Most of you know Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood, a community of people so different from one another and yet who care deeply about each other! I found the same was true of an unusual group of largely older adults living in and around Decatur, Georgia, home of the CDC, Emory University, and a very close-in suburb of Atlanta.
I joined about 30 others, both women and a few men, who gather Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 10 in a gym at the Decatur Recreation Center. Their “Mr. Rogers” is a woman named Bobby, and Bobby leads an hour-long fitness class.
I may have been the youngest at 70; I am not sure. But I do know the oldest is 102. She is my extraordinary mother-in-law, Suzanne Goodell.
The class was great. We worked on all parts of our bodies, used bands, weights, and balls, and while it seemed easy, I felt the gentle pull on a couple of muscles that were in want of some TLC!
But what I experienced was far beyond exercise. As we walked in, my mother-in-law was greeted warmly by name by so many of the participants. She in turn greeted them and introduced me. They were genuinely happy to see each other and interested in me. There was a warmth, a camaraderie, and a closeness that I certainly didn’t expect to see at a city-sponsored fitness class.
I have written before about the value of community, the value of relationships in maintaining wellness. It was a major takeaway from my visit to the Blue Zone in Sardinia last year. I saw it again here, and it affirmed my belief that longevity is built on the ability to stay fit and, most importantly, connected.
My mother-in-law, Suzanne, has been a part of this community for years now. I can now better understand why she continues to thrive in body, mind, and spirit. It is because she keeps moving and religiously maintains herself as part of a community, in this case, Ms. Bobby’s Neighborhood, a group of older adults in Decatur, Georgia, who come together regularly for exercise and the warmth and comfort of community.
Lynne
