Look for Island Times the LAST Thursday of each month
FORMERLY THE GUIDE AND SECOND WIND
NOV. 2017 Volume 1 • Issue 7
Veterans Day Then and Now
Befriending One Another
By Barry Wenaas Program Assistant, Oak Harbor Senior Center
It is well timed that we are celebrating 75 years of the Naval Station Oak Harbor as we near Veterans Day. It is very interesting that many of the original structures from 1942 are still standing and in use, being well maintained and upgraded and modernized. Others have gone by the wayside to make room for the P-8 Poseidon and to house the EA-18G Growler. The future of NAS looks to have a strong future. Those original standing structures on base give us the opportunity to reflect on the many who have served just as Veterans Day gives Americans the opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. Veterans. However, most Americans confuse this holiday with Memorial Day, reports the Department of Veterans Affairs. What’s more, some Americans don’t know why we commemorate our Veterans on Nov 11. It’s imperative that all Americans know the history of Veterans Day so that we can honor our former service members properly. World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.
However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…” The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and
VETERANS continued on page 12
By Christina Baldwin Board Member, Island Senior Resources
These simple invitations offer different levels of engagement.
On Whidbey, when the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we notice. Except for in Oak Harbor and Coupeville, there are not many streetlights, and not many stores stay open past dusk. Islanders tend to head home, hole up, and ward off the chill. It’s usually raining. We are grateful for those yellow and white lines on the shiny black asphalt. Oncoming headlights are intense. Deer appear and disappear. Once we’re safely tucked in, our resistance to going out again can range from not wanting to have to layer on clothes to being unable to see well enough to drive, or navigate sidewalks or rural terrain.
If all I have time to do is ask, “Do you need anything?” that is a signal of notice. In my not-yet-retired-busyness, I can take a few extra minutes to say hello, share food, or bring a newspaper to a neighbor’s porch. Most people love recognition and reciprocity: once noticed, we notice others. Doing even the tiniest things for one another, we experience the pleasure of giving and receiving.
Perhaps you live in a household still busy with routines, with children or pets, in a life with lots of lights on and things to do. For many “Whidbeyites” though, these are reclusive months experienced as dark, aimless, and lonely. It’s time to befriend one another—and I don’t mean on Facebook. Winter is a great time to offer one another little gestures and interactions that increase community: “I’m going to the grocery store; do you need anything? Do you want to come along?” “I made extra cookies, want some? Want to come over for coffee and cookies? Shall I come to you?” “I haven’t seen you at church lately. Are you okay? Do you need a ride?” “Hey, The Clyde is offering afternoon matinees on Friday. Popcorn anyone?”
If I have time to take my neighbor with me, that’s a step from noticing to relating. Stories start happening on the drive to and from the store. Recipes and memories get exchanged. We get to know each other, bit by bit. We inquire “How are you?” and stick around for the longer answer. In this darkening month of November, all levels of engagement matter. Try one of these: Come eat lunch with us. Island Senior Resources provides community meals at Brookhaven community house in the center of Langley, at Island Senior Resources (Bayview), Oak Harbor Senior Center, Camano Center, CamBey Apartments, The HUB at the Methodist church in Coupeville, and Hillside Evangelical Free Church in Greenbank. For a suggested donation of $5.00 you can have a hearty meal, and strike up an interesting conversation with folks you may not yet know. On Tuesdays at Bayview, and Wednesdays at the HUB in Coupeville,
BEFRIENDING continued on page 3
QUESTION OF THE MONTH: WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?
Cheri Foster, 58
Oak Harbor “For my mother and for the ability to make art.”
Island Senior Resources 14594 SR 525 Langley, WA 98260
Flo Simenson, 86
Oak Harbor “Besides being here? I am thankful for just about everything, but also for He who gives me everything.”
Judith Blyth, 72
Oak Harbor “I am thankful for my daughter who is in the military, and getting up and breathing each day.”
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE LANGLEY, WA PERMIT NO. 50