Posts Tagged ‘Senior Life Enrichment’
August 31, 2010
Vex seems a slightly archaic word, one more suited to 19th Century English novels. It simply means to afflict or annoy which can be the effect on people who get questions about their age.
Different ages look on age differently. Ask a young boy how old he is, and he may respond with an enthusiastic “I’m seven and going on eight.” He can’t wait to get older. Give the same question to a mature man, who would be happy to put aging on hold, and if he responds, it may be a grumpy “60” and a quick change of subject.
Women seem to be more sensitive to inquiries about age than men. Years ago I volunteered to register people eligible to vote, On the registration form, in replying to the age question, some would write merely “21 plus.” Meanwhile, I tried to guess their actual age. Silently, of course.
Curiously, this emphasis on age secrecy lessens with the passage of time. It is not unusual for a very senior lady to take pride in her age. She is not only are happy to reveal it, but volunteers it with an uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
Tags:aging gracefully, humor, joyful aging, Life Enrichment, senior humor, Senior Life Enrichment, senior socialabilty
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July 19, 2010
In July, 2010 while visiting for a few days in the family home in Iowa I discovered an old pair of spats worn for a time in 1942-43. Popular in the 19th and early twentieth centuries, this shoe garment is worn only in the modern world by the U.S. Infantry and marching bands.
For me they represented dapper elegance in the years before the draft sent me to the U.S. Army. In junior and senior year high school I remember the mirror showing me sporting a brown sports coat, brown trousers with dark brown transversal lines, white shirt, and a brown tie leaning on a tiny gold or silver rod that connected the ends of the shirt collar. Spats covered the oxford shoes. A white handkerchief deftly fit in the front pocket of the coat. I can’t remember the movie star I fancied to mimic but he must have been good-looking. The reader may ask, why brown? Well, brown is or was popular in rural areas since it reminded people of the earth, the source of their livelihood.
While these spats were designed for show, they also had a practical effect. The cloth covering the shoe warmed the feet during the cold and snowy Midwestern winters when style-oriented young men did not want to go out wearing ugly overshoes.
In case these words stimulate the reader to yearn for spats in 2010, he can go to the Internet and find instructions and illustrations for making his own. He may find that this example and web site post may help bring this long-neglected accessory back in style. Perish the thought!
Tags:19th Century Fashions, Early 20th Century Fashions, joyful aging, laugh for health, Life Enrichment, senior humor, senior laughter, Senior Life Enrichment, Senior Memories, shoe coverings, Spats
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April 17, 2010
A Senior citizen in 2010 has had years of practice communicating with family, friends and countless others in a multitude of situations. Nevertheless, even the experienced conversationalist may hesitate during an encounter with someone from a different country or a completely different lifestyle. Many years ago I attended a series of lectures on business practices of various nations. The speaker, whose name, unfortunately, I forgot, suggested a simple technique to help start a conversation with an unknown person from another country.
Although simple, it does require a little preparation in advance. Before the visit, obtain minimal facts about the new person’s country such as its history, geography or accomplishments of its citizens. Extensive research is unnecessary. Finally, during the encounter, look for opportunities to ask a question based on the information you read. In all likelihood the visitor will be flattered, maybe even elated, that you show interest in some aspect of his homeland.
A few examples of such questions with the appropriate foreign visitor: “Why is Benito Juarez such a popular figure in Mexico?
In the Welsh settlements of Argentina do the people keep their language and culture? Borneo is fascinating land. Have you seen some of its interesting animals?
With appropriate variations this technique can be used in any new encounter anywhere. For your next visit advanced study may not be necessary. You may already have questions in mind you’ve always wanted to ask somebody.
Tags:aging gracefully, humor, jokes, joyful aging, laugh for health, laughter, Life Enrichment, Senior Life Enrichment
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April 7, 2010
Immoderate use of alcoholic beverages is widely condemned, but amusing stories often result from the temporary lowering of inhibitions. A few examples follow:
An American senior tourist attempted to smuggle a bottle of tequila across the Mexican border. A customs official asked what it was. “Holy water from the Shrine,” replied the tourist. The official took a sip and exclaimed, “This is tequila.” “My, another miracle!” replied the tourist.
An automobile was weaving along the highway. Finally it overturned three times and landed right side up. The aging driver emerged completely unharmed. An arriving police officer grabbed the man by the shirt collar “You’re drunk, aren’t you?” “Of course, “ replied the driver, “what do you think I am……a stunt driver?
A senior is stopped by a cop who says, “You’re going to get a ticket for speeding.” The octogenarian says, “I was only doing 40 miles an hour,” and the cop says, “No, you were doing 50 miles in a 30-mile zone” The driver argues “I was doing only 40.” And his wife pops up and says, “Don’t argue with my husband when he has been drinking.”
Three aging buddies are heavy drinkers. Every Friday evening they drink to the point of inebriation. Then one leaves the room, and the other two try to guess who left.
And here’s one about that famous imbiber, Dean Martin, in his younger days. A friend reported that Dean finally solved his drinking problem: He wears an old suit in case he falls down too often.
Tags:aging gracefully, humor, jokes, joyful aging, laughter, Life Enrichment, senior humor, senior laughter, Senior Life Enrichment
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November 7, 2009
After not finding much humor in the China of Confucius, more recent history seemed to offer better possibilities. I moved to the early 18th century and checked on Joe Miller, a man with a familiar name but vague credentials. His claim to fame is compiling, not writing, a book of “jests.” Joke is a more modern word. He did this even though he did not know how to read. An itinerant actor, he apparently learned his lines without reading them first. An interested reader of this blog may want to investigate this further
One can wonder about his alleged contributions to humor. Probably current appreciation does not coincide with the opinion of a good joke in 1725 when the book was written.
Then, as now, the answer to a question can stir up laughter An English gentleman in the 18th century asked “How do men differ from cattle?” If he got the correct answer, it would have been “Cattle don’t talk politics when they eat and drink. Politics seems to be a timeless topic of conversation.
Also timeless is the question of age. A middle aged man and woman were discussing how old people were. She said “Believe me when I say I’m 40.” He replied “Oh, I believe you. After all I’ve heard you say so for the last ten years.”
Tags:humor, jokes, joyful aging, laugh for health, laughter, Life Enrichment, senior humor, senior laughter, Senior Life Enrichment
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November 7, 2009
The words of prominent humorists of the past are often a good source for current laughter and fun. Almost forgotten today, but a star entertainer in the time of Abraham Lincoln, Josh Billings (1818 – 1885) traveled the small towns and cities of the nation bringing cheer and fun to isolated citizens. His career overlapped that of Mark Twain (1835-1910) who left a more enduring literary legacy.
Comments show his commitment to spreading mirth: “Laughter is the sensation of feeling good all over and showing it in only one spot.” and “There is no fun in medicine, but there is a lot of medicine in fun.” Medicine today is still no fun, but overall it must taste a lot better than most 19th century concoctions.
By clicking on the Internet, the reader can enjoy some of his humorous advice like:
1. “Be kind to your mother-in-law, but pay for her board at some good hotel.”
2. “A puppy plays with every pup he meets, but an old dog has few associates.”
3. “Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things that ought to be done.”
Tags:humor, jokes, joyful aging, laugh for health, laughter, senior humor, senior laughter, Senior Life Enrichment, senior socialabilty, seniors and doctors
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October 27, 2009
Those who have trouble remembering or telling jokes can train themselves to be alert to comedy, children’s antics, anecdotes, odd reports or bizarre incidents often found in and out of the print media. Sometimes a funny story shows up in an unlikely publication.
To preserve this source of laughter, the reader should cut and paste the joke on 3 x 5 cards or larger and store for future reference. On a gloomy day he can take a handful, sip a cup of coffee and feel the tickling of his funny bone. He will have a temporary lift of spirit. Alcohol will do the same thing, but there is more danger of addiction.
Probably even more fertile sources for humor are the attachments to emails sent by relatives and friends. I probably never had such vigorous and sustained laughter in prior decades.
Frequent perusal will fix the humor in the memory. Relatives and friends will be surprised that the new skill of telling jokes can result in a transformed personality. Sometimes it seems they converted me from a hopeless sober sides into an occasional maker of mirth.
I usually print these and file the 8-1/2 sheets in the appropriate folders. I prefer, however, to cut and paste the jokes and try to make them fit on 3 x 5 cards often by folding them to the back side or by dividing the story and pasting part on the other side of the card.
Tags:aging gracefully, humor, joyful aging, laugh for health, laughter, Life Enrichment, senior humor, senior laughter, Senior Life Enrichment
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October 27, 2009
Senior citizens seem to laugh instinctively at their frailties. They enjoy telling about the mildly offbeat behavior that sometimes results. They want to do the reporting and not let a younger person do it.
The children of a very senior and very deaf lady finally persuaded her to visit an audiologist. Sometime after getting the hearing aid she returned to the audiologist for an evaluation. He said. “Well, I suppose your family is happy now that you can hear everything they say?” She replied, “Oh, I haven’t told them, and you know something? I’ve changed my will three times.”
A senior couple celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary, and after the guests had departed on the evening of the great event, they were seated on the sofa watching the late news. The husband leaned over to his wife and said , “Mother, I’m proud of you.” “Huh, eh?” she sputtered, “What did you say? You know I can’t hear without my hearing aid.” More loudly the old man repeated, “I’m proud of you.” Kindly, she replied, “Oh, that’s all right. I’m tired of you too.”
Often a comic result of a conversation with a hard of hearing man is that he responds to his own deafness by raising his voice when making replies. Or maybe that is just the reaction of this writer.
Tags:humor, jokes, joyful aging, laugh for health, laughter, Life Enrichment, senior laughter, Senior Life Enrichment
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October 27, 2009
A senior couple celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with a day of festivities. In bed that night the lady said to her husband, “Dear, embrace me the way you used to do when we were first married.” Eagerly, he complied with a strenuous hug.
Then she pleaded, “Now, kiss me the way you used to.” Promptly, he gave her a voluptuous kiss worthy of a romantic movie star. Not content, she had another request. Giggling, she said, “Now, bite me the way you used to.” He jumped out of bed. “Where are you going?” she asked. “To get my teeth,” he replied.
While we may joke about people with missing teeth or none, nevertheless, good teeth are essential to good health. Dentists often strive to save a defective tooth with still healthy roots by putting a crown on it. Thus, many people feel eligible to sing that famous hymn “Crown Him with Many Crowns.”
It is interesting to note that in an article in Consumer Reports on Health of April 2002, fewer than 20% of the residents of eleven states had lost all of their natural teeth. Their dentures are a combination of the natural and the false. These states are Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Hawaii and, of course, Texas. The residents of the other states had a slightly higher percentage of only false teeth.
Tags:humor, jokes, joyful aging, laugh for health, laughter, Life Enrichment, senior laughter, Senior Life Enrichment
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October 23, 2009
Other than grandchildren the major topic of conversation among seniors is probably their health and, by extension, their doctors. While there are complaints, most seniors are content with their medical care.
Opportunities for humor abound like the experience of an 80 year old man who went for an annual physical: As he was listening to the man’s heart with the stethoscope, the doctor muttered “Oh, Oh.” “What’s the problem?” asked the man. “Well,” the doctor said, “You have a serious heart murmur.” “Do you smoke?” “No, replied the man. “Do you drink in excess?” “No,” replied the man. “Do you have a sex life?” “Yes, I do.” “Well,” said the doctor, “ You’ll have to give up half of your sex life.’ “Which half?” muttered the man, ” The looking or the thinking?
The doctor gave his 80-year old patient a curious stare. “I’ve been practicing medicine for 20 years, and this is the first time anyone has had this complaint. What do you mean your virility is too high?”
The old man sighed gently. It’s all up in my head, he explained.
Tags:aging gracefully, humor, jokes, joyful aging, laugh for health, laughter, Life Enrichment, senior humor, senior laughter, Senior Life Enrichment, seniors and doctors
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