September is National Senior Center Month and this year’s theme is “Powering Possibilities: Flip the Script,” which invites us to challenge outdated perceptions of aging and senior centers. It celebrates the dynamic role that centers play in fostering creativity, connection, purpose, and resilience as we age.
An example of outdated perceptions is friends who tell you something like, “You aren’t going to see me at a senior center. They are just for old people, and I can find everything they offer elsewhere.”
Well, that is true. But can you afford the membership fee at a local athletic club to exercise?
Can you prepare a nutritious meal at home that you can enjoy with friends?
Can you find helpful information and resources without having to go online and sort through all the ads and misinformation?
Can you find medical equipment you can borrow for a small donation?
Can you make new friends while playing games, listening to live music, or volunteering?
You can do all of that and more at senior centers. Research has shown that compared to their peers, people who participate in activities at senior centers have increased overall life satisfaction and experience measurable improvements in their physical, social, spiritual, emotional, mental, and economic well-being.
Each senior center is different, but you’ll always find a place to connect with others, improve your health, enjoy a variety of activities, learn about local services, and discover your path on this aging journey we call life.
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So, every year during September, National Senior Center Month offers an opportunity to highlight the positive impact that senior centers have on the lives of older adults and their communities. It serves as a reminder that these centers are more than just places to pass the time — they are hubs of activity and support. They are places where you and I can continue to learn, grow, and thrive. And when you bring older adults together, there are all kinds of possibilities!
If you haven’t already, visit your local senior center and discover all the activities and services it offers. You can also call, visit their website, or check out their online newsletter. Here is the contact information for many of the senior centers in the Gorge:
Skamania Senior Services 509- 427-3990 and the Swiftwater Senior Newsletter at www.skamaniacounty.org/departments-offices/senior-services.
Klickitat County Senior Services in Goldendale, 509-773-3757, and White Salmon, 509-493-3068. Find the Klickitat County Senior Newsletter online at www.klickitatcounty.gov/360/Senior-Newsletter.
Sherman County Senior and Community Center 541-565-3191 or online at co.sherman.or.us. Also, the Citizen-Reporter is published by the Sherman County, once every two months, and includes Senior Center Updates and everything else you want to know in Sherman County at www.co.sherman.or.us/the-citizen-reporter.
Mid-Columbia Senior Center, 54- 296-4788 or check out their website at www.midcolumbiaseniorcenter.com, which includes their calendar, activities, events, types of assistance, and resources.
The Hood River Valley Adult Center, 541-386-2060, and www.hrvac.org. Learn about their activities and exciting group trips.
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Brain Tease: A man is trapped in a room. The room has only two possible exits: two doors. Through the first door there is a room constructed from magnifying glass. The blazing hot sun instantly fries anything or anyone that enters. Through the second door, there is a fire-breathing dragon. How does the man escape?
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The type of sewing machine powered by a foot pedal that is pushed back and forth by the operator’s foot is a treadle sewing machine. (Patented by Isaac Merritt Singer in 1850.) I received correct answers from Stephen Woolpert, Donna Mollet, Judy Kiser, Tom Schaefer, Julie Hoffman, Dave Lutgens, Rebecca Abrams, Pat Evenson-Brady, Lana Tepfer, Debbie Medina, and Glenna Mahurin, who is this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.
Last week, while trying to help Matt Dillon and Chester keep the peace in Dodge City, I missed Stephen Woolpert, Rebecca Abrams, Anna O’Donnell, Pat Evenson-Brady, and Tom Schaeffer.
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This fad was introduced 50 years ago when Gary Dahl, of Los Gatos, California, was joking with friends about wanting an easy-to-care-for pet that doesn’t bark or chew up the furniture.
For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this cultural phenomenon that, in 1975, more than a million of these pets were sold as Christmas gifts? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-980-4645, or send your answer with the manual, which includes tips on how to teach it new tricks.
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“If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.“
— Will Rogers
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Well, it’s been another week, trying to maintain an image that may not be there anymore. Until we meet again, change is like an ocean wave; you just have to learn how to ride it.
Answer:
He waits until nighttime and then goes through the first door.
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