By Nan Donovan, columnist
I sometimes get bored not having a regular daily schedule. Do you? So I thought I would look into it, find out what’s available. Thing is, us senior citizens have to be careful what we are getting ourselves into because although we are enthusiastic, an ache or pain may prevent us from doing what we promised.
I finally found one category where people, of all ages are needed. In fact they are actually welcome, I should think, with open arms. That is volunteering. Did you ever think of volunteering some of your spare time to an organization or maybe something that interests you?
Some of the places that you could look into now might be Little League baseball. All of you men, and women who love baseball, that seems like a wonderful way to spend the summer. And if you like that, there is always those younger guys who go on to play football. Sound good? Look into it.
If that isn’t your idea of what to do, how about your local school? Now I know school is almost over for now, but think about it, there are all sorts of jobs where the schools in your area would welcome you. Also if you need a little extra money, why not put in an application at the school board office? One nice thing about that is school is closed on snow days.
And what about the local library? They welcome volunteers. To me, that sounds like a fantastic place to be a part of. All those books! A book lover’s dream. Next time you’re at the library, ask the person behind the desk what you can do. Story time for the very young? That’s an idea.
Local nursing homes is another idea. There are some people in the nursing homes who have no one to visit them. That could be because they have no family, or they have family but are too busy to visit. Most of the patients just need someone to talk to. Check with the person in charge of the establishment. This is something that you could probably do on your own. Visit the home and see for yourself the smiling faces that are waiting for you to talk to them, bring them news from the outside world, a world they don’t get to see anymore.
What about your favorite charity? Or if you don’t have a favorite, they are many to consider. There’s the Heart Fund, March of Dimes, Mental Health, just to name a few. Go to your computer or get someone who has a computer and look into the different charities to find out what you can do locally.
It’s never too late to volunteer for a good cause. And it will keep you busy and happy, and you will be thanked thousands of times by people who don’t know you. You will be Blessed.
One thing more. I would like to ask you to pray for Kim. She is my niece who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. She is usually a smiling girl, always with a comical retort, someone dear to every member of her family. We love you Kim and we are praying for you.
Till next time, be safe.
“The Right Age” is a weekly column written for senior citizens by 84-year-old Nan Donovan, who has lived in the Shenandoah Valley for 45 years. She has worked for newspapers, as well as radio and television stations, including WLCC. She moved to the Valley from Pennsylvania.
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