I have not been to the senior center since my fall last Thursday (during table tennis). I want to make sure all soreness is gone before I attempt playing there again.
Now that I've had a few days to rest from attending senior center activities, I have looked back and reflected on what I experienced. I couldn't help but notice a pattern among several older people at the senior center. They like to tell you what to do!
In my watercolor class, the lady who sat nearby, told me what needed to be done with my painting. I told her I wasn't finished yet.
When I was playing chess, two other guys who had finished their chess game came to our table and hovered over us and one of them started telling me what moves to make, which distracted me. I told him "If I make your moves, then it's not my game, it's your game." I smiled at him and he sort of slowed down on his comments. He was nice, otherwise.
In the corn hole game, the person who chose me as his partner was pulling me to the side to tell me what moves to make. Come to think of it, he didn't do too well, either! The lady next to me (opposing team) was telling me to throw higher.
In the square dancing, people were pulling and pushing me to step in line constantly. There is a lot to learn in that dance!
Besides all that, in just about every competitive game, I lost to others who had been doing this continuously for years. Was it fun? It was fun at the time, but looking back, I wonder how much it can affect my self confidence. Do I need to do these activities? I thought so at the time.
Exercise is good for me. I was curious and wanted to try them. However, I have to weigh the pros and cons of being around people who are bossy. I never did well with authority figures, especially people who were not my boss telling me what to do. I have my own mind and am an independent individual.
Another other issue that has popped up with the senior center is that they have a table with pastries, and another place where they offer free breads and goodies. I don't eat that stuff. So it's a constant temptation each time I pass by and see people partaking of those refreshments. I am ok with it, but it's a temptation, nevertheless because I'm on a low carb diet.
Finally, another issue is that they expect us to donate a dollar for each activity. If I do three activities, that's 3 dollars a day, and for a week, it becomes 15 dollars. In a month, that's 60 dollars. I could literally go to a gym instead. So I have to weigh that in.
Meanwhile, I have become very busy writing my syllabus for the English class and preparing for classes in a couple weeks. I look forward to the classes.
