By Peggy Sue McRae, Journal contributor
If you are a senior, one question you are likely to be asked by health professionals these days, besides “Have you fallen down recently?” is, “Do you have any hobbies?” I’m not exactly sure why they ask about hobbies, but my guess is that if you have hobbies, it’s an indication that you are doing OK. If you have hobbies, it means you have the bandwidth and wherewithal to pursue something purely for the pleasure of doing it.
Hobby is a broad term encompassing all manner of leisure activities. Hobbies can be active and social, like folk dancing or Ping Pong. They can also be solitary and contemplative, like building a ship in a bottle or nurturing Bonsai. Hobbies can exercise your brain like learning a new language or a new card game. They can exercise your body like doing Tai Chi or beach combing. Possibilities are infinite.
As seniors, this may be the first time in our adult lives that we actually have time for leisure activities. In some cases, we may have lost some ability to do the more strenuous activities we once enjoyed and need to find something a bit more easy-going. It’s good for our brains to learn something new. If you are ready to explore a new interest, you cannot go wrong checking out the wealth of offerings at the Mullis Center.
One exciting development at the Mullis Center is a partnership with Alchemy Arts Center. Alchemy Arts Center is a community art space “for creative people to learn, work and connect.” The Mullis Center, in partnership with Alchemy, is sponsoring workshops. Coming up on June 5, Alchemy Artist in Residence, Evie Hidysmith, will teach the basics of wet felting, “a simple but effective felting technique using soap, water, and agitation.” The class is open and free to Mullis Center members, but donations to Alchemy are much appreciated. Class space is limited.
Also in partnership with Alchemy Arts is an upcoming workshop, Home Is In The Stories: San Juan Island, a two-part storytelling workshop with Alchemy’s visiting artist Kira Joy Williams. Participants will become acquainted with portrait photography and oral history interviewing skills. The workshop is free, and you are welcome to register with a friend or family member you would like to interview, or join on your own and work with another attendee. Session 1 will be on June 6 and session 2 on June 13. This two-part workshop is open and welcoming to all community members.
Keep an eye on the Mullis Center webpage (https://www.mulliscenter.org) and/or sign up for our weekly e-update (from the website homepage) for more information on activities such as guided tours of San Juan Islands Museum of Art, outdoor activities in partnership with the Land Bank and monthly live music presentations throughout the summer. Find a host of ongoing activities including Ping Pong, Mah Jongg, quilting and painting groups, Bingo and Bookclub. Don’t see what you are looking for? The Mullis Center is open to grassroots groups that want to start a new group at the center.
Getting older has its challenges. Having more leisure time is one of the perks. Finding interests that bring joy into our lives is a bonus.
