When I was a kid moving was exciting…an adventure. There was the busyness of packing and loading and unloading and trundling into new places. I’m older now. Quite a bit older. And the prospect of moving into a senior center is not so much exciting as inevitable while adding the hope of new adventures after my staid condo existence. I’m looking forward to an indoor swimming pool and an outdoor garden and a medley of exercise classes. Not to mention a broad swath of residents. The only problem is, they’re all old people. Huh! I should know because for many years I showed a movie once a month to these nearby-neighbor residents. I always prided myself as being a very open minded and generous young man by connecting with these senior tenants. It was a fulfilling experience. The only problem, now, is that I’ve evolved into the age frame of that long-ago audience, no longer the accommodating youngster leading post-film discussions. Huh!
So, now instead of being a once-a-month guest presenter, I’m the audience. Never was good at role reversal. But, I guess I gotta be prepared to give the new-presenter a chance. I wish him well and hope he’s open to the insights waiting to come from wise residents who pick up things from their perspective that I often missed…a lot shared and learned.
I’ve spent a number of years as a resident in various ‘group-live-in’ settings from camp counselor to college student. So, it’s not like I’m unused to the idea. It’s just that these days I’ve gone beyond that level of togetherness and the pleasure of shared meals and bagged laundry. I guess it’s a rather unique situation to have lived, literally, across the street from a place from its opening day ceremony to ongoing film appreciation discussions over many years. Only now, I’m a consumer rather than a provider. Continuity.
I didn’t expect to find anyone still around from my previous involvement…but actually, I did catch a glimpse of one lady recently. Maybe there will be other alumni to see and connect with. Mostly I hope to get more of the best that our cinema discussions provided. Those seniors so easily shared insights triggered by the films about war and family and romance. I learned much from the group that I will soon be joining and look forward to drawing from their abiding aggregate wisdom.
I wonder who the presenter will be.
Retired trainer, and writing instructor, Joe Novara lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Writings include novels, short stories, a memoir and various poems, plays, anthologies and articles. Read more at https://freefloatingstories.wordpress.com/
