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“Advocacy,” said June Michel, “isn’t easy for most people. Many seniors are afraid to speak out.”

Michel isn’t one of the quiet ones.

Drawing in part on her experience as a civil rights lawyer, Michel is an outspoken advocate for fellow seniors –so much so that the member of the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability was celebrated by the Seattle City Council in May during Older Americans Month.

An official council proclamation honored Michel for being a “shining example of older adults who continue to make a difference in their communities.”

Every May since 1963, the federal Administration on Aging leads the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month. This year’s theme, “Engage at Every Age,” emphasizes the importance of being active and involved, regardless of how many candles were on one’s latest birthday cake.

In Michel’s case, she got busy on behalf of older adults after relocating to King County from California in 2016. She said moving into SHAG’s Washington Terraces senior community motivated her “because I recognized the opportunities this community could provide me to meet and interact with my neighbors. SHAG is my first experience living in a community of people all about my age, and it has opened my eyes to the many differences and requirements of so many seniors. For many, family becomes more distant and old friends pass away, so it is vitally important to find a community where new friendships and meaning can be forged. I’m a lawyer. SHAG has given me another opportunity to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.”

Through SHAG, she learned about and joined the county advisory council on aging. As head of the council’s advocacy committee, she lobbies on behalf of seniors. In April, after winning an essay contest that paid for the trip, she attended the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging conference in Washington, D.C. While there, discussed senior issues with U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.

In the rest of her spare time, Michel volunteers with 5th Avenue Theatre and the American Cancer Society.

June Michel (left), a member of the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services, met with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray to discuss older adult-related issues.
srmedia by — July 17, 2018 in Lifestyles

 

It’s quite common for our modern culture to imagine and portray aging people as settling into a sedentary or declining life. But that’s not the type of eldership I had envisioned for myself, nor is it the one that I want for you.

After devoting decades to being a wife, mother and career woman, I knew that I had earned the right to pursue my passions and wanted to make sure I savored all that life had to offer me. But how did I stay on that path? I started by reclaiming my childlike sense of wonder and joy, which enlivened me and naturally led to more fulfillment in my everyday life than I had ever dreamed possible.

How does one reconnect with their childlike self? Here are eight practices to help you foster those youthful feelings:

  1. Day dream. Lie on your back on the grass or beach and admire the beauty of the sky. Just observe. Watch the clouds, birds or palm trees sway. Think back to when you were a child. What adventures did you dream up for yourself? What magical moments meant the most to you, and why? How might you be able to reincorporate some of that enchantment back into your days?
  2. Stay in the present moment, limiting distractions. When we are children, the present moment is everything. During a one-block walk, an adult is likely to notice the road and distance traveled, while a child will see a bird, some flowers, a cool twisted tree, and a cloud that looked like a dog. When you can stay in the moment, observing your surroundings, you open yourself to the universe at-large. For example, you might meet a new friend who you would’ve missed if you were focused on your phone. Or perhaps an animal will cross your path that wants to remind you of their symbolic ways. Every animal has a unique message and reminder for us.
  3. Get in touch with what excites you. What did you love in your youth? Were you a nature lover? Or perhaps aerospace technology has always held your fascination. Did any form of art uplift, inspire or feed you? We all have interests as a child that get left by the wayside. What hobbies get your inner kid excited? It’s time to play again.
  4. Arts and crafts. Be the artist, no matter your talent, experience or skill. Art gives you direct access to your inner child. Draw, paint, make a collage. Have fun with it. Creativity begets creativity, so the more you allot time for it, the more it’ll stimulate your mind and feed your soul.
  5. Take in the art created by others. What were your favorite books, paintings, music and movies as a child? Put on some fun music and dance around the living room. It will uplift your spirits and get those creative juices flowing.
  6. Get out of your comfort zone. Do something unexpected. What would delight you to no end and have your friends saying, “You did what?” When you surprise yourself by stepping out of routine, it shakes up the stagnant energy and creates movement that will help you expand your horizons.
  7. Ignore what others think of you. One advantage of living half-a-century or more on this planet is that you know what makes you happy, and you’ve (hopefully) learned to give up on trying to please other people, for the sake of yourself. So be bold and don your brightest and wildest outfit. Sit on the beach and build a sandcastle. Dance like nobody’s watching. Say what you want to say. Be who you want to be. Because if it makes you happy, who cares what others think? You deserve to enjoy every moment of this precious life. And guess what? Happiness is contagious.
  8. Spend quality time in nature at least three days per week. Going out into nature replenishes and nurtures our body, mind and soul. Take a mental note of how you feel before you go outside. Then take a walk or sit in stillness for 20 minutes or more. Allow all of your senses to be filled with the magic of your surroundings. Notice the ways you feel different or better after your quality time in nature. Write it down in a journal if it helps.

The elder phase of life is not all about waning. It’s about coming full-circle with who we were as a child to become enlivened and whole. Magic happens when the wisdom and visions of eldership connect with the spontaneous aspirations of youth. By connecting with your inner child, you’ll recapture lost passions and move out of potential ruts.

The mundane might leave you feeling empty and bored, but when you indulge in childlike fascination, your life can be filled with connection, playfulness and purpose.

 

Lucinda Bakken White, who wrote this article, is the author of “Confessions of a Bone Woman: Realizing Authentic Wildness in a Civilized World.” She can be reached at http://lucindabakkenwhite.com/

Art and crafts can be a direct access to one’s inner child. No matter your talent or skill, creativity stimulates mind and soul.

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Contributing Author by — July 3, 2018 in Lifestyles

Mira Slovak was born in Czechoslovakia and endured the Nazi occupation and the Russian liberation. He joined the Czech air force, rising to the rank of captain by the age of 21. When he couldn’t tolerate life under communist rule, he hijacked an airliner and flew to freedom. He worked for the CIA and was eventually sent to the United States and given a job as Bill Boeing Jr.’s personal pilot. When Boeing began entering racing hydroplanes in the late 1950s, Slovak was his driver. In a 10-year career as a hydro racer, he won two national championships, met presidents and dated movie starlets. When he retired from racing, he became a stunt pilot and public speaker, talking often about the value of freedom. After communism’s collapse in Czechoslovakia, he returned to his home country, only to realize that his true home was the U.S. The life of Slovak, who died in 2014 at the age of 84, is chronicled in “A Race to Freedom,” by David Williams. The author is the executive director of the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Kent.

srmedia by — June 25, 2018 in Lifestyles

This is the third in a series of articles sponsored by the City of Tacoma, its Environmental Services Department, and the Make a Splash grant program to inform people about ways to limit their impact on local waterways and the overall environment.

 

More than dirt comes off a car when it’s washed. There’s also grime that contains oil, solvents, anti-freeze and heavy metals such as zinc, lead and copper. That’s important to remember if you wash your car at home, where the dirty soap and water carrying all those chemicals can start a journey that ends in streams, rivers and Puget Sound.

As the City of Tacoma’s Office of Environmental Services points out, water that goes down storm drains flows directly into Tacoma waterways –and so do all the pollutants the draining water picks up along the way. A city program marks storm drains with a friendly reminder that stormwater winds up in the nearest creeks, streams or Commencement Bay. In an ongoing effort to prevent that pollution, the city’s Surface Water Management program maintains more than 500 miles of public stormwater pipe, 22,000-plus storm drains (catch basins,) four pump stations and numerous detention ponds.

Car owners can help by washing their vehicles the right way by taking them to a commercial car wash, which recycles, collects and treats wastewater.

Professional car washes use oil/water separators that remove pollutants, which are ultimately pumped out and properly disposed of. Wastewater is discharged into the sanitary sewer.  In addition, professional washes use minimal amounts of water compared to do-it-yourselfers.

Here’s some more advice from Environmental Services for washing your car in ways that prevent negative impacts downstream:

  • Use soap or detergent that is phosphate-free. Phosphates can strip water of oxygen that fish need to survive.
  • Sweep driveways and street gutters before you wash your car in order to prevent dirt, leaves and trash from going down the drain.
  • Groups that want to raise money from car washes should consider selling car wash tickets or from professional car washes instead. The Puget Sound Car Wash Association offers car wash coupons at charitycarwash.org, or call 206-622-8425.

The Puget Sound Car Wash Association is at the forefront of its industry’s effort to protect waterways from pollution caused by washing cars and trucks.  It received the Community Service Leadership Award from the International Car Wash Association for educating the public on facts about car washes and water pollution, such as this: A 10-minute home car wash can use as much as 140 gallons of water.  Commercial car wash equipment can clean a car in a few minutes, using between 15 and 60 gallons, depending on the equipment used and whether it is a self-serve or conveyor wash. Compare those numbers with some other common uses of water: Flushing a toilet, five to seven gallons; a 10-minute shower, 25 to 50 gallons; running a washing machine at top water level, 60 gallons; brushing teeth, two gallons.

DO PUGET SOUND A FAVOR: PUT THE BRAKES ON DRIPS

Watching for and fixing oil leaks is another way that car owners can help the environment.

An estimated 7 million quarts of motor oil that leaks from vehicles finds its way into the Puget Sound watershed each year. The state Department of Ecology says one-third of Washington’s water pollution comes from chemicals such as automotive oil and other vehicle fluids flowing into storm drains. You’ll know your car is part of the problem if an oil stain or drip spot appears on the ground where you park it. Here’s what may be leaking from your vehicle, based on what you see:

  • Brake fluid. Clear to brown, slightly yellow and slick; often appears near a wheel.
  • Engine oil. Light brown to black, very greasy and slick; shows up under the front half of the vehicle.
  • Transmission fluid. Reddish and thin, or brown and thick; middle and front of vehicle.
  • Power steering fluid. Amber, reddish or light-brown in color, and thin; it’s at the very front of the vehicle.
  • Coolant (anti-freeze). Yellow, green or pink, greasy and slimy; watch for it at the front of the vehicle near the radiator or under the engine.

Besides protecting waterways, fixing leaks makes cars run better, too. For help in the process, go online at fixcarleaks.org for information about certified repair shops in the Puget Sound area that offer free leak inspections. You can also find out about free workshops that give advice on how you can maintain your car.

One more tip: City of Tacoma residents can recycle used motor oil at the city’s Household Hazardous Waste facility at the Tacoma Recovery and Transfer Center. Additional information is available at 253- 591-5418.

srmedia by — June 7, 2018 in Lifestyles