Earlier this month the For the Love of Music group held an afternoon tea to thank Joan Douglas for the time, leadership and creative energy that she has contributed to the music appreciation group.
Joan is a DCC Life Member and has been volunteering since 2002, firstly as a driver and then as the Leader of the For the Love Music Group. Joan has an extensive musical knowledge and has showcased a range of genres including opera, orchestral, celebratory music and music from the movies just to name a few.
The staff, Management Committee and members of this tight knit group all thank Joan immensely. We look forward to seeing you back as a participant in the future!
Here is a piece of work that Joan wrote 9 years ago for a Seniors Week celebration on the theme “Positive Ageing”. Some great advice for us all!
oan Douglas – Positive Ageing
I feel very privileged to have reached the grand old age of 80 and I can boast that I now have an OBE (over bloody eighty) tag to show.
Of course there have been great changes, especially in my body, but I feel as if I am on a journey and it’s up to me to make the most of it. I try not to regret the things I can no longer do, like golf and tennis, but applaud the things I can do. Get out of bed in the morning and walk, listen to music and be in touch with friends. I strive to keep a positive outlook and when asked how I am I say 100%. It’s amazing how much better it makes me feel.
It is so important to get out amongst other people and do what you can to help someone less fortunate. It is amazing how just taking time to listen can help a person on their way. And it takes my mind off my own worries. Keep learning new things. There are so many activities for older people to be involved in, courses and classes to join, groups to mix with and meet other people. The mind and brain is like any muscle in your body. Use it or lose it. Happiness is a state of mind and not about circumstances. It is how you manage and interpret what is going on around you. It is about being positive and friendly to others. Try to focus on the 95% that you like about a person rather than the 5% that you don’t.
We have been given a very complex mechanism in our bodies and it’s up to us to look after it. Exercise every day if possible, even if it’s just walking to the clothes line or the letter box. It’s amazing how often nice things happen if you go out for a walk. You might meet someone to chat to or see a lovely friendly dog with big brown eyes and a wagging tail, or a beautiful flower in full bloom.
Try to keep a smile on your face. It smooths out the wrinkles and makes other people wonder what you’ve been up to. A smile is infectious and can spread to others. Keep busy and fully occupied. It is far better to have too much to do than not enough. Try to get involved in activities where others are depending on you and at the end of the day you’ll feel that you have made a positive contribution. Of course we all have ‘down’ periods when we feel we’re fed up with everything. If life was good all the time then we wouldn’t really appreciate it. We can’t stop our bodies ageing but we can certainly stop our mind and attitude ageing. We have been given the gift of life and it’s up to us to make the most of it.