I begin this discourse about Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community with an explanation. Rae, my wife of 70 years, and I have lived happily in a third-floor apartment in the main building for over eight years. I attribute our contented situation very much to the wisdom of the Meadowlark Hills model. It is comfortable, pleasant and just easy living.

Example. All of our physical needs are taken care of. About the only effort we must exert on our own behalf is the quarterly thermostat adjustment. Meadowlark Hills Maintenance personnel respond almost instantaneously when they learn of a need we have in our apartment so I am sure they would be ringing the doorbell about the time we would hang up the telephone, if we were to become so dependent as to need assistance in adjusting a thermostat.

In addition to our physical comfort we can address the question of another regular activity, meal taking. We as Meadowlark Hills residents have a variety of choices in how, when and where we dine. We can, depending on the meal, sit down at the beautiful Prairie Star Restaurant, eat more informally at Verna Belle’s Café, or we can prepare – more correctly Rae can prepare all of our meals in the kitchen in our apartment. If we choose, we can make the decision concerning a meal some days in advance because the restaurant and Café prepare weekly menus. We can also decide momentarily to eat in the restaurant or in the Café during the liberal hours when each is open. This prolonged discussion about how Rae and I choose to take our meals is designed to illustrate the freedom we have all day every day to live this aspect of our lives. We act in accordance with our choices!

Meal planning at Meadowlark Hills shares with all phases of life at Meadowlark certain characteristics. Residents in the meal planning case make thrice daily decisions about eating. Most of these decisions are almost unconscious. Meadowlark Hills employees can participate in the planning and in carrying out the operation, but usually one or several residents together with possible friends or relatives just do something.

Most of the activities we residents share carry the same characteristic. They have some level of what I like to think of as adult supervision, or they may be entirely resident driven.

Other examples are regular exercise. This can range from the unorganized through moderately supervised. As an example Rae and I, both have benefitted as members of different organized exercise classes directed by a professional physical educator. Note: freedom of choice.

We have both gardened during appropriate months, but last year I gave up that activity. She believes that it is worth her extra effort so that she can continue to supply and some of her Southern heritage friends here on the Meadowlark Hills campus with particular fresh vegetables, especially okra.

Geographically Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community has the advantage of being located in Manhattan, Kansas. Our campus abuts that of Kansas State University. With minimal effort residents can participate in campus cultural efforts like viewing exhibits at the Beach Museum of Art, attending the professional presentations at McCain Auditorium or witnessing possible future Broadway stars among theater and music students in regular campus presentations. For many there is the thrill of attendance at Kansas State University’s athletic events at a campus venue. For most of these activities Meadowlark provides pooled transportation, or individual transportation is usually available.

Many of us often enjoy watching, in the company of other residents, a Kansas State football or basketball game on the large television screen in the Game Room. There are other displays of televised sports events on that screen where the participating contestants may generate less local loyalty, but the contest has national interest such as a World Series or a Super Bowl game.

Rae and I take the Meadowlark culture for granted because we have been living it and enjoying it for these eight years. When we give ourselves an opportunity to think about our situation, we readily recognize how fortunate we are. The most important influence for our excellent circumstance is the whole aura of life at Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community. We share our enthusiasm at any opportunity.