Day 330 | Friday, 12 February 2021

Day 330 - Audio Version

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​Day 330 | Friday, 12 February 2021
From the Church Mouse

Job 32:7    (NIV)  - 
“I thought age should speak, 
And increased years should teach wisdom.                                                                                                           
Psalm 92:14    (NIV) -  
They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green.

While thinking about which scripture to include with this edition of the Church Mouse, I was torn between the two above. Since they were both so appropriate, I decided to include both. In the last Mouse, I discussed the “process of becoming”. One person replied to me that this process is exhausting. I couldn’t agree more. It can be exhausting and it often is. However, in my field, not to continue the process of becoming is to stagnate.

During my Master’s degree study at St. Bonaventure, I was especially impressed with Abraham Maslow and his theory of motivation called “The Hierarchy of Needs”. This theory puts forward that people are motivated by five basic categories of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. It’s the last category which prevents stagnation.
Self-actualization refers to feeling fulfilled or feeling that we are living up to our potential. One unique feature of self-actualization is that it looks different for everyone. For one person, self-actualization might involve helping others; for another person, it might involve achievements in an artistic or creative field. Essentially, self-actualization means feeling that we are doing what we believe we are meant to do. According to Maslow, achieving self-actualization is relatively rare, and his examples of famous self-actualized individuals include Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and Mother Teresa. 

We probably won’t devise plans to be in such exalted company, but we can be in the company of others who want to give the process of becoming a shot. For the Mouse, this means creating a chapter of Senior Planet here in Jamestown. Pastor Sue has shown an interest in this plan which would give us a place to meet which is large enough to accommodate our group as it grows. This also provides a place to create outreach work into the community as our members discover the areas of endeavor which revive the passion of youth and the feeling of fulfillment.

The purpose of Senior Planet is aging with attitude.  Senior planet from AARP harnesses technology to change the way we age. Their courses, programs, and activities help seniors learn new skills, save money, get in shape, and make new friends. Senior Planet is about much more than just the latest gadgets and apps and websites. Those gadgets and apps and websites are just a means to an end: enabling older adults and people of all ages to come together and find ways to learn, work, create, and thrive in today’s digital age.
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We could learn from their online programs such as Chair Yoga, Twitter, Health Apps, book clubs, Social Security Tips, and Post-Pandemic plans for returning to society and many more. We have the freedom to add our own programs such as registering new voters and studying civics to teach to young people. I will keep you informed as this group is created. My hope is that the group will be comprised of the Woodlands neighbors, Christ First seniors and anyone from the general public. Senior Planet helps with publicity. As I learn more, I will share it with you. There is time to create the group while we wait for the world to return to some form of normalcy.