GO TO CHARLIE FOR HEALTHY BODY, MIND.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
The word of mouth on Charlie Blisten is he's the go-to guy. He can get senior citizens to do something that most doctors, therapists and even relatives can't: take a rain check on old age. Make them believe their bodies can feel better, their minds stronger, their spirits higher. You don't need a Medicare card The term medicare card is used in:
It's all free. All you need to do is believe. ``The man works wonders,'' says Rosalinda Gonzales, director of the Bernardi Senior Citizen Center in Van Nuys, where Charlie teaches a weekly exercise class. ``Three-quarters of his class are only Spanish-speaking, but it doesn't make any difference what Charlie's saying because it's the spirit he's teaching.'' The spirit to believe that there's still plenty of living to do. ``Charlie has this incredible commitment to make people's lives better,'' says April Dobson dob·son n. See hellgrammite. [Probably from the name Dobson.] Noun 1. dobson - large brown aquatic larva of the dobsonfly; used as fishing bait hellgrammiate , program coordinator at the Skirball Center, where Charlie takes a busload bus·load n. The number of passengers or the quantity of cargo that a bus can carry. Noun 1. busload - the quantity of cargo or the number of passengers that a bus can carry of seniors every few weeks. ``He always comes with a full house, about 100 seniors. We have lunch, then our docents take them through the museum, and finally we go into the auditorium for our classic film series where they see a movie they probably haven't seen in 50 years. ``When Charlie takes them home, they've had a full day of not only cultural, but physical, mental and social stimulation,'' she said. Body, mind and spirit. It's all there for the taking in Charlie Blisten's exercise classes. ``Most of us were couch potatoes couch potato An Americanism for a sedentary person, usually ♂, whose predominant non-work activity consists in lying on a couch, watching TV. See Television intoxication 'syndrome.'. Cf Vigorous exercise. ,'' Betty Mador said Thursday at the Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys Senior Citizen Center, where Charlie runs exercise classes three mornings a week. ``I heard about Charlie through word of mouth,'' Ida Kelemen said. ``Some friends told me there was this guy over in Van Nuys doing some remarkable things. They were right.'' Ida gives Reeva Grown a birthday card to sign for Charlie, who turns 89 next week. Yeah, the go-to guy is one of the oldest seniors in his own class - on paper, at least. This guru for hundreds of Valley seniors worked for years as a salesman for the old Silverwoods Clothing Store in Pasadena until he retired about 14 years ago, at age 75. ``I had nothing to do. I went back to Brooklyn to visit my mother who was in a convalescent con·va·les·cent adj. Relating to convalescence. n. A person who is recovering from an illness, an injury, or a surgical operation. convalescent 1. pertaining to or characterized by convalescence. 2. home. It was a sad place. All these people moaning moan n. 1. a. A low, sustained, mournful cry, usually indicative of sorrow or pain. b. A similar sound: the eerie moan of the night wind. 2. Lamentation. v. , just sitting around vegetating. ``That's when I said to myself, this is something I was going to do, teach seniors to exercise and be active. Wring wring v. wrung , wring·ing, wrings v.tr. 1. To twist, squeeze, or compress, especially so as to extract liquid. Often used with out. 2. every second out of life.'' Charlie talked to doctors, read books, visited clinics, took classes and honed an exercise routine to revitalize re·vi·tal·ize tr.v. re·vi·tal·ized, re·vi·tal·iz·ing, re·vi·tal·iz·es To impart new life or vigor to: plans to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods; tried to revitalize a flagging economy. the systems of seniors, strengthen their muscles and bone structure. Then he started working on revitalizing re·vi·tal·ize tr.v. re·vi·tal·ized, re·vi·tal·iz·ing, re·vi·tal·iz·es To impart new life or vigor to: plans to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods; tried to revitalize a flagging economy. their minds and spirit. ``I'd run into seniors who'd say, 'I'm an old man, nobody wants to know me.' So, they'd sit home. It's the worst thing you can do, sit home alone, moaning that nobody cares.'' He contacted Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel's office to see if he could arrange for buses to transport the seniors in his exercise classes on field trips. Greuel had already heard about this guy over at the Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys Senior Citizen Center doing remarkable things. ``Everywhere I went, seniors were coming up to me saying they wouldn't be walking and staying active if it wasn't for Charlie,'' said Candace Campbell, a field deputy for Greuel. ``I asked him if he realized what he meant to so many people.'' Charlie said the compliments were nice - but what about those buses? Sure, Campbell said. When the charter bus pulls up in front of the Skirball Center next week, Charlie will ask only one thing of his seniors taking a raincheck on old age. That they introduce themselves to the person on their right and left, and in the seats in front and behind them. ``I don't want one person to walk off that bus by themselves, all alone,'' he says. Body, mind and spirit. It's all there in Charlie Blisten's exercise class. All you have to do is believe. Dennis McCarthy, (818) 713-3749 dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Charlie Blisten has led workout Workout Informal repayment or loan forgiveness arrangement between a borrower and creditors. workout 1. The process of a debtor's meeting a loan commitment by satisfying altered repayment terms. sessions at the Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Senior Citizen Center for years, keeping seniors' minds healthy as well with cultural field trips. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion