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The Martin Community
College Department of Continuing Education, Martin County Department of
Aging (Senior Center) and Charles Thorne’s Martin County Schools’
Technology class at North Carolina Tech Center have all worked together and
made it possible for every senior in Martin County to have the “golden
opportunity” of our life time to learn and go as far as we want with what
we have learned in the computer classes at the Martin County Department of
Aging (Senior Center). There
are those who have retired, learned how to use the computer and now will be
going back to work.
May 18, 2004 until
August 19, 2004 has been one of the most exciting, enjoyable and learning
times in the lives of eighteen of the 5,023, 60+ senior citizens in Martin
County. Ruby Whitaker is the
youngest student and Mrs. Muriel French is the oldest.
She is 78 years young. Mrs.
French moved here from Florida eight years ago to be near her son, Eric and
his family. She has been going
to the Senior Center every week on Tuesday and Thursday.
This worked perfectly that she could go to the computer class.
She said, “It means everything to me, to be able to learn the
computer.”
The first highlight in
the class was learning how to e-mail. Grover
Bowen sent his first e-mail to his son, Robbie, in Iraq then his son
e-mailed his daddy. We were all
excited, waiting for an answer.
Other students, Viola
Sanderlin and Fred Holliday, have e-mailed Robbie and have heard from him
also.
The world used to seem
so big and so far away. With
computers, we have learned e-mail is the fastest way to bring the world to
us.
The second highlight was
when we learned how to create a flyer using Microsoft Word (a program).
When we put the border around it to add the finishing touch, we were
like little children! We wanted
to make copies to show off what we’d learned.
Our teacher, Delma Simpson, with all his patience, does not want to
leave one senior citizen behind. He’s
in front, standing beside you, or down on one knee telling or showing you
what you need to know.
Computers are a tool.
I think learning the computer is therapy for all of us.
It makes us think, concentrate and lets us communicate with others,
especially with our families, anywhere whereas, we might not take the time
to write.
Recently, the Martin
County Department of Aging (Senior Center) had an open house.
Mrs. Frankie McKeel from the Martin Community College Department of
Continuing Education, Mr. Charles Thorne and his students from the Martin
County Schools’ Technology class at the North Carolina Tech Center and
County Commissioners Mort Hurst, Tommy Bowen, William Manson, and Ronnie
Smith were among the guests.
When we seniors see any
of these special people who have made all of this possible for all 5,023,
60+ senior citizens in Martin County we need to walk up to them, shake their
hands, or give them a telephone call and say, “I just want to thank you
for giving all of us this opportunity to sign up for the computer
classes.”
Remember, if you’re
65+ the only thing you do is put in your time and have the willingness to
learn. It does not cost
anything and look at your rewards. It
may give your whole life a new meaning and turn it in a new direction for
the better.
The next class, computer
fundamentals, begins September 7th and continues until October 14, 2004.
The days are Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm.
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