The West Center Senior Prom involved less dancing and dresses, but far more warmth and gratitude, than my own high-school senior prom. Although our time with the seniors was short, we were able to watch an incredibly-talented salsa demonstration, practice some basic bachata steps, enjoy delicious deserts, and mingle amongst the West Center's seniors. It was a pleasure to decorate the space with string lights and lanterns, and to transform the atmosphere beyond what the regulars' enjoy daily. I loved how eager the older women were to dress up whimsically by draping themselves in beads and placing magic wands in their hair. I personally had an excellent time talking to the people throughout the room as I served extra snacks and listened to how amazing Meena's cheesecake was. Ultimately, the Senior Prom allowed me to recognize the importance in having fun. There's a movement within the Tijuana shelters of investing in parties and celebrations, rather than only investing in electrolytes and aspirin, for example. Essentially, prioritizing fun and enjoying yourself is as essential to good health as many forms of medicine.
In today's class, we debriefed our past site visit experiences, discussed some current events related to aging in the news, shared a few oral histories of classmates' "extraordinary persons," and discussed This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism. While discussing the site visits to Bingo and Zumba, the biggest surprise among the Life Course Scholars was how excited the elders were to talk to us, and how surprised these seniors were that we wanted to talk to them. It goes to show that human beings naturally seek connections with others, yet we so seldom reach out.
The concept of socialization versus isolation was again discussed with a current event addressing the life expectancy of people in Nigeria and Sardinia. Nigeria has a life expectancy of 54 years, which can be attributed to a variety of illnesses, driving hazards, and, potentially, loneliness. There's a strong rural to urban migration among young relatives in Nigeria, leaving many older adults without strong family ties or social connections. Meanwhile, Sardinia has the highest percentage of people living to age 100 or beyond. This longevity is attributed to time spent outdoors, polyphenol-rich wine, genetics, and strong socialization among families and neighbors. Feeling valued as a source of wisdom gives Sardinians the drive to stay active and involved. Once again, the theme essential human connection was repeated by our oral history projects. Katie, Tiffany, and I explained that our "Extraordinary Persons" (E.P.s) were touched to be selected for the mini-memoir, and our E.P.s shared valuable stories in return. We all learned a lot more about our family members than we would have without this assignment, and it showed us how much people have to share if you ask with a genuine interest. Ultimately, we all gained a stronger sense of respect for our family members as, not just people in our families, but as individuals who have a lot of wisdom to share. At the Jewish Family Services' Headquarters, we were fortunate enough to enjoy an enthusiastic tour from Aviva Saad of the organization's expansive facilities, to gain insight into the wide breadth of needs in our community, and to learn about the many services JFS offers to address those needs. We caught a glimpse of chefs cooking nutritious, well-balanced meals that are offered at affordable prices for clients. We saw insulated trucks that are used to deliver hot meals to isolated locals within San Diego County. We met some volunteers who worked behind the counter in a makeshift "grocery store" that families can visit to "purchase" food, using a point system that keeps fresh food affordable and accessible. Finally, we entered the older adults' game room: complete with heart-shaped balloons for Valentine's Day and tables of seniors ready to play bingo.
The bingo theme was nursery rhymes, and as Aviva pointed out, it's remarkable the power that music has in jogging a person's memory and past emotions. Scott, a gentleman seated to my right, suffered from memory loss and struggled to recount his son's profession, but he happily recalled the words to (even the most obscure) rhymes. As we (the UCSD students) went around the room to share our majors and life ambitions, I was delighted by how supportive and over-joyed the elders were to hear each person's ambitions. I was also touched by the support they give each other. Most of the older adults struggled physically or mentally, but the friendships they shared were powerful. For example, another man at our table helped Scott place all his bingo chips on the correct images and he explained to me how successful Scott's sons are now. These stories left Scott with a proud smile on his face to hear what he himself couldn’t communicate. Intergenerational Zumba was an absolute blast! The teacher smiled the whole session, and was clearly an expert at keeping every dancer engaged and pumped up. Unfortunately, I was born without rhythm. Mistakenly, I stood near the front. That was a comical view for the class behind me, but it also allowed me to befriend several of the elders nearby. After the class ended, we chatted about their daughters and what they had studied at UCSD, where the ladies live now, and how they've transitioned to being "empty nesters." The one anti-aging tip I heard from all three of them: stay active! (and eat well). They all try to avoid taking too many medications and seemed to have a lot to look forward to: one lady is moving to a flat in downtown so she walk from the harbor to Little Italy to her exercise class! I found them to be extremely open, warm, and pleasant to chat with. If we can't return as a class, I might try and go during my free time.
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June 2020
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