Marcia Rudoff writes the monthly Senior Outlook for the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center.
It’s a new year and another chance to dream up New Year’s resolutions. Let me help you out with two that will not only be easy to keep, but enriching and enjoyable to engage in. Resolve to participate in two new programs at the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center – one already meeting and the other slated to start this year.
I’ll begin with our book club, facilitated by Julie O’Neill, the reference librarian at the Bainbridge Public Library. Our first book discussion was Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” as part of the Kitsap Reads program of the Kitsap Regional Library. The meeting proved so interesting that by the time we were done, we knew this was something we wanted to continue.
Julie agreed to come back and meet with us each month. Everyone brought a special book they’d read and wanted to recommend to the others. We also talked about the types of books we liked to read.
Julie brought a set of “The Glass Castle,” a memoir by Jeannette Walls, for us to read for our next meeting. The discussion that resulted looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s style as well as the story being told. This led to broader looks at what motivated the characters and the writing, as well as the memoir genre itself.
Our next selection, with copies provided by Julie, is Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” a story of the author’s family’s pledge to grow or raise all their own food for one year. We anticipate exploring this theme of environmental strategies at next month’s book discussion, and perhaps beyond, before moving on to other themes and the books that reflect them.
The group is open to new members at any time. Meetings start at 1 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center. Come join us. Sit in on a book discussion and see if this is for you. Better yet, get a copy of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle at the library, read it, and add your views at our next discussion at 1 p.m. Jan. 20.
Our second new group, still searching for a name, is inter-generational. We will be pairing with Madrona School to provide first-hand accounts about the times we’ve lived through, the life lessons we’ve learned, and anything else we can provide to enrich their studies. Our contributions to the project will be informal, oral histories – no hours of preparation or writing required!
We often enjoy moments of “remember when” with family members or friends. Now we have an opportunity to make those reminisces matter. To be able to add to the younger generation’s understanding of the times that led up to their own gives added value and reward to our recallings of “back when.”
A time and date have not yet been set for this program, but if you are interested in taking part you can call the senior center at 842-1616, or Marcia Rudoff at 842-3383 to put your name on a list to receive more information as it becomes available.
We would like a starter list of volunteers for this group, so please let us know if this is something you would like to take part in.
I’m giving you these two new year resolutions to add to your list and to enrich your mind, but I feel I’m being selfish, only giving to my fellow seniors. So, as a bonus, here’s one for the City of Bainbridge Island.
We do appreciate that the city cleared our main roads of enough snow to make them drivable during our recent snow-in. (Wasn’t it clever of Mother Nature to try matching the 12 days of Christmas with the 12 days of snowfall?)
Unfortunately, the city forgot us pedestrians who have to rely on two feet instead of four wheels to make it to the markets, post office, or other errands in town. No one thought to clear the sidewalks.
So please, dear city, can you resolve that for the next snow storm you will remember us walkers? You really, really don’t want to see me behind the wheel in bad weather. There are kinder ways to reduce world over-population, honest. Thank you.
