Sep 3, 2008
Despite her drama, singer Whitney Houston had it right when she sang, "I believe the children are our future …"
Yet we embrace that motif to the neglect of old people. Youth gets exalted, while years of seasoning are loathed.
A while back I was at the Durham Center for Senior Life, where elder people were playing dominoes. Some were knitting. And how great, because let some young'un get shot, and everybody will start crying for more rec centers to keep kids off the streets. But don't old folks need rec centers, too?
It was my first time at the center, which opened in 2006 at 406 Rigsbee Ave., Suite 202, not far from where heavy emphasis is on downtown and its revitalization. Millions and millions of dollars are being poured into making spots around Main Street more attractive to live, work and play.
But who's all that for? Certainly not old people.
So at least they have in the center a place to do yoga, to figure out how to get on the computer, to take Spanish and to learn to control diabetes.
Sue Wheeler's lost 25 pounds since joining a group at the center that's helping her eat right.
Durham County Commissioner Becky Heron, 80, goes down there and does line dancing -- well, she was until getting tied up hammering out the budget with the other commissioners.
When I grow older, I want to be just like Heron. Spunky. Full of life.
And in the event that I ever take up the game of dominoes, it would be nice to have a place to go play and otherwise fellowship with my peers.
With a $1.7 million operating budget, the center isn't a government agency, but most people don't realize that. It only gets about $138,000 from the county, Council for Senior Citizens Executive Director Gail Souare said.
Which is enough to make me want to ask Heron to tell those commissioners to raise my taxes if it means looking out for our seniors.
You can help with the center's $200,000 fundraising goal by sending donations to the address above, or contribute at www.councilseniorcitizens.org.
If you can't give, then tell some senior citizens about this resource that's just for them. Tell them to sign up for Friday's ice cream-and-lemonade social with state Sen. Floyd B. McKissick Jr. He'll be at the center at 2 p.m. hearing from seniors about what's on their hearts and minds. For more information, call (919) 688-8247.
Let's build momentum so Durham can be known as the place where you go to retire, because the people here look after their old folks.
That day at the center, away from the knitting, away from the dominoes, I entered a room full of old people, and one was getting spoon-fed some concoction that had a very loose consistency. Turns out that dementia and Alzheimer's were ruling the day in that portion of the building, an adult day-care operation allowing primary caregivers to go to work or rest or whatever while these sweet elderly souls received tender love.
Now, I consider that scene and think about my parents going back to childhood. Why, that even could be me someday sitting inside the center.
Uh, the center will be around, won't it?
I guess that's up to us.
Reach John McCann at jmccann@heraldsun.com or 419-6601 |
