|
|
|
|
 |
I
have been working with seniors since I began work
in the activities department at Peter Becker Community
in 1992. After working several jobs in retail and
offices I was happy to find a place where my hobbies
and interests were actually marketable skills. I have
had a long standing love affair with the theater,
music, crafts, art, poetry and reading. I love words:
word games, word |
origins and (sad to say) even puns. In my position
at Peter Becker Community I work with residents in
the Skilled Nursing area of the facility. Not only
do I get to indulge in some of my favorite activities
I get to share them with the wonderful people who
call PBC their home. It is a chance to get them enthused
about new things or reawaken lifelong interests.
Once a month I lead a group in poetry. Most months
I read aloud, usually mixing in old favorites that
they might have recited in school but also giving
them a taste of new poets like Billy Collins and Ted
Kooser. I usually throw in an ode by Pablo Neruda
showing them that beautiful poetry can be written
about commonplace items and I always include some
Robert Frost. Every few months I ask them to put their
thinking caps on and come up with some new ways to
express themselves. Most recently we wrote acrostic
poems of their names, with the whole group helping
so there is no pressure on any one person. The most
interesting session was when we created a poem from
a list of items that they imagined finding in a box
in the attic. Needless to say, I love my job. In my
spare time I enjoy singing in my church choir and
traveling with my husband and son. |
|
|
|
|
