When I talked with folks at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center, we seldom discussed our past. I didn’t know where most people worked or went to school, or what their children were doing, although grandchildren were often mentioned.
We lived in the now, the present. The past was, well, the past, something that we seldom shared. And I appreciated that. It wasn’t important who we were, but who we are now.
But there are times when it’s beneficial to visit the past, to remember the feelings and emotions, as well as the accomplishments and mistakes. In other words, to reminisce. My primary reason for the “Remember When” question is not to stump you but to connect you with a time and place that you may have forgotten.
In her post on the website Living Your Senior Life, Debbie writes about the benefits of reminiscing. (13 Benefits of Reminiscing for Seniors: Improve Well-Being).
Some of those benefits are:
• Improve cognitive function
• Boost life satisfaction and reduce loneliness
• Reduce depression and anxiety
• Strengthen identity and sense of purpose
• Enhance social connection with others
To foster the sharing of memories with the resultant health benefits, here are some activities she suggested.
• Create a Memory Box — preferably not as large as a storage trunk. Fill it with sentimental, yet meaningful items you’ve saved: your ticket to the Beatles’ Portland concert, your high school class ring, letters from your first girlfriend. On second thought, toss the letters. I’m sure they would be too embarrassing!
• Have a picture party when you look through your old photo albums together. Or go through a carousel of your 35 mm slides — if you still have one.
• Create and share a playlist of your favorite “oldie-but-goldie” tunes from your youth: the ‘40s, ‘50s, or ‘60s. Music is one of the strongest memory triggers.
• Cook familiar recipes together, which can bring back vivid memories through scent and taste. I remember the taste of REAL homemade fudge that would wear you out mixing the batter. Or a family favorite: sliced banana topped with peanut butter and mayonnaise, resting on a piece of lettuce. Anyone want to try it?
• Visit meaningful places like childhood homes, parks, or churches. If you can’t visit in person, use Google Street View or virtual tours to explore these places. You may be surprised how different they look.
• Record your life story to preserve your family history using audio or video conversations. You can easily record your stories using the StoryCorps app, which includes guided interview questions and can be saved privately or added to the Library of Congress.
• And I’ll add one more. Go through your contacts on your smartphone. It will bring back a flood of memories.
You shouldn’t live in the past, but visiting and sharing those memories can improve your well-being. So, don’t pass up the chance. Looking back, I wish I had made more time to reminisce with my parents.
• • •
Brain Tease:
One last Cryptogram puzzle — at least for a while. This time it is a quote from Gene Perret.
“K BPI’D KIDSIDKPIEMMU GLPKM JU ZWEIBTKBG. KD’G YFGD DQED XPWWSXDKIZ DQSJ PCDSI DETSG JPWS SISWZU DQEI K QERS MSCD.”
• • •
The television show hosted by Dick Clark that featured teenagers dancing to popular songs was “American Bandstand.” I received answers from Ellen Black, Bruce Johnson, Donna Mollet, Ron Nelson, Judy Kiser, Doug Nelson, Tina Castanares, Marny Weting, Shelly Hinatsu, Rhonda Spies, Dave Lutgens, David Liberty, Lana Tepfer, Becky Podvent, Eva Summers, Stephen Woolpert, and Patti Jo McCarthy, who is this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.
• • •
“American Bandstand” was filmed in Philadelphia from 1956-1964, before it moved to California. While in Philadelphia, Dick Clark encouraged local performers, who created the Philadelphia Teen Idol Wave, including Fabian, Bobby Rydell and James Darren.
Another teen idol from Philly was this clean-cut singer who Dick Clark felt was “safe” rock and roll for American families. For this week’s “Remember When” question, who was this singer, one of Dick Clark’s most popular teen‑idol regulars, and who recorded the No. 1 hit “Venus”?
Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-980-4645, or send it with a DVD of “Beach Blanket Bingo” in which he co-starred with Annette Funicello.
• • •
Well, it’s been another week, listening to Chubby Checker while doing the Twist. Until we meet again, as Robert Brault once said, “An optimist is someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it’s a cha-cha.”
• • •
“The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence; the past is a place of learning, not a place of living.”
— Roy T. Bennett
• • •
nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals throughout the Gorge, available at noon Monday through Friday, unless otherwise noted.
Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) — Wednesdays with music on second and fourth Wednesdays; Dufur — Wednesdays at noon at 320 NE Second St.; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333).
For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services at the Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068), and in Skamania County, call Senior Services (509-427-3990).
Commented