Coffee and a Smile

“Kassidy, come check out this bathroom!” says Patty as she’s walking towards me, pointing to the bathroom.

I thought this was a little funny because who wants a visitor to go see a bathroom? Once I walked in I realized why she wanted me to see the wonders of the Sagebrush Senior Center bathroom. You walk through the doors into a forest of aspen trees, like a trip down Aspen Alley. Directly in front of the door is two color changed aspen trees with a mama bear and two cubs hugging the tree in the center. Once you move your eyes to the left there are four beautiful tops of aspen trees lining the stall, each one unique. Finally when I entered the small bathroom, I looked back towards the door and there were two beautiful hummingbirds on the wall buzzing about the paper towel dispenser. It was truly the most magnificent bathroom I have ever had the privilege of walking into. Something that, in an all white building, is one of the craziest things you could imagine. 

When you walk into the senior center, you look to the left and see the kitchen setup along with a little coffee table to the side. When you look to the right the ladies make up the best part of the center this morning at 9 a.m. There are eight of them today, each of them look at me as I walk through the door. I am welcomed with a warm smile from each, it feels like I’ve walked into grandma’s house. There is a man in the far left corner sitting at a table who waves like he’s known me for years and gives me a big “Hello!” This just adds to the beautiful feeling of the senior center when you walk in.

“Pull up a chair, come sit with us,” says Mary when I say hello.

Once I pulled up a chair, they finished up with what they had been talking about and I introduced myself.

The senior center is important to them for many reasons because they get a smile-a-day due to having coffee club every morning. It’s so important because they have a good balanced meal and a place to socialize. The ladies in the coffee club believe that it is a joint effort in keeping the center up and running. They do their part by keeping it clean when they leave so they can keep coming back. Then, the directors and cooks do their part by keeping the center running for the people that need comfort. The coffee club ladies rely on it in a way that is different than others:

“If you see us out in the street having a fit, walking in circles, it’s because we haven’t had our morning coffee,” says Connie smiling at the other ladies.

They rely on it to keep them sane and free of worries.

For five days a week, the elderly in our community rely on this place for food, laughs and to hang out with friends. Even on Saturdays and Sundays, just because the doors aren’t open, doesn’t mean the center doesn’t look out for them. If they didn’t have the Sagebrush Senior Center, “You would find us all in a depression center, we would all be depressed,” said Connie looking around the group.

The group that comes to this place has become a family in some aspects. It’s almost like the center is a mother and the people that come in are the children. The center brings food to the elders house if they are sick and they take care of them. The center also make sure that no matter what, they always have someone to rely on. 

Coffee club always seemed to have at least three conversations going on, and everyone was so into what they were talking about. Sitting around the table with our coffee and danishes made me feel like I could say anything I wanted and everyone would listen. This happened to me and I was only there for an hour. I couldn’t imagine what it’s like everyday to talk to these fine ladies.

“If someone is having a bad day, it really just perks them up. Just think if you leave with a smile and your worries aren’t as bad as when you came in,” said Connie.

The eight ladies really showed me that they don’t leave with worries. They all had smiles on their faces by the time I left the building and there was pure joy in the atmosphere. Sitting at the table made you feel like you could put all of your problems out and just like that, they would be fixed. Being a part of this group for one short hour was all I needed to realize that the Sagebrush Senior Center was truly one of the most important places in Encampment, Wyoming.

All Carbon County senior services have a mission statement: “We endeavor to enhance the quality of life for eligible participants by providing services that will assist patrons in maintaining independent living.” The Sagebrush Senior Center is doing just that, as they are giving these people the best life they could imagine. They don’t just keep their services to the community on the inside of those doors, it expands far out of reach.