Unless you are a Native American, your ancestors came from somewhere else; we are a nation of immigrants. Whether you live in cities on the east coast, farm lands in the Midwest, desert towns or Pacific coastal communities, you have your ancestors to thank for their pioneering spirits that brought them to this new land. And according to an article I read recently in Renew magazine, published by United Healthcare, cultivating a pioneering mindset is a very healthy thing.

I have often wondered just how my ancestors managed in this new land. My grandmother’s family all came from the same area in Europe known as Prussia back then. Depending upon how the borders were drawn in that century, their homeland could have been Germany, Poland or Russia. They all traveled together and settled in the same area in Wisconsin around Rush Lake. This strikes me as a very smart move.

Certainly, there is strength in numbers. And if the territory is all new, at least they could take comfort in their family connections and traditions. While their surroundings were completely strange to them and needed to be built, quite literally, from the ground up, they all brought with them a common understanding of what to do and how to do it. And, most importantly, they knew which family member was best suited for which task.

My grandfather’s family was from Germany. They may have landed in America together, but their history is spread all over the map from the east coast to Wisconsin and beyond. It was as though various families stopped and put down roots wherever they were when their wagon broke down. I imagine their beginnings were more difficult because of this since individual families were left to manage alone or, at the very least, found themselves with other strangers who may have had the same misfortune.

As a child growing up, my grandparent’s farm was just a very fun place to visit. Now, as an adult with more years already lived than I have ahead of me, I can appreciate the many challenges their lives contained. They worked from sun up to sundown. Most everything was manual labor. My grandfather did have tractors, and my grandmother did have a wringer washer, a sewing machine and a wonderful cookstove that dominated her kitchen. Beyond that, they lived off the land. My grandmother raised and butchered chickens. My grandfather worked the fields and had a very small herd of dairy cattle. Together they planted a huge garden that fed them all year long. My grandfather was an excellent woodworker and had a big box of very mysterious-looking tools that he kept at his work bench in his “milk house.” He could fix just about anything and built the most intricate items; he made a cribbage board for my brother one Christmas that was a piece of art.

Their lives were mostly solitary, as they were the last farm on the road; the only other farms, however, belonged to relatives. But I do remember stories of barn raisings and of threshing crews. Back then, farm machinery was way too expensive for any one farmer to own his own combine, so at harvest time, crews of men travelled from farm to farm with a single combine and helped each farmer harvest his crop. My grandmother cooked up a storm to feed them all when it was their turn to get their crops harvested. She also loved to tell us the story about one of her brothers who had worked very hard at a barn raising. The family awoke to the screams of his nightmare as he was jumping around in his feather bed trying to free the barn that “was stuck in his pocket.”

Survival depended upon a certain mindset that gave our ancestors the determination needed to thrive in their new homeland. Renew magazine states that we can cultivate that mindset today and that, in fact, it would be very healthy for us to do so. We do not have to strike out anywhere in a horse-drawn wagon, but a pioneering mentality, it turns out, is very good for our aging brains. Listed below are eight pieces of modern-day pioneering wisdom.

— Try something new. As we age, it is very easy to get stuck in a rut and even easier for us to tell ourselves we are simply too old to learn a new skill. However, we are all still capable of learning, and it is advisable that we do, because it requires our brain to grow new cells and create connections between them — a process known as “neurogenesis.” We can also accomplish this by doing things in a totally different way. Try brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand. After I retired, I had hand surgery and had to do everything with my left hand for several weeks. By the time the cast came off, I was pretty good at it! Drive to the grocery store a different way. As I took drives during this time of the coronavirus, I explored all kinds of new routes on country roads I had never travelled before.

— Set a goal. Whether large or small, setting a goal will help you learn new things. Write it down and tell a friend about your plans. Both will help keep you accountable and keep your success level high.

— Keep less in the wagon and more in your memories. Research has proven that happiness does not come from the things we purchase, but rather from the experiences we have throughout our life. My husband and I love to reminisce about the many places we have lived before we put down roots in Niagara and the many experiences we have had since moving up north. And the most memorable times have been the simplest and least costly.

— Help others along the way. Life is a long, sometimes difficult road made easier by the friends we meet along the way and the strangers we help. Getting out of our own small world broadens our horizons and actually helps to broaden our minds. My husband and I house medical students when they do rotations at our local hospital. It is very rewarding to be a part of helping them attain their degree, and we have met many fine young people over the years.

— Step up to risks. As the old saying goes, “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Where would our country be if our ancestors had been too afraid to get on that boat that brought them to the shores of this new world? Taking a calculated risk builds all kinds of confidence when we succeed at something we have always wanted to try. I fondly remember a Valentine’s Day years ago when my husband helped me across the ice at Little Presque Isle Point in Marquette to get to the island across a narrow, frozen channel. I had been quite afraid, but when I did it and saw that icy patchwork quilt of Lake Superior stretching out before me, it gave me a memory I will always treasure.

— Courage under pressure. Summoning the courage to help in a difficult situation builds self-confidence, increases empathy and provides a more universalistic way of looking at the world. “We’re all in this together” can become an attitude for how we live our lives.

— Stand tall. Research has shown that simply standing erect in a more powerful pose can increase self-confidence and provide the strength needed to persevere through difficult situations. Sitting tall also can instill feelings of self-confidence and positivity.

— Say thanks. Pioneers historically gave thanks for simple things: for safely crossing a river or a mountain range, for successfully hunting wildlife along the way to bolster provisions, or for surviving treacherous weather. Consciously being thankful for the smallest things in your life leads to more of an optimistic attitude toward life in general. Gratitude reminds us of all the good we have, no matter how small.

So even though our world is full of modern conveniences and most of us, by this time, have long since put down roots, it is both possible and advisable to retain the pioneering spirit that brought our ancestors to these shores. Our frontier lies ahead in the years we have left. By cultivating courage, empathy, optimism and gratitude we can more fully experience and enjoy the life that remains yet to be discovered.

——

NURSING HOMES

The usual senior living activity calendars and senior center menus are not being published to avoid confusion. Due to the coronavirus and the vulnerability of the elderly population, daily life in the senior living facilities and senior centers has changed dramatically.

All living facilities have closed their doors to public visitation, and the activity calendars have been modified to allow for one-to-one room visits only and individualized activities to keep residents engaged and active as much as possible while remaining within state health and safety guidelines. Group games are being substituted with individualized activities residents can do in their respective rooms. Staff are providing supplies as well as “overhead announcement bingo and trivia” games and “hallway games” that can be played in individual rooms or by sitting within individual room doorways. YouTube and DVDs are being utilized to provide religious services.

All senior centers also have been closed to on-site activity. Until they re-open, no information is being published on activities typically available at these centers. Meals continue to be delivered. Some centers also are preparing meals to be picked up. Menus are printed below for those centers who are either preparing takeout or providing delivered meals. Questions can be directed to the individual centers.

SENIOR CENTERS

Alpha-Mastodon Center

906-875-3315

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

Breen Center

906-774-5110

Crystal Falls Center

Head cook: Lucy Korhonen

906-875-6709

Crystal Lake Center – Iron Mountain

906-239-0278

Home-delivered meals only The menu for week:

Monday: Smothered chicken, mashed potatoes, winter blend vegetables.

Tuesday: Tuna casserole, peas, biscuit.

Wednesday: Chicken quesadilla soup, cornbread, side salad.

Thursday: Taco salad, sour cream, salsa, chips.

Friday: Fish sticks, tater tots, mixed vegetables.

For more information, contact Christine McMahon at 906-774-2256.

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Home-delivered or takeout meals for the week:

Monday: Hamburger, potatoes, salad.

Tuesday: Spaghetti with meatballs, dinner roll, winter blend vegetables.

Wednesday: Pork roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas.

Thursday: Shepherd’s pie, side salad.

Aging and Disability Resource Center of Florence County, Wis.

715-528-4890

Director: Tiffany White

Home-delivered meals only The menu for week:

Monday: Sweet and sour meatballs, rice, Oriental vegetables, fruit.

Tuesday: Turkey sandwich, minestrone soup, cottage cheese with fruit, pumpkin bars.

Wednesday: Father’s Day Meal — Barbecue country ribs, baked potatoes, creamed corn, broccoli salad, fruit pie with ice cream.

Thursday: Liver and onions or chicken breast, cheesy potatoes, peas, fruit.

Friday: Stuffed pepper casserole, carrots, bread sticks, fruit.

Fence Center/Town Hall

715-336-2980 – RSVP for meal at 855-528-2372

Same as ADRC menu, home-delivered meals only.

Florence Community Center/Town Hall

RSVP for meal at 715-528-4261

Same as ADRC menu, home-delivered meals only.

Tipler Town Hall

715-674-2320 – RSVP for meals.

Same as ADRC menu, home-delivered meals only.

Hillcrest Senior Dining Center, Aurora

715-589-4491 – RSVP for meals

Same as ADRC menu, home-delivered meals only.

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Pam Haluska

906-498-7735

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Home-delivered and takeout meals for the week:

Monday: Enchilada casserole, rice, Mexicorn, fruit, milk.

Tuesday: Chicken dumpling soup, egg salad sandwich, fruit, milk.

Wednesday: Philly steak sandwich, spaghetti salad, fruit, milk.

Thursday: Stuffed shells, broccoli, garlic bread, fruit, milk.

Niagara Northwoods Senior Cafe and Center

Meal site manager: Corrie Maule, 715-251-1603

Senior center director: Jill Anderson, 715-251- 4154

Norway Center

Director: Susie Slining

906-563-8716

The center will remain closed however take-out meals will be prepared for pick-up – must call ahead. Menu for week:

Monday: Italian sausage roll-ups, Italian blend vegetables, garlic bread, fruit, juice, milk, dessert.

Tuesday: Father’s Day Dinner: Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy, glazed carrots, fruit, juice, milk, bread, dessert.

Wednesday: Noon meal — Fish patty on a bun, tater tots, peas and carrots, fruit, juice, milk, bread, dessert; Evening meal 5:30 to 6 p.m. pick-up — Barbecued ribs, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, milk, bread, fruit and dessert.

Thursday: Birthday Club — Sweet and sour chicken, rice, stir fry vegetables, fruit, juice, milk, birthday cake.

Sagola Center

906-542-3273

Call for home-delivered or take-out meal menu.

Farm to Family program food box pick-up schedule —

— Kingsford: 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, at 621 N. Hooper St. (across from Trico);

— Sagola: 10 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25, senior center;

— Felch Township: 9 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25, Felch Community Center on M-69;

— Iron River: 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, June 25, Iron River Senior Center parking lot.