IN PRAISE OF OLDER WOMEN ( AND MEN )

Yesterday, I bade good bye to two of our Music "classes" at the Senior's Home.

Maybe God gave me some musical genes so I can serve these people at this point in my life.

When I was still about 10 years old, I have already been listening to different genres of music from an old, battery operated RCA radio in Asingan. Folk songs from different countries ( esp. Ireland, Scotland, England, ) and also the current hits of that era..

Of course the hits then were YOU DON'T KNOW ME by Jerry Vale, QUE SERA SERA by Doris Day, I UNDERSTAND by Julius la Rosa, and other names whom younger readers of this Board would remark "Never heard of them.."

But right now I still know them : ITS A LONG WAY TO TIPERRARY, HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN, HARBOUR LIGHTS, LILI MARLENE..etc. My Senior singers love to sing these, every week..They may not remember their room numbers, but they still know the tune and lyrics of these ditties..


We have no piano at home in Asingan. But there was a piano in our neighbour's house, who was the late Fr. Castaneda, a priest of the Aglipayan church. I love going to that church during those days, but only when there was no service. So I sometimes visit the empty church in the afternoon to play with Pete Castaneda, one of the Pastors sons.

Pete was a bit older than me, but he was full of fun. We would play Indians and Cowboys inside the empty church. There were plenty of nooks and crannies where we can hide ( including the confessional box ) which, like the Catholic church in Asingan, was also hardly ever used that time.

He was the one who can piay the piano. So after we played , we would go to his house located behind the church. Then Pete encouraged me to try their piano. I fell in love with the instrument the first time I tinkled its ivory keys. Started playing them then and never stopped playing it ever since.


Now I am using this unique acquired skill, not to earn money but to provide entertainment for the helpless older men and women in the senior home..As a volunteer, of course. There is no pay but I get the feeling of being useful and appreciated by the Recreational Director and the residents themselves. The feeling of self worth is important to anybody's mental health..


In addition, I found a good activity for me and Miggie. She is still working, but after she retires, there must be something we can do together aside from watching TV day and night.

She loves singing to a "captive audience", the residents of this brand new, multi storied facility that looks like a 5 star hotel, from the outside and from the inside .

The building was one time a high school, and then it was bought by a corporation specializing in building Retirement homes.


Thus we found ourselves as "musicians" We sing nothing but the old songs, the ones I heard in Asingan when I was young. I learned their tunes first, and then when I learned how to play the piano, I also learn by memory how to play them without the use of written scores..( to be continued )

next installment: WHEN I AM EIGHTY FOUR..