THE VIEW FROM HERE: Aged to perfection

It has always amazed me how some people cringe at being
categorized as ³seniors.² It is only a word. In the 1600s La
Rochefoucauld said, ³Few people know how to grow old.² Of course he
said it in French. He was not lucky enough to live in Healdsburg
today and take advantage of our marvelous Senior Center.
The plethora of activities and services they offer is amazing.
The staff and volunteers strive to have something for everyone. If
you need to get the cob webs out of your brain and have fun doing
it, there are bridge days, chess games, Soduku, jigsaw puzzles and
bingo all available ‹ check their calendar at the front desk.
Need help, advice or information on health, housing or taxes?
You will find it by going to the front desk, where you can also
obtain copies of the daily bus service to and from the center.
Most activities at the center are free. Craft groups in
woodworking and needlework as well as painting meet weekly. Cooking
and computer classes are scheduled at the desk and there is a small
charge.
Need to vent your frustration with world events? Then The Senior
Forum is the place for you. They discuss current events at the
local, national and international level with vigor. There are also
philosophy, history and creative writing classes to keep your brain
cells challenged.
The center is not limited to daytime use. Several groups meet
there in the evening during the month. Especially entertaining is
the Literary Café that showcases splendid poetry and play readings
by local artists, one Tuesday a month.
It was the author ³Unknown² (who is almost as famous as
³Anonymous²), who said, ³It takes about ten years to get used to
how old you are.² So if you have been resisting that word ³senior²
think about George Burns and other stand-up-comedians who used age
and laughter all the way to the bank. ³Gray hair is God¹s
graffiti,² according to Bill Cosby but it was George Burns
(1896-1996) who stated, ³If you live to be a hundred you have it
made because very few people die past the age of a hundred.² Even
the American Medical Association agrees ‹laughter is the best
medicine.
Need to reminisce ‹ lunch is served Monday through Thursday at
the center. Friday they have a marvelous brunch available and you
can find someone to visit with who remembers when doctors made
house calls, milk was delivered to your front door in glass bottles
and a coke was five cents.
If you are male and resisting being classified as a senior try
substituting Nestorian ‹ sounds very impressive. Females can use
venerable.
That has a nice ring, or better yet take Agatha Christie¹s
advice and ³Marry an archeologist, because the older you get the
more interested he is in you.²
You probably have ascertained that I¹m glad I live in Healdsburg
and very appreciative of their Senior Center.
Lucie Jensen is a Healdsburg resident.