Ageless Generation: Socialization alievates many mental and physical problems

Published 3:30 am Wednesday, July 22, 2026

By Michael Smith

It has more effect on your life expectancy than obesity.

It can lead to increased spending, impulse purchases, excess gambling, and other poor financial decisions.

It is linked to physical illness and stress.

It causes many to gravitate towards “comfort foods” and “junk foods.”

It can make you more susceptible to being taken advantage of by friendly phone and email fraudsters, and even romantic scammers who woo you, but who only want your money. (If in doubt ask anybody you truly know if you should send the money or not. If you don’t run it by someone you trust, your chances of getting taken multiply.)

More about “it”:

It can lead to earlier functional declines in areas like your ability to walk, get up out of bed or a chair, drive, feed and dress yourself, pay your own bills, and you may even lose interest in bathing and personal hygiene.

It can weaken your immune system and your body’s ability to fight disease and infections, leading to an earlier death.

It can cause you to feel depressed and to lose your brain’s cognitive function earlier than you otherwise would.

Emily Dickinson called it “The Horror not to be surveyed.”

What is it? It is loneliness. It is also called “social isolation,” and the “epidemic nobody likes to talk about” — and it is serious.

Studies have shown how beneficial participation with others in activities at a senior or community center can be in helping to alleviate the problem of loneliness. You may find that you can beat “The Horror not to be surveyed” by exploring all that we have to do here at Shipley Center. We are a vital, nonprofit community resource. Supporting and participating in what we do is just as important as supporting and participating in any other cause.

Whether it is for ping pong, exercise class, computers, a seminar, tai chi, a card or table game, or to have breakfast or lunch in Leo’s Café, you are welcome to come hang out with us here at Shipley Center!

A whopping 1 in 3 people age 65 and over live alone. Half of people 85 and over live alone. Loneliness is an “aversive signal,” like hunger or thirst or pain.

“Denying you feel lonely makes no more sense than denying you feel hunger,” according to John T. Cacioppo of the University of Chicago’s Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience.

We were made to be with people, so admitting loneliness should not carry a negative connotation. You are not a bad person or weak; you are just lonely. But prolonged loneliness might make you weak — less motivated to move, to get out of the house, to exercise, to do much of anything, along with all the risks listed above.

I encourage anyone who might be feeling a wee bit or a lot lonely to come on down to see what is happening here at Shipley Center. Sign up for a class or trip. Drop in on an activity. Get tickets to the next social event. Volunteer. Don’t be socially isolated. Get dressed, put on your shoes, and make your way down here… we don’t bite! With places like Shipley Center available to you at low cost, there is no excuse. We even offer free memberships to low-income individuals — so there’s really no excuse!

Friendship * Recreation * Education. It’s not just a tagline; it is who we are, what we offer and what we do. And DOING fun things, WITH other people, just might be what the doctor ordered. Try it!

Building update

By now you can see where all the new Anderson windows across the front will be at 651 W. Washington St., our new Shipley Center location.

Framing inspection is coming up soon, and then insulation and drywall will go up.

Light switches, fixtures and electrical outlets are being installed. Stainless steel wall panels and sinks are being installed for our new kitchen.

Five sets of 8-feet-tall fire doors for the gym and dance hall just arrived on a huge pallet ($19,000 worth).

We are getting close to the “home stretch” and appreciate your past and future support.

Those individuals and businesses who donate $1,000 or more will have their names permanently listed in the new building as our partners in this endeavor.

Let’s finish this year strong and get this center open! People are getting excited — we’ve added 99 new Shipley Center members in just the last 90 days. Join us!