After a satisfying lunch at Jean’s Restaurant last Friday afternoon, I cruised into my first 2010 traffic jam in downtown Meridian. It was a good feeling, despite the heat.

    Of course we have had our share of traffic downtown. I have photos of Miss America Mary Ann Mobley of Mississippi standing on the steps of the television station when I was just a wee little thing – that created a bit of congestion! I imagine the day Elvis arrived in his gold Cadillac at the Cloverleaf Mall, there were a few whiplashes, if not fender benders. When in high school on Thursday evenings I picked my mom up from work at Alex Loeb’s. I often waited in the alley between the main store and the annex where there was no traffic. Meridian was a city to me then, always bustling. Sitting in the warm idling car on a cold winter’s eve is a comforting place I often dream about.

     What memories do you have of your home town or childhood? Imagine what a dull life it would be without the benefit of memories, some making us smile, others causing a wince (“I should have taken that job!”), what would my life be like now if …

     Despite the dementia my mother had during the later years of her Parkinson’s illness, she had a keen memory for long ago. Ask her a fact about Meridian after she first came here, or a face – she always remembered a face. Yet, it is generally accepted that when people reach their 80s, or if they are showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease, memory is the first thing to be lost.

     People who engage in activities that exercise the brain, such as reading, writing, and playing card games, may delay the rapid memory decline that occurs if they later develop dementia, according to a study published in the Aug. 4, 2009, issue of “Neurology.”

    The Alzheimer’s Association “Maintain Your Brain” campaign suggests staying mentally active by being curious, reading, writing, attending lectures, working puzzles, and playing games. Being able to bond and engage with other people wards off sadness and depression, two factors that can speed cognitive decline. Seniors can do this by volunteering, traveling, or joining social groups as well as spending time with family.

    So we find people in their 50s and 60s joining gyms, reading groups and learning to play Bridge. They are making an effort to eat better, fresher foods and control conditions that impair circulation and affect nerves, such as heart disease and diabetes. Interested in learning more about memory and aging? Search online for “memory, seniors.”

    Meridian Activity Center is offering classes that are helpful for socializing and keeping the brain active. MSU-Meridian allows seniors 60 years and older to audit classes for free (contact Cindy Castle). MCC has both a continuing education and Lifetime Quest program to enrich our lives. So … get up off that sofa and call a friend to get them motivated as well!

MAC News for July

    Computer Crash Course! And, no, this is not watching your computer burn and die – even though I may be perfectly capable of doing it! We have a young lady volunteer who will show us the basics, from letters to e-mail, finding things on ebay – even downloading photos from your cell phone! She needs to do this on a volunteer basis, so there is no fee for this short free class to be held on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

     Lose Weight! Stay Active! Okay now, no more fooling around! We need seven more people to sign up for a special session of Weight Watchers to be held at the Center on Monday evenings at 6 for 12 weeks. We are determined to be the group that loses the most weight this summer! Call me at the center and let’s getting moving!

     Katherine Horne’s Poetry and Writing Class will begin July 7 – if we get enough people interested. Be sure to call the center and let us know you want to join in this interesting class. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a poet or a writer, bumps on logs are welcome.

     Julia Hayes continues her Slimnastics classes late afternoons, 4:30-5:30. Can I toot her horn? This month she was inducted into the Massage Hall of Fame in Kentucky. She is both a masseuse and water aerobics instructor, teaching now at MCC, Aldersgate and Meridian Activity Center.

     I may be beating a dead horse. This is one class needed desperately at the center, yet we never seem to get enough people signed up. We’re trying again during the summer month of July, on a Tuesday, an all day basic sewing class with Gracie Payne. That’s only four Tuesdays. We’ll be using our machines unless you want to bring your own.

     Meridian Activity Center is located at 3300 32nd Ave. in the heart of Meridian. We are in a fenced, safe residential environment with plenty of parking not far from Meridian High School and Church of the Mediator. Driving from 29th Avenue, turn west on 36th Street, two blocks and turn south. We are at the end of the street. Look for our signs. Our schedule of classes is posted on the meridianms.org Web site. Call us at (601) 485-1812.

    

    • Barbara Wells is director of Meridian Activity Center. You may e-mail her at mactivity center@gmail.com