As 2020 starts its descent over the horizon, we look back and think ‘What the ‘beep’ just happened?’.
Wasn’t it only yesterday I was wishing everyone a Happy New Year, saying that 2020 was going to be the best year ever?! Well, we all know how that ended.
Or did it?
This year changed a lot of things, but I think it actually brought us all closer together – not physically, because we still can’t do that if we are observing appropriate social distancing, but emotionally closer.
Social isolation was hard, but the community spirit here at Mountain View got us through it. Through our Facebook Page (Mountain View Murwillumbah), we were able to help our neighbours find resources they needed to ride out the isolation. We found wool, books, DVDs and a whole heap of other stuff that helped fill the hours of those stuck at home.
Teamwork!
And through the Craft Shop, Coral and Christine worked tirelessly to keep grocery supplies on the shelves. The community spirit grew stronger during the worst year imaginable.
2020 will be written into the new history books, and as participants, we were all part of making that history. Future generations will read about how we survived the pandemic by staying at home, constantly washing our hands, and wearing masks if we had to venture out of our safe havens. And signing into venues is probably going to be part of our new normal.
Tonight we celebrated the end of the year that was, and it was one of the best events I’ve attended in my five years of living in this fantastic community. It’s hard to describe but there was an overwhelming feeling of peace and harmony. It was an amazing night. It might not have been the most attended event of the year, but it was the spirit of the people who attended that made the night so spectacular.
In less than an hour we will welcome in the New Year, having said goodbye to 2020 forever.
May 2021 bring us more of the events we shared tonight, and may we continue to look out for each other through the coming year.
Up here on the hill, we don’t do things in half measures. When we decided to host a Welcome to Winter lunch, volunteers got busy planning, shopping, cooking and decorating.
And this is the result.
What do you think?
The tables are set, the food is prepared (as much as it can be), and the Community Centre is decorated and looking good.
For those who thought living in a Retirement Village would be boring, think again. Up here on the hill our Welcome to Winter lunch is going to be amazing!
Families have been gathering around the dining room table to answer silly questions since 1981. It was back then that a group of Canadian men decided to launch the new game they had developed. The game, Trivial Pursuit was born, and families have been addicted to answering silly questions about trivia, ever since.
Image from Pixabay
But like most good things, the game spilled out of our homes and into pubs, club-houses, libraries, and anywhere else that would adequately house teams of avid trivia-ites.
A group of like-minded people at Mountain View have banded together to present Trivia every Monday at 6.30pm. There are about an hour’s worth of questions for the teams that opt-in. You don’t have to have a team to play, just come to the Community Centre and join one of the groups that have a spare chair at their table. There are a couple of specific groups, but most of us just turn up for a bit of a laugh and an opportunity to socialise. And just for the record – the exclusive groups don’t necessarily win – sometimes it’s the just-for-the-night group that hardly know each other that take away the winning honour.
Prizes?
Did I mention the prize for winning? No? That’s good – because there isn’t one. There is a lucky door prize (for those who enjoy a drop or two), and players enjoy an ice-cream at the end of the game.
Image from Pixabay
So if you are hoping to win a sheep-station – don’t come to our game – you’ll be disappointed.
If you are keen to exercise your brain and hone your team skills – then run – don’t walk – to the Community Centre on Monday night at 6.30. Bring a $2 coin with you, and you are good to go. And if you are so inclined, you can bring a drop of something good to drink – otherwise the coffee machine is on ($2 a cup), and the water bottle is full.
Oh, and feel free to bring a couple of neighbours with you – they’ll enjoy the night as well, and you can either walk up and back together, or car-pool. At least when you get home at 7.30-8.00 – still laughing at some of the funny things that happened, you won’t disturb them.
Is it just for fun?
According to healthline.com, playing trivia is good for our mental health. Terms like – Frontal cortex; hoarding circuits; and addictive circuits are mentioned – but we’ll focus on the positive. Bruce and Mark will encourage you to ‘surf’ the Internet for trivia questions and answers, without becoming obsessive about hoarding facts. They will encourage teams to play to win, but not become addicted to winning.
One of the features of playing Trivia games in teams is the opportunity to meet and interact with others. This should remain one of the focal points of the game. Yes, winning is fun, and we all want to win, but it isn’t the most important thing. Widening our circle of friends has to be a major component.
And a flow on from the above is the challenge of working collaboratively in a team. Yes, that is T-E-A-M. There is no I in team.
Image from Pixabay
We might be convinced our answer is the right one, but so is the person opposing our suggestion. Working out how to accommodate different opinions is a skill, and one that can be developed and enhanced by playing Trivia games in a team.
Use it or lose it
Another compelling element of Trivia games is the workout for our brains. Not only do we have to delve into the deep, dark corners to find the answers, but we have to meet the timelines imposed by the presenter. Learning to think faster is like taking a brisk walk as opposed to a slow saunter. The brisk walk will work our cardio system for a better overall benefit, just as thinking faster will work our brains harder. The old saying ‘if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it’, couldn’t be more true – especially for our brains.
As we age, we lose physical strength – our bodies just don’t bounce back as easily as they used to. We are constantly being reminded of the need to be active.
Image from Pixabay
But what about our brains?
The old picture of retirees typically showed seniors in a sedentary lifestyle. But not now! The latest research shows us that we need to stay physically, and mentally fit. Learning a new language is one of the best ways to stay mentally alert as we age, and so is playing Trivia games.
So, are you going to sit back and wait for dementia to kick in, or are you going to make a stand against it?
Great Choice
See you at the Community Centre on Monday night – at 6.30!
Use the comments section below if you have any questions…
