiar to Columbians. Other stores came on the scene, but they could not compare with the old reliable names that were trusted…and taken for granted.

I know I am “of the old school” but it would be nice to turn the clock back and return to the earlier days when everyone had a front porch for the family to gather on during summer evenings. We did that. We might tell stories or sing. That was long ago when money was short and there was time for family fun, just doing simple things!

Do you think older folks don’t have fun? Well, think again!

I can only answer for myself, but I am having a wonderful time with “mature” friends that I have learned to know since I began going to the Tri-City Leisure Center.

Sarah Laird is the Director of of the center I have been attending since the middle of January of this year. The Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission has centers throughout the county.

I have been to several of the centers for special events that include all members, if they care to attend. Mardi Gras was held at the Batesburg-Leesville Center. Each of us dressed in costumes, had a chance to dance, make new friends and have a nice meal. It was so much fun!

The reason I applied to join the West Columbia location was to take exercise to strengthen my back. To take part in the exercise program, you must become a member. I scheduled an appointment for an interview and was permitted to join.

The Meals on Wheels program is located at the the center. Volunteers who deliver meals to folks who are shut in and who qualify, come there to pick up the meals so they can take them to the recipients.

I did not wish to eat there, but in order to take the exercise, you must be a part of the total program. Each weekday that you attend you pay a small amount and are served a hot meal that provides required vitamins, etc. It is a wonderful program for many reasons.

Members meet in one of the large rooms for activities. Chair yoga and strengthening exercises are shown by video Monday through Thursday and a professionally trained instructor comes to our center on Fridays.He has a schedule, so each center has exercises lead by him once a week.

So far, I have attended Mardi Gras in at the Batesburg-Leesville Center, a health fair at the Seven Oaks Center, and a gathering at Tri-City to play “Let’s Make a Deal.” Each year a series of meetings are held for all centers to participate in. This is called the Senior Games. It is like the Olympics for older adults. I have signed up to participate.

In addition, to the activities where we all gather at one center, we have many other activities at the individual centers. At the West Columbia location, we have speakers from time to time, we do crafts once a month, play various games like Farkle and Uno, we observe special days and dress accordingly. Recently, a male member of our group came dressed in an Elvis Presley outfit and sang ten of Elvis’ songs.

Needless to say, we have fun, and I personally have made so many good friends, I cannot say enough good things about this program and the benefits. Growing older and being alone, can be very sad for many people. I look forward to going out each week day to join with the group for exercise, for activities that are fun and to have lunch together! All these activities make growing older one of the best times of life!