As the members of the Prime of Life club gathered in early March, there was a general feeling of exhilaration that the terrible winter of 2015 might be drawing to a close. Ice, snow, and the Siberian Express often keep these club members inside—which is not where they want to be.
As their name implies, Prime of Lifers have a real zest for living, and they want to be out socializing with friends and having a good time—“not staring at four walls.”
That phrase came up three or four times as I chatted with the group at their afternoon meeting at the senior center next to St. Andrew church, where they gather every second and fourth Monday of the month.
They meet in a spacious auditorium on an upper floor. There’s a stage with a table for the president and the bingo caller. Below are tables for the members. On one of the first warm, sunny days of late winter, about 20 members attended. President Peggy Gilliland says they usually have about 36, out of a membership of close to 50.
Peggy acknowledged that “the stupid snow” had kept members away on many a winter day. Explaining today’s absentees, one member yelled, “They’re at doctors’ appointments!” Obviously, medical issues can lead to some absenteeism, but no one wants to miss a meeting without a good reason. The first thing you notice is that the club is all women. Peggy explains that men who may have come with their wives, stopped coming if they lost their wives. Others became ill and could not attend.
When we arrived, they were finishing up a drawing for donated gifts. Shirley, who had just won the prize, joked, “I’m going to strip now!”
Shirley, who says she’s been a member “a while,” tells me in no uncertain terms that she has a beef with the Bayonne Community News, one of eight weekly newspapers published by our parent company, The Hudson Reporter. She doesn’t like it when we jump stories from the front to the back of the paper, breaking the story right in the middle of a word. This is not standard operating procedure. I did check. My unscientific survey revealed that we did in fact do that on [at least?] one occasion. We will certainly keep it in mind!
One member was hiding from the camera and did not want to be identified. Nevertheless, she says of Prime of Life, “It’s a wonderful club. You get out, have fun, play bingo, talk, and share helpful hints on things like doctors and garage-fixing.”
Desserts and Devotions
Behind the president’s desk is a table with one of the club’s most important staples: cake. Every meeting someone bakes a cake for the occasion. Peggy made this one, which was a yellow cake with Cool Whip topping. It looked delicious. It’s served with tea and a large pot of coffee. I heard one member say that the coffee was too strong, which, to me, made it perfect. (We were graciously invited to share in the refreshments.) Marge, Linda, and Betty also are on cake duty.
Before our arrival, the group performed its meeting rituals: They saluted the flag and then prayed for deceased members, people in the armed forces, disaster victims, and peace in the Middle East. On one wall was a list of special people to pray for, such as friends or relatives in the military, sick people, and people in the hospital.
There was also a table displaying used paperbacks with steamy-looking covers.
A very attractive white-haired woman did not want to give her name because she is moving to Florida. She was dressed in colorful orange, as if she had already made the move to the Sunshine State. But she hasn’t checked out yet; we spotted her dutifully going around with the trash can to collect the paper cups and plates and plastic forks.
Friendship and Fellowship
Helen, Dottie, and Stella have been friends for 20 years. They live uptown, midtown, and downtown, but find themselves in the same spot two days a month. “We’re all widows, and this gives us something to do,” one of them says. “No senior should sit at home and be alone.”
Florence Macisazek and Fran Piccolo have been friends for more than 50 years and members of the club for a decade. They give a nod to President Gilliland for her “extras and surprises.”
One of the best advertisements for Prime of Life is that members like Marge Berger, Betty Percotta, and Linda Petvick met at the club. That says a lot about its success as an incubator for socializing and recreating.
But by far, the biggest draw is—it begins with a “b” and ends with an exclamation point! “They love their bingo,” Peggy acknowledges.
“It’s nice if you win a quarter and holler ‘Bingo!’” says one member. “It’s exciting when you win. Every penny helps,” says another. “The greatest goal for senior people is to move their fingers and brains,” says another.
Prime of Lifers love the thrill of winning. Among their favorite trips are those to Atlantic City and the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They have the lingo down, referring to Atlantic City as “AC” and card games as “the tables,” though most play the one-armed bandit.
One member lost a whopping $300 on a gambling excursion. Another says they really like the Pennsylvania casino because it has an enclosed outlet mall.
“If you’re tired of losing money,” she says, “you can go to the mall.”
As the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.”—Kate Rounds
PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ