MUSINGS FROM JOAN #5
Ask me anything you want to know about carnivorous plants, I’m the Queen of The Venus Flytrap. Why, you ask, do I happen to have in depth knowledge of such an esoteric subject? Because I’ve sold a ton of those little insect-eating suckers in the last five years as a volunteer in the kids' area at Fairchild Botanical Garden’s Annual Ramble.
Which brings us to the subject of volunteering and senior citizens. Now that I am semi-retired due to the present economy. . .ok, I’m out of work for the first time in my adult life. . .I am following in the steps of my significant other and becoming one of a vast army of senior volunteers who do an incredible amount of mostly unsung good work.
For a long time I have laughingly called Benard “America’s volunteer”. This is a name I coined for him because I never cease to be awed by this retired businessman’s jam packed schedule of volunteering.
An incredibly active man at 82 years of age, who still sports a gorgeous head of silver hair, stands 6’2” tall, and just recently started using a cane which makes him look more distinguished than ever, he serves as a tram guide at Fairchild Botanical Gardens, is a house guide at Vizcaya Museum, teaches “Safe Driving for over 55” classes for AARP, guides school tours through WLRN public TV and radio studios, works in the media department at the annual Sony-Ericcson Tennis Tournament on Key Biscayne., and serves on the Board of Directors of our condominium complex where he is the head of the Security Committee. Phew! That’s what I call a lot of volunteering.
Using him as my role model, I began volunteering seven years ago as a guide at Vizcaya, and in addition to my stint at the Carnivorous Plant booth at the Fairchild Ramble each year, when time permitted, served as a docent for Art In The Garden. Currently I help out on Monday afternoon’s with inventory in the Garden’s busy gift shop. I am a whiz with the plastic gun-like apparatus that spits out little price labels, and can price up a carton of objects faster than any other volunteer, according to the paid employees. Every little accolade helps these days.
Because I am dyslexic with numbers, I have never really mastered the art of card playing or mah jong that many of my friends enjoy, and I’m not much of a shopper. So how does a newly semi-retired Type A person fill up their days? Good question. I’ve been working on it.
My friend Jackie decided I should take a painting class with her and it has opened up a whole new world. The class is part of the program for seniors at OLLI, an acronym for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, located on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables. My classmates may all be seniors, but they are remarkably creative artists, and I am amazed at some of the work they turn out. We work in acrylics and our teacher, Daphne, who is also a senior, has the patience of a saint.
As I haul out my paints, my easel and all of my paraphernalia, I can’t help but think of my Mother who took up painting at the age of 70. At the time I remember thinking, wow! how amazing of her to start something new at such an advanced age. (Need I remind you I am almost a decade older!) In retrospect, I realize that my Mother never stopped learning. She was always taking classes. Always interested in learning something new. I know I inherited her “writing gene” and I realize now I must have also inherited her need to continue to learn. But I’m afraid I was behind the door when they passed out her “painting gene” She was damned good and veryone in the family vied for one of her primitive-style paintings. I’m not so sure my family will be vying for mine.
But that really doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m having a ball with it. And whether you are 17 or 79, isn’t that what it’s all about?
# # #
Joan Spector lives in Miami, Florida and is president of Joan Spector Public Relations, Inc. She is pleased to report that the economy may be starting to creep back. . .an old client just called with a paying job! Whoopee!
Ask me anything you want to know about carnivorous plants, I’m the Queen of The Venus Flytrap. Why, you ask, do I happen to have in depth knowledge of such an esoteric subject? Because I’ve sold a ton of those little insect-eating suckers in the last five years as a volunteer in the kids' area at Fairchild Botanical Garden’s Annual Ramble.
Which brings us to the subject of volunteering and senior citizens. Now that I am semi-retired due to the present economy. . .ok, I’m out of work for the first time in my adult life. . .I am following in the steps of my significant other and becoming one of a vast army of senior volunteers who do an incredible amount of mostly unsung good work.
For a long time I have laughingly called Benard “America’s volunteer”. This is a name I coined for him because I never cease to be awed by this retired businessman’s jam packed schedule of volunteering.
An incredibly active man at 82 years of age, who still sports a gorgeous head of silver hair, stands 6’2” tall, and just recently started using a cane which makes him look more distinguished than ever, he serves as a tram guide at Fairchild Botanical Gardens, is a house guide at Vizcaya Museum, teaches “Safe Driving for over 55” classes for AARP, guides school tours through WLRN public TV and radio studios, works in the media department at the annual Sony-Ericcson Tennis Tournament on Key Biscayne., and serves on the Board of Directors of our condominium complex where he is the head of the Security Committee. Phew! That’s what I call a lot of volunteering.
Using him as my role model, I began volunteering seven years ago as a guide at Vizcaya, and in addition to my stint at the Carnivorous Plant booth at the Fairchild Ramble each year, when time permitted, served as a docent for Art In The Garden. Currently I help out on Monday afternoon’s with inventory in the Garden’s busy gift shop. I am a whiz with the plastic gun-like apparatus that spits out little price labels, and can price up a carton of objects faster than any other volunteer, according to the paid employees. Every little accolade helps these days.
Because I am dyslexic with numbers, I have never really mastered the art of card playing or mah jong that many of my friends enjoy, and I’m not much of a shopper. So how does a newly semi-retired Type A person fill up their days? Good question. I’ve been working on it.
My friend Jackie decided I should take a painting class with her and it has opened up a whole new world. The class is part of the program for seniors at OLLI, an acronym for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, located on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables. My classmates may all be seniors, but they are remarkably creative artists, and I am amazed at some of the work they turn out. We work in acrylics and our teacher, Daphne, who is also a senior, has the patience of a saint.
As I haul out my paints, my easel and all of my paraphernalia, I can’t help but think of my Mother who took up painting at the age of 70. At the time I remember thinking, wow! how amazing of her to start something new at such an advanced age. (Need I remind you I am almost a decade older!) In retrospect, I realize that my Mother never stopped learning. She was always taking classes. Always interested in learning something new. I know I inherited her “writing gene” and I realize now I must have also inherited her need to continue to learn. But I’m afraid I was behind the door when they passed out her “painting gene” She was damned good and veryone in the family vied for one of her primitive-style paintings. I’m not so sure my family will be vying for mine.
But that really doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m having a ball with it. And whether you are 17 or 79, isn’t that what it’s all about?
# # #
Joan Spector lives in Miami, Florida and is president of Joan Spector Public Relations, Inc. She is pleased to report that the economy may be starting to creep back. . .an old client just called with a paying job! Whoopee!
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