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I make this publication available at the beginning of each month. We thank Goldencare Pharmacy for coming aboard as new sponsors. The pharmacy is located inside the Greater Niagara General Hospital site. Two short articles offer some examples of how change can affect today's seniors. Change can be generated by internal and external factors such as our fluctuating body chemistry and/or by stressors in our immediate social and physical environment. If you are busy working with people most likely you say hello many times a day. If you value your communication style I'm sure that little word is expressed in your own special way in order to have its maximum effect. The memory of summer may linger so let's venture back to the beach to catch up on some missed sun and water.|
If we care about our communication.. Having a regular venue for social intercourse is a way that humans validate and strengthen each other through sharing of interests and common problems. In contrast to social isolation where a person deliberately shuts himself / herself off from others for long periods, most people prefer the company of friends. Acquaintances and new faces offer opportunities to promote personal growth and change. North Americans have a custom of greeting friends and strangers with a “Hello” or “Hi” followed by “How are you?” Some foreigners may look at this practice with some reservation and depending on whom this question is addressed it may be interpreted as an intrusion on privacy. It is said we live in an open society but if someone asks a stranger “How are you?” and the stranger begins talking about his or her problem with a neighbour's drunkenness, for example, it's a different outcome. In all likelihood the stranger will be lacking an audience for any kind of sharing. In this case, ‘how are you” becomes a mechanical meaningless ritual. Perhaps you can relate to this as I do. You might even be considering a "communication style makeover". If so, you can simply choose a more genuine approach when greeting others. A sincere 'hello' reassures that person's presence is acknowledged and accepted. It's like a door opening a little out of curiosity. If curiosity persists, the door could open a little more with conversations about the neighborhood likes and dislikes, etc. The possibilities could become endless. We want to believe that saying “hello” or “peace to you” as said in the East helps improves our social climate. Could there be a world where strangers don't have to remain strangers, friends may stay friends, and enemies may no longer be enemies because of our hellos? |
Dreamstime
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but there's a limit… Sunbathing at the beach is a world-wide pastime and Niagara is no exception for places to sun and swim. One day last August we spent almost four hours sitting and bathing at a local popular beach frequented by all age groups. As a change of pace and place, lying on a blanket over dry sand is very relaxing. Your senses are immediately stimulated. Lay on your stomach and hear a chorus of voices around you, waves washing up to shore, the perfume smell of someone's suntan lotion, the gentle warm wind caressing your body, and the screeching gulls and motorboats humming close by. Parents and grandparents enjoy their young children paddling and jumping in the shallow water or making sand castles. Deep tanned seniors, standing in shallow water like monuments chat away. In front of us, a man lies on a blanket beside his mate - his attention focused on his pen and paper. About thirty feet to the left a fair skinned woman attempts to set up a nylon shelter as the breeze pulls at the green shapeless contraption in her hand. And behind us a family hide under their umbrella. This is our fourth time wading into the shallow water between periods of sun bathing. We sit on the rippled sandy bottom and a crash of thunder echoes from a nearby bank of clouds. Close by, a senior pipes up a story about a lightning bolt electrocuting two kids in a field. Before he abruptly dives into deeper water he exclaims, “Can't do nothin' about that!” We agree that we've had just about enough of this place. We even share a sense of urgency to get away. We pack up hastily and weave our way through islands of bodies. Beach tripping is great relaxation but there are limits. We end up at the pharmacy for over exposure to the sun. Thank you for your comments. I am always pleased to respond to your emails. |
Dreamstime
Contact us 407-4901 Buckley Avenue
"A genuine relationship is one that is not dominated by the ego with its image-making and self-seeking. In a genuine relationship, there is an outward flow of open, alert attention toward the other person in which there is no wanting whatsoever." |
Music & Reminiscence |
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