Alumni from Elizabeth City State University will celebrate their 50th Golden Class Reunion during the Annual Homecoming Weekend, October 26-28, 2018.
Dr. Charles Singleton, graduate of Elizabeth City State College (class of 1968)
Elizabeth City, NC — Fifty years ago, former Elizabeth City State University 1967-1968 student council president Charles Singleton was very active in the aftermath of King’s assassination, presenting two speeches that were called “Stay the Course” and “The Cross of Freedom.”Now, Dr. Singleton is writing about one of the upcoming senior class table topics for discussion during the celebration of their 50th Golden Class Reunion: “Memory, Mobility and Aging”. This important issue will be addressed during Elizabeth City State College’s Annual Homecoming Weekend, October 26-28, 2018.
Dr. Singleton comments, “Perhaps, it’s just me thinking! And, saying out loudly, aging or growing old is indeed an incredible daily life’s challenge, with declining benefits, every twenty-four-seven. Especially, when the ‘Good Book’ reminds all of us at Psalms 90:10 (KJV) that living to an attainable age of 70 years of age, or three scores and ten, is quite a remarkable accomplishment, and that we could pass away.”
Respectfully, following the untimely passing of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, age 61, June 8, 2018, and American fashion designer Kate Spade, age 55, June 5, 2018, consider publishing “Memory Stability Practices for an Aging Generation” to help and possibly prevent suicidal behaviors, related to one’s depressive feelings and other at-risk mental conflicts. Recently, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, suicides among many ages, genders, ethnicities and races are increasing nationally; especially, in rural areas of the United states of America.
Therefore, young people, progressives and seniors, please start at this very moment applying these steps or life skills to having healthier, safer and more productive lives. Simply because there are two M&M’s that you absolutely cannot afford to lose, “memory and mobility.” Meaning, your precious days on this planet, as I have discovered and experienced have been declining steadily, without interruptions.
Dr. Singleton adds, “Now, are you ready for this? If we are to keep our memory and mobility (M&M’s), we must get adequate bodily rest, exercise and engage ourselves in sustainable levels of human activity. Literally, start memorizing verses, poems, quotes, reading labels, directions, names, places and virtually every experience you encounter or think of. Then, go back to the basics: write with a pencil or pen daily notes to yourselves, friends, colleagues and loved ones. For example, I grew up during the 1950’s and 1960’s when we wrote notes in the classrooms at school to our friends, parents and teachers. Quietly and patiently, as students, we frequently had to diagram sentences on the chalkboard, solve mathematical problems within our own heads, recite poems, paragraphs and writings: Preamble of the Constitution, Presidential Oath of Office, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address speech; James Weldon Johnson’ s classic poem, The Creation, William Ernest Henley’s Invictus, Langston Hughes’ Mother To Son quotes; William Wordsworth, The Rainbow, Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, William Cullen Bryant’s Thanatopsis and many others including Emily Dickinson’s I’m Nobody! Who Are You?”
Throughout the days of my youth, we learned the lyrics, “word for word,” in popular songs, such as “Having a Party,” by Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” Tennessee Ernie Ford’s and Johnny Cash’s “Sixteen Tons” (Merle Travis, 1947) and Fat Dominos’ series of rock and roll tunes, just to mention a few. “Practice hourly recall memory schemes.”
Additionally, one could make pottery, paint a picture, play bingo and scrabble; water and prune indoor house plants: sow seeds, cultivate and harvest garden vegetables; do crossword and standard puzzles. Moreover, a motivated person could play checkers and chess, relax and read the various newspapers; favorite books and magazines, while engaging in various card games, thus improving their fine motor skills involving hand-eye coordination. Without doubt, on the other hand, personal movement or mobility must be practiced and maintained regardless. Get up and stretch and walk every day!!! Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Eat nutritious foods from “nature’s vast table of colorful foods” that are grown in the ground; from trees and hang from vines. Absolutely, drink plenty of water and saturate every cell in your God-given body. Henceforth and forevermore, I strongly recommend my concept described above of using “Memory Stability Practices for an Aging Generation” could reduce many of the age-related symptoms of dementia, memory loss, hopelessness, depression, suicidal behavior disorder and physical instability (ineffective and declining mobility). In addition, hopefully, I would like for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and more research institutes (such as medical centers and various colleges, universities, hospitals and funded or granted mental health programs) to study the possible mental health benefits of “Memory Stability Practices for an Aging Generation.”
In other words, “Use your brain and renew it,” echoes Emory University’s assistant professor of neurology and clinical researcher Dr. Keith McGregor, at the Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation (CVNR), Atlanta VA Medical Center, who is currently researching the effects of physical activity on neural correlates of aging. Meanwhile, neuroscientist Emily Rogalski, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has discovered that neurologist Marsel Mesulam’s superagers, 80 plus years old, are generally extroverts, who engage in a wide social network and wake up with something to do every day. Rogalski writes, “They are living long and living well.” “Are there modifiable things we can think about today, in our everyday lives to do the same?” My dearly departed father, Clement Addison Singleton Sr., who passed away at the superage of 88, said, “If you can take the pains of life, you will live.” And, “Live so long that you outlive your doctors and your enemies.”
And, remember what Dr. Benjamin E. Mays said in “God’s Minute.” “I’ve only just a minute, only sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, can’t refuse it, didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it, but it’s up to me to use it. I must suffer if I lose it, give an account if I abuse it, just a tiny little minute, but eternity is in it.”
“Henceforth and forevermore, ‘Live to learn and learn to live.’ I strongly recommend the mental concept of using Memory Stability Practices for an Aging Generation.” — Dr. Charles L. Singleton, Clinical and Educational Research Consultant: Editor/Publisher, The Family Journal, USA, Alston High School Garnet & Blue 1964 Journal and ECSC. ECSU Senior Class 1968 Journal, and the Atlanta Metro Alumni Journal (AMAJ). Mr. Isreal T. Singleton, Editor -in- Review.
Related Articles, See Hyperlinks Below: After Memphis: Silent EC marchers paid tribute to King, by Reggie Ponder, Staff Writer, Daily Advance, Elizabeth City, NC, Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Related Articles:
After Memphis
www.dailyadvance.com/News/2018/04/04/Remembering-the-horror-of-Memphis-Silent-EC-marchers-paid-tribute-to-King.html
ECSC Seniors 50th Reunion
www.communityjournal.net/hbcu-grads-class-of-1968-to-celebrate-50-year-class-reunion/
Elizabeth City State University Homecoming Weekend, October 26-28, 2018
www.ecsu.edu/about/experience-ecsu/annual-events/homecoming/index.html
PRESS CONTACT:
Charles Singleton
Edconsul@aol.com
770-891-9277