Page 60 - Sonoma County Gazette MARCH 2020
P. 60

   Later Just Arrived...
Mar 10 ~ Senior Saunters ~ Friendly, older adults. Explore plant & animal life, swap stories, & take a gentle 2-mile stroll. Free, 10-11:30a, West County Regional Trail, Graton Entrance, Graton, 707-565-7888, parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov
Mar 25-26 ~ Transportation discussion ~ For older adults and residents with disabilities. 3/25: Free, 1:30-3:30p, Rohnert Park Senior Center, 6800 Hunter Dr, Rohnert Park. 3/26: Free, 10a-12p, RRA/Senior Resource Center, 15010 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville, 707-565-5903, sonomacounty.ca.gov, aaa@schsd.org
When “later “arrives, we have labels for it. I guess it makes it easier if we bag it into a category that makes it OK. When later arrives, it usually means a transition is imminent. Sooner or later, some challenging transition confronts every one of us, and in a lifetime, there can be many.
Thru - Mar 11 ~ Petaluma Bingocize Falls Prevention Series ~ Prevent falls! Age 60+, improve balance, strength. Free, 11a-12p, Kellgren Senior Apartments, 951 Petaluma Blvd So., Petaluma, 707-565-7321, sonomacounty.ca.gov, Bingocize@schsd.org
Just because I like to play with words and their semantics, I personally divvy up transitions into manageable categories: soft ones, coping ones, upheaval ones and inevitable ones! I am sure there could be other labels for them, and you will probably have your own take on the concept – but, for now, humor me?
Thru - May 14 ~ Aging Gayfully! ~ LGBT elders connect & share aging experiences. Free, $3 Non-Members, 11-1p, Finley Center, 2060 West College Ave, Santa Rosa
Some of us handle that “later” factor better than others.
Thru - May 27 ~ Easy Does It Qigong ~ Qigong training that supports balance, relaxation, vigor, and strength. Free, $5 non-members, 10:30-11:30a, 410 D St, at 5th St. Petaluma, 707-776-6055, VillageNetworkofPetaluma.org
Thru - Apr 25 ~ Get to Know the Village info meeting ~ Free, 11-12p, 410 D St. (at Fifth St.), Petaluma, 707-776-6055, VillageNetworkofPetaluma.org
Thru - Apr 13 ~ Free Falls Prevention Classes for Adults Age 60+ ~ Free. 1-3p, PEP Acacia Lane, 657 Acacia Lane, Santa Rosa. 1-3p, PEP Casa Grande, 400 Casa Grande Rd, Petaluma, 707-565-5936, sonomacounty.ca.gov
Free Rides for Seniors ~ by WCCS. Pick up RR Senior Center, RR Health Center & Monte Rio & Forestville. Call 707-823-1640 x140
There’s even an argument that cynics handle unwanted stuff better than the rest of us because they expect it all, later --negativity, chaos, disappointment and inevitabilities, and so are automatically braced for assault!
Softly arriving transitions are, of course, the friendliest ones because they usually involve choices. We plan them and look forward to them – like falling in love, moving to a place you really like or becoming a parent and other things like those. Things we plan for later – but a later we look forward to.
The coping transitions often have very little choice involved – we
cope with stuff that just develops, usually outside ourselves, and those can
be positive or negative challenges. You know the kind I mean – a difficult teenager, a troubled relationship that you might have believed would fix itself later, or the damn crabgrass in the yard... We cope, and coping is transitional.
 Sebastopol Area Senior Center 167 N. High St.Sebastopol, 707-829-2440, sebastopolseniorcenter.org
Mar 3 - May 26 ~ Harmonic Method for Well-Being ~ Enhanced well-being by. Free, $5 for non-members, 9:45-10:45a
Mar 5 ~ TED Talks: My Descent into the Neo Nazi Movement & How I Got Out ~
From naive teenager to white supremacist. Free, $5 non-members, 2-3:30p
Mar 9 - May 11 ~ An Approach to the Old Testament ~ w/ Dr. Jon Jackson: deeply powerful stories. Members: $10, Non-members: $15, 4-6p, Reg req’d
Mar 14 - Jun 27 ~ Gentle Yoga ~ Build hip & shoulder flexibility to prevent injury. Members: $10, Non-members: $15. 9:30-10:45a
Thru - Mar 26 ~ Drop-In Visual Art Classes ~ Expand your skills in visual arts. Members: $5, Non-members: $8, 3:15-4:30p
Thru - May 28 ~ Heart Connection Group ~ Free, $5 for non-members, 1:30-3p
Thru - Jun 12 ~ Declutter Support Group ~ Lighten your load. Members: $10, Non-
Thru - Jun 19 ~ Speaking of Death ~ Share in matters of life & death. Members: Free, Non-Member: $5. 2:30-4p
Thru - Mar 23 ~ Mind-Body Skills Group ~ 8-week self-care & stress management workshop. Members: $48; Non-Members, $60, 2:30-4:30p
members: $12. 10:45a-12p
It‘s connected to diplomacy, tact and patience, and somehow the later part of coping always feels like it came sooner...
Upheaval transitions are the ones we just don’t ever welcome; we don’t even want them later. The health diagnosis we hoped would never come,
the death of a loved one, an accident that changes everything, a career path that gets derailed and the losses from a natural disaster – all are things we didn’t want later either. We may know we will make it to the other side of it – somehow – but upheaval transitions take a high toll and test us mightily.
The Inevitable transitions are just that: inevitable. They are the big ones over which we have no significant control. Oh, yes, we can influence,
we can even do some advance planning, but except for a few innovations (like induced labor or voluntary end-of-life euthanasia) we can’t really call the shots on timing! The expected child will be born; we shall age – if we live long enough; and we know none of us gets out of this life thing alive!
In my opinion the “inevitable” is embraced by the other three — if only as prelude. In my own life I inevitably invited as much of the soft good stuff as I could muster; when it came to coping I have always rallied; upheavals – there have been many to work or fight through, with tears or laughter. The inevitable? Well, acceptance helps... The children were born, and old age is here. And I try to leap over everything in between!
Senior Dining Sites Council on Aging 30 Kawana Springs Rd, Santa Rosa, 707-525-0143. 60 and over Donation of $4.00 Reservation must be made 24 hours in advance Cloverdale Mon-Fri ~ 12p, Cloverdale Multipurpose Center, 311 N. Main St. 707-525-0383 Healdsburg Mon-Fri ~ 11a, Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St., 707-525-0383 Sebastopol Mon-Fri ~ 11a, Sebastopol Senior Center, 167 High St., 707-525-0383
Santa Rosa Mon-Fri ~ 11a, Silvercrest Senior Housing, 1050 Third St., 707-525-4487 Healdsburg Mon, Tue, Wed ~ 11a, St. Paul’s Church, 209 Matheson St. 707-433-6161 Rohnert Park Mon-Fri ~ 11a, RP Senior Center, 6800 Hunter Drive, Ste. A, 707-525-0383 Santa Rosa Mon-Fri ~ 12p, Bethlehem Tower, 801 Tupper, 707-525-0383
Santa Rosa Mon, Tue ~ 12p, United Methodist Church, 2150 Giffen Ave 707-525-0143 x103 Forestville Tue, & 3rd Wed (Prime Timers $5) ~ 12p, Methodist Church, Covey Rd Guerneville Wed, Fri ~ 12-2p, Russian River Senior Ctr., 15010Armstrong Wioods Rd. Sonoma Tue, Thu ~ 12p, Jerry Casson Senior Center, 264 First St. E. 707-996-1414
We each have our legacy of how we handle it when later arrives. I played
a little game trying to take a look at the things I thought would be later, but came sooner. Then, how did I do in the transitions. Reflection – if you’re honest – can be sobering. (Try it – you might like it!) I wanted an A. I thought I deserved at least a B. I am still mulling it over...
 Zoë Tummillo is a Business & Marketing Consultant/Trainer/Commercial Writer, dba COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS, in private practice since 1974. In addition to Commercial work, she writesSenior Momentum: A Series of Situations; “Pieces of My Path. essay memoirs of growing up first-generation Italian American; andSenior Momentum: Front And Center!. Email Zoë at writingservice@earthlink.net
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