THE OLDER CROWD:Think of aging gracefully

“Age has its pleasures, which, though different, are not less than the pleasures of youth,” writer W. Somerset Maugham said.

Unfortunately, few societies understand the wisdom of Maugham’s statement, and few seem able to balance the needs of the younger with the needs of the older. Some cultures allow the young to be tyrannized by their elders. Our culture, on the contrary, over-values youth. People are afraid to “admit” their age because they fear being considered irrelevant and treated with condescension. Even that word “admit” suggests that getting older is a crime.

We define successful aging as maximizing one’s potential and minimizing the negative effects of getting older. Genetics is certainly one key to successful aging. If your parents and grandparents lived long and healthy lives, the odds are that you can expect the same.

But there’s a lot more to aging successfully than genetics. Eating right and exercising, making sure you gets regular check-ups and screenings, and focusing on preventive care are very important to how well you age.

Successful aging begins with a positive attitude and confidence. Finding out what shape you’re in will help you to begin working on a plan to improve your health and lengthen your life.

Today, no one really seems to know what “old” means, or when we become “seniors.”

Some places give senior discounts at 55, others at 65, but the AARP (formerly known as the American Assn. of Retired Persons) allows people to join at 50. AARP starts making people aware that they are aging at the age of 48, when they start sending information.

Becoming involved in the community and keeping busy with activities is also a way of staying healthy. That is where a senior center can help.

Most centers, including ours, offer many activities to keep a good mental attitude and interact with others at the same time and to keep the mind active. There are activities such as computer classes, Spanish classes, and fitness programs. Our many social activities include bridge, painting, ballroom dancing and cooking classes. We also offer trips to local places of interest.

It’s impossible to generalize about “seniors.” Each is an individual, with a unique set of life experiences, genetics and current needs. It is hard to have positive views of aging and older adults if one has little contact with grandparents or older adults, but having a positive view of aging and older adults is very important. To think of aging and older adults in a negative way is a destructive practice because we all begin to age the very day we are born.

Dr. Mark Novak wrote, “There is no secret, no magic formula. A good old age doesn’t come about from some special talent or as a secret gift. It comes about when, given a basic income, reasonable health, good self-esteem and a little energy, a person sets out to discover a meaningful life for him or herself.”

Please keep the date of June 16 for an evening of fun and racing at the Los Alamitos Race Course. This evening will include dinner, dancing and watching and betting on races including Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Arabian and Point racing. We’re counting on you to support us while having fun.