Kitty Parties Can Take a Page from Book Clubs!

N. Raghuraman, Management Guru

85 year old Becky Nedelman still runs her club in Los Angeles, America. Members of this club, started in 2001, meet every month. Some members are above 90 years of age. He never missed the monthly meeting. Like our kitty parties, this one is also held at a lady’s house, who arranges snacks and drinks according to the season.

This together has passed through every phase of their life – from marriage to motherhood and from illness to divorce. Members decrease only when unfortunately someone passes away or goes somewhere else. Becky says its emotional significance increases with each passing year. The longer these meetings continue, the more important they become to each other. Today she is at that age where sometimes she loses friends. Many have also lost their husbands. That is why these meetings become even more important.

So what do they do together? She reads books. Yes, read it right. This is their kitty party. In 25 years he has read 252 books. These members engage in lively debate on each book. This club is running because of the open mindedness of the members. Someone likes the author, but not his book.

Someone’s views are contrary to this. Some wonder how the author should have ended the book. This debate makes them more intelligent after every meeting, because they get to hear different viewpoints on the same book. This helps them see a topic from different perspectives.

Many of us may have noticed that our monthly meetings end due to waning interest, lack of time, domestic reasons, travel or relative issues. But even today there is lively debate in every meeting of ‘Becky’s Book Club’. The others listen patiently and debate each woman’s opinion about a book or author, because this is a group of old friends – coming together to talk literature, not gossip.

There are different women’s clubs in America – like investment clubs, where investments are discussed. Planned Parenthood Club, where preparations before becoming parents are shared. Similarly, Becky’s Book Club consists only of literature lovers and true book-readers.

Since June 2001, the group has read 252 books and is keeping detailed records of each book. The group reads contemporary literature, but occasionally they also read the classics. What makes this group special and seamlessly running is that every member is willing to read books on different topics. He doesn’t reject any idea by saying ‘I don’t like reading such books.’

Reading keeps older people’s minds away from gossip and engages them in shared intellectual discussion, creating a stable and constructive community. Lively discussions on different literature keep the members active and intellectually strong. It is like a mental workout, which keeps cognitive ability strong even at the age of 90.

Research shows that such cognitive stimulation can protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s for a long time by keeping the neural pathways of the brain active. Studies also show that people who read books live longer than those who do not. The combination of mental activity and the social support found in clubs like Becky’s creates a powerful ‘survival advantage’ as you age.

Apart from stress management, these clubs help in combating loneliness. Give objectives, like reading 252 books. And most importantly, help the elderly to live their lives. They transform personal suffering into shared human experiences.

The bottom line is that If we start reading books of at least 100 pages in our kitty parties, it can further enrich the knowledge of our wise women in many aspects of life.

Make Dainik Bhaskar your favorite source on Google ➔