Phew!! Just thinking about a typical Arnold Collens day is tiring. He is one of SOAR’s most popular instructors, he researches and writes articles for various organizations, is a frequent lecturer, leads Detroit history tours, and he is an ace photographer, shooting photographs of the city of Detroit, birds, and flowering plants.

Yet Collens, a retired business owner, past president of the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan, a birder, and a volunteer at a Florida sanctuary, simply describes himself as laid back and quiet. Mostly, he playfully says, “I know a lot of crap.”

“I go to the sanctuary for eight hours, walk around and talk with people.” said Collens. “I take my camera – my camera is my friend, and I have a wonderful eye. Those are relaxing moments to me.”

Collens, who holds a B.A. degree in business and a master’s in education, both from Wayne State University, has been a SOAR instructor for eight years and has taught a variety of classes: from the history of the auto industry to prominent Detroit citizens. Collens embodies SOAR’s mission: He is an active retiree, a lifelong learner, and has a passion to inspire others.

“I like to make people smile and happy,” he said. “I like to have knowledge and information; and I like sharing information. I like to see the sparkle in people’s eyes and them hear them say: ‘Gee, I didn’t know that.’”

Sometimes, even Collens is surprised. Once, while giving a presentation on baseball to a group of seniors, he asked if anyone had a story of their own.

“There was a man in his 90’s with coke-bottle glasses,” said Collens. “He said when he was 11 years-old he didn’t have money to go to a game.” The man described how he wrote a letter to Detroit Tiger Hank Greenberg, asking for a photograph. Greenberg wrote him back telling him to bring his parents, go to Gate 22, and he would give him a ticket to the game, a drink, and popcorn.

“I asked him if he had that letter,” said Collens. Sadly, he noted, “there was no way that piece of paper was still around. He was ready to die. That got to me.”

Collens and his wife Dorothy live on Cass Lake in Waterford, and that is where he is able to enjoy life’s ultimate relaxation. “Sometimes, I’ll take our boat out and take a nap in the boat. It is like being in a big hammock,” Collens said. He and Dorothy have been married for 56 years. They have two sons, Howard and Jason, and five grandchildren.