at Monterey

Thriving Together at Monterey

Sandy Cotton MRAA Board VP

Years ago when I was teaching creativity tips and techniques to university students and managers, I discovered that by the age of 40, most adults only have about 5 percent of the creative capacity they exhibited at the age of 5. It seems that the burdens of life, work and even schooling have systematically damaged the right side of our brains. To stay creative, we need to work intentionally to regain our childlike enthusiasm and energy for life in all its facets.

This means stretching our minds and our bodies to avoid what I call hardening of the categories. It means actively seeking new experiences, new tastes, and new challenges rather than lamenting the loss of the familiar and the comfortable. It means joining others who are on the same quest – people who laugh a lot, read a lot and connect with others as they go through the transitions that later life offers. It’s well established that anxiety, negativity and general grumpiness can be contagious, but so are enthusiasm, joy and a general zest for life. In my experience, the Monterey Centre is a gathering place for people who share those positive attributes. It strikes me that the collaboration between MRC and MRAA has created a space where we are offered a great many opportunities to retain and renew our childlike enjoyment of life. It’s a place where enthusiasms for learning new things, rediscovering old enthusiasms, and sharing our blessings with like-minded people are contagious. It’s a place to forge new friendships, and at times, to be sustained by compassionate new friends during our challenging times. Above all, it’s a place where we stand a good chance of avoiding the transition to becoming grumpy old seniors. From my vantage, that makes it a wonderful asset to have in our community. I am proud to be actively involved in helping MRAA work closely with MRC staff to offer clubs and programs that offer members pathways to “Fun, Friendship and Learning”. Please take time to read about them and, best of all, come and see for youself that this is truly a gathering place for people with a zest for life.

It strikes me that the collaboration between MRC and MRAA has created a space where we are offered a great many opportunities to retain and renew our childlike enjoyment of life.