KNOWING HOW TO DO IT…

The Old Rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I just finished having installed new granite countertops in my kitchen.  In the process the plumbing had to be disconnected from the old countertops.  Of course this meant that when the next countertops were in place the plumbing had to be reconnected. 

Now this activity did not appear to be much of a challenge for me because I know a considerable amount about plumbing in fact I installed the existing plumbing.  Oh I forgot, I installed those fixtures about ten years ago when I was a young 72.

Well disconnecting the plumbing from the old countertops was not that difficult ten years ago.  You know getting down on my knees and then lying face up with my head under the sink. Now that has become much less easy at my age of 82.  Still throwing caution to the wind, I was able to disconnect the PVC plumbing from the garbage disposal and the other sink drain.  Of course the water lines which would be reused for the new faucets were disconnected to find one leaked so that had to be replaced.

 So, off to the Home Depot to get a new cut off valve where I was told you might need a new compression attachment which meant cutting off the old one from the copper tubing.  Nothing ain’t easy but the new valve did not leak and without all of that major surgery I had what was to become the easiest part of this job.

The countertop guys arrived asking if the stuff was disconnected.  A resounding ‘YES’ put smiles on their faces for I guess sometimes they have to wait while the work is done.  And, like all capitalists say ‘time is money’.  And, these guys work for a no none sense entrepreneur which of course is a small business capitalist who does and must watch every penny. I know for I was one once.

It wasn’t long and they had ripped out the old countertops laying bare the collapsed plumbing.  I had to add a couple of wooden support wall boards for the new tops but that was not difficult because I didn’t have to get back down on my hands and knees.

The next day the owner arrived to measure for the new countertop template. Of course this activity is a very important step in the process of building a countertop out of

3 inch - thick granite which is going to fit.  Especially critical is the opening for the double stainless steel sink.

I had elected to use my old sink as a new one would cost me $200.  Now that does not sound like much when the new tops cost about $4000 but you know every penny or rather every two-hundred dollars count.  I should not have been surprised when he said these old sinks will not work.

I frowned when I asked “Why not?”  Well he explained that the granite will be much thicker than the old countertop. So instead of the sink lip sitting on top of the counter top it would have to be placed and attached under the top.  And my old sink was not designed for that kind of installation. After a one-sided discussion it was agreed that I will buy a new sink – one of course which can be attached under the granite. 

So, there goes my $200 down the drain ‘no pun intended’.  After he left I had to go ‘online’ to their specified supplier to pick out the sink I wanted.  This e-stuff always worries me for many times I fail but this time it did work and I picked out the double sink which I wanted.  Well, I didn’t really want it but I had to have it. The new sink like the old is a deep one with a larger sink on the left.  Not much different than my old one which I liked so I was pleased at my selection.

In four days as promised the owner and his crew of two husky men arrived unannounced at 8:30 in the morning with the new granite countertop and sink.  They liked my support wood work which made me proud.  So, they began with the owner measuring, etc. to be sure it would fit.  I asked for the sinks to be taken out of the truck so that I could install the drains before they were put in place.  

Now this idea allowed me to simply attach the plumbing to the new drains without having to do so standing on my head under the sink.  A very clever ploy, I must admit. After about an hour he, the owner said goodbye that the tops fit perfectly and his crew would finish the job.

Early afternoon they left with some instructions on what I had to do like put in place a couple of screws to the dishwasher and of course seal the granite with some liquid I could get at Home Depot.  So, down to my Home Depot I drove and bought a small can of the stuff for $22! 

After carefully applying the liquid as noted on the label, I proceeded to work the plumbing.  I was confident that I could get this done in an hour or so, but I first had to wait while the glue which held the sink in place had dried.  So as instructed after twenty-four hours, the next afternoon I began to replace the plumbing.

First was the garbage disposal which is a large one and very heavy and cumbersome.  Cumbersome because this all takes place on my back looking upward trying to juggle the heavy thing in place so the metal ring can be slid into the sink drain. I had a friend over to help with this installation for it is a two person job.  The idea of course is that I lift and the other person slips the ring into place.

Well this was much easier said than done for it is a very heavy and large garbage disposal. In fact, it was so heavy that lying on my back I could not lift it into place.  I was able to get it on top of a plastic cake cover so that it was within one inch of the drain.  We pried it up the rest of the way with wooden stakes.  But, it had to fit just right or the circular metal lever would not do its job.  With the wooden stakes it was levered into place and it fit!  The circular lever was pushed into place and the garbage disposal was attached to the sink!

Like my Christian helper screamed, “Halleluiah, it’s a miracle”.  I will argue that it was not a miracle but hard work with some luck.  I guess some people will argue that it was not luck but God’s will.  Whatever…

After some consternation the facets were in place and fastened to the counter top.  I was tired and my friend had to get home to care for her dog.  Still I was pleased with our progress and looking forward to an hour of work the next day connecting the PVC pipe to the tub drains.  What could go wrong?  I had detached them in a few minutes so reattaching them would not take that much longer.  Right?  No, Wrong!

Of course it would take longer because I had new sinks with drains located differently to each other.  Simply the PVC pipes and P-trap would not fit the new drain locations.  I knew I could make it fit but it would take a great deal of time and several trips to my Home Depot.  Now I understand why professional plumbers come to the job with a big truck full of plumbing fixtures, PVC pipe, and lots of tools. 

By six thirty that evening I had finally bought and cut the needed plumbing supplies so I was able to attach it all to the two drains.  It fit and didn’t leak nor did the water lines to the faucets leak. Very tired and frustrated I had a drink, light dinner and went to bed more tired than I had been in a long time.

The next morning with my aching body all I had to do to complete the job was to put liquid soap into the container I had fitted to the counter top.  But, the pump did not work!  I tried everything but still I could not get soap to come out of the small tube sticking out of the metal pump head.  Very frustrated, I phoned the faucet company for help.  The answer was “Oh they don’t work sometimes, so we will send you a new better one and without charge.”  Wow how lucky can I be.

My point of course is these kinds of home jobs always take more time and effort than planned.  But, with age my frustrations grow much more rapidly and so do the aches and pains.  I can not count the numbers of times I got up and down with great caution holding on to the edge of the counter top to help me stand. 

Yes, I knew how to do it but the time is coming when that will not be enough.  I will not be physically able to do it anymore.  Simply, I will need to hire someone to do something which I know how to do.  That time will be very difficult for me to accept.  But, I know that day is coming.

4/14

BIOLOGICAL VS CHRONOLOGICAL AGE

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I ran across a news article the other day noting that biological age may have something to do with a longer-life span.  Many articles ago in this blog I wrote about the importance of biological age as a better measure of age than simply ‘years of age’.  Certainly, we see people of the same age who look much older or younger than their real age and I suspect that their looks are a good indicator of their biological age. Interestingly, we always compliment a person on how young they look, never how much older a person looks than their chronological age. I guess this is an intuitive sign that aging is not a good thing.

In this regard, age is welcomed at a young age but not so when we get older. In my late teens I would use a fake ID which showed me to be older to get into a bar to buy a drink or a pack of cigarettes. Now, when someone tells me that I do not look like I am 83 well 83 and a half, I smile for I take it is as a complement.  And, I let them know that I not just 83 but I am getting closer to 84!

When I was a young boy I was always pleased to be considered older than my chronological age older because I was small for my age until I was 15 years old and I wanted to be a young man. Like now, I was not just 6, I was 6 and a half. You know more like a man.

Now, this news article mentions ‘looks’ as a criterion of biological aging but then sites a couple of university studies one which seriously measured this type of aging using several physiologic, physical and anatomic parameters plus cognition.  One-thousand subjects were involved in one of these studies with surprising results. When the group reached 38 years of age their biological ages ranged from 30 to nearly 60 years.  What is meant by ‘nearly 60’ was not explained.

Of particular interest to me were those physical activities which I have not found to be somewhat challenging in my 80s were showing up already in some of those subjects who were only 38 years of age! These were called ‘basic tasks’ such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. I would assume that their balance had also deteriorated some which I find at times difficult for me to handle.

Now the study found that cognition was negatively affected in those people who had aged more rapidly which was assumed to be a normal result of aging.  I certainly disagree with that assumption as I have noted in previous blogs. Of course, I agree with some of their other findings for I am experiencing them in my aging process but not any loss of cognition.  In regard to physical aging, I recently read of a woman who is 90 having just completed a marathon race. I suppose she thinks that physical problems are not a natural aging process. Of course, she will eventually have these physical problems but at a much older age.

This article concludes by suggesting that previous studies on aging had used older people beginning with the age of 50 whereas this aging process begins at a much younger age.  I agree with that assumption but then it was suggested that by determining a faster aging process in younger people that would allow for ‘…prevention of age-related diseases, opening a new door for anti aging therapies’.  Unfortunately, no anti aging therapies were identified. Of course, this aspect had to be considered for the writers to show somehow that their findings could affect life span.

The conclusion also suggested that by determining the biological age of an individual their level of health would be measured with a single number. This number might be used to assess the health of a community.  I don’t believe that this idea will catch on.  You know having a 38 year old woman accept her age as 60. 

Certainly applying anti aging therapies at a younger age would make them more effective but what exactly are these therapies?  I would guess that one of them includes ‘working out’ at a gym.  I do that which I have written about previously and I think it has helped me physically and my muscle mass has remained pretty much intact. My chest muscles, you know my ‘pecks’ are still visible.

Besides lifting weights I do my stretching exercise which I find helpful in putting on my socks and shoes. Twice a week at the gym, I get on the stationary bike and pedal for 30 minutes as my aerobic exercise.  It lets me know that I have just pedaled over 5 miles which of course is a lie for I have not moved one inch.

As I mentioned balance is a problem which I find at times troubling and it seems to be progressing more rapidly than I expected.  I understand that this malady is because the sensory aspects of the soles of my feet are wearing out. I do agree with that take on it for I find wearing thin sole shoes helps me with balance.  And, walking on a hard surface allows me more freedom of balance than walking on a thick carpet.

Now, I do have more difficulty going on walks than I did a few years ago and with some pain especially in my hip area.  This pain is annoying but not debilitating.  Still, pain makes walking less fun so I do it less often and for shorter distances.  So, it is important to challenge these aging problems with more walking such as parking further away from the grocery store entrance. Of course, this is not natural for most everyone tries to park as close as possible. Even parking at the gym finds most cars as close as possible to the front door.  How strange…

I am now, for the summer of 2015 living in my condo on Lake Erie in Western New York where I attend the summer session of the Chautauqua program.  This activity requires considerable walking which is good for me. I suppose each day I go there I walk about 2 miles.  Now sometimes I catch a bus from the parking lot to the Grounds which shortens my walk by half.  I use to wave the bus driver off when he stopped to pick me up but sometimes if I am hurting I accept the ride. When I do this I remember my uncle who would visit me here a few years ago.  He is ten years older than I. After a few yearly visits he declined my invitation noting that he was holding me back in our walks from the parking lot. Of course, in reality the walk hurt him too much. I did not understand then but I do now.

The science I reported on was not as informative as I would have liked it to be for I wanted to learn more about this biological aspects of this aging process I am now experiencing.  You know, let me in on some secrets on how I can do it better. Regarding the faster biological aging process nothing was noted regarding aging habits which we all know affects aging such as smoking tobacco. It is well known that smoking causes a drying of the skin which results in more wrinkles especially on the face. And, exposure of skin to the sun can cause more wrinkling.

The study cited did not mentioned if it had controlled for these things nor did it get into sleep and work habits all of which I think would have some effect on aging.  And, what about nutrition although I think diet is over played in aging; you know paying more for ‘organic foods’.

As a scientist I would have thought this study would have controlled for some of these parameters. So, this study really raised more questions than answers. In that regard, I was disappointed in it but it did reinforce my thoughts on this subject for I am sure we all have been shocked how old someone appeared when we hadn’t seen that person for a few years.  And, how little some people have aged; you know, ‘You haven’t aged a day since I saw you last!’

On the other hand, we never say even though we think ‘Oh my god how old you look what happened? Have you been sick or something?” You know looking old suggests that being sick had something to do with it. Yep, people do not want to look older that they are except when they were young kids wanting to grow up to be more like dad and mom.

8/15

LONG TRIPS ARE TIRING FOR OLD PEOPLE

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I just returned from a two-week trip from my home in San Antonio, Texas to several locations on the West Coast.  It was not a difficult trip.  By that I mean, things went pretty much as planned and I do plan well.

My plans are well thought out and make loads of sense.  That is I do not put a lot of activities into short periods of time as I use to do.  And, when it comes to driving each day I make sure that I have made motel reservations so that I am compelled to stop when I reach that motel.

Not many years ago when I got into my car to begin a long trip, I would drive for many hours, usually until it got dark and I would start fairly early in the morning.  That is I would drive for twelve hours or more each day.  It would not be uncommon for me to drive 800 miles or more in one day.  To make things even more tiring I would stop infrequently at rest stops and would take along snacks, fruit, and nuts for my lunch.  That is I would not stop for lunch.

Well, I don’t do that anymore.  In fact I try not to drive more than seven hours with at least an hour break for lunch.  And, yes I stop at most rest areas. So, in order for me to accomplish such an easy trip, I make reservations at motels for those six-seven hour driving days.

Even so, after a couple of weeks of traveling with two time zones thrown in when I got home, I was not at the top of my game.  I slept okay, but I was not ready to expend much work and effort for several days.  For instance, I did not get right back into the gym training thing for a few days.  I just didn’t feel that ambitious yet I was not particularly tired. 

As the days pass, I always begin to want to do some things so I know I am getting back to what I will call ‘normal’.  Well normal for someone in his 80s.  Certainly normal for me now is not what normal use to be like when I was much younger.

Years ago, upon my return from a long trip frequently from overseas with several time zones thrown in I would immediately get right back to work doing things unfinished when I left.  But, not anymore!  And, it takes me a while to understand what is going on.  Oh, yes I just returned from a trip and I am not up to my usual par.  This has happened to me several times before of course.  It usually takes about two weeks to get back to my normal activities.

This trip was a first for me in which I used my newly purchased Magellan Road Mate.  I have a friend who uses a Garmin and really enjoys it.  He has used it a few times with me driving and it worked well.  Was not the shortest way to get to where we wanted to go but it did work.

So, when I had an opportunity to buy something like it on sale for less than $100, why not?  I used it in my home area to get used to it so I was ready to give it a whirl on this trip.  I was so certain that it would work I didn’t take a road map with me!  Well that was dumb.

What I am noting here is that my first experience was not a good one, for it failed on the first day to take me to where I had directed it to go.  Fortunately, I was going to a friend’s house so I phoned him for directions.  He told me that yes the Magellan does not work for his address.  He had phoned them about the problem but they never fixed it.  And too, it directed me a very long distance to his house before it quit.  And, it just quit without any warning.  The woman’s voice didn’t say goodbye or that she was lost.  It just quit!

With that uneasy beginning I proceeded on the remaining parts of my trip still relying on my Road Mate. As I got more experience with it, I found it to be useful.  Still, it took me on routes to places which might have been the shortest but was certainly not the simplest.  So, will I trust it and not take a simple road map anymore?  No!!!

My trip took me to my 1956 Veterinary Class Reunion in Palm Springs.  Yes, my 1956 graduation – some 58 years ago! Rejoining my old classmates is always an interesting experience.  I note interesting because it has both ups and downs.  The ‘up’ of course is seeing my fellow surviving classmates each year who can make the trip.  I suppose about half of those surviving can not travel anymore and hearing about there poor health is really a downer.

This year one classmate who attended had Stage-4 lung cancer, so this will be his last trip.  Even though he was in some pain he insisted on attending one last time. 

Interestingly, he was the first person I met when I arrived at college as a pre-veterinary major.  He was a World War II veteran and like me was trying to get into veterinary school.  I lost track of him until the first day of veterinary school and there he was a freshman just like me.

I wonder if I was in pain and about to die if I would want to come to our annual reunion.  I guess I would.

Our class was an interesting one as about half were WW II veterans, so they were a few years older.  Obviously most of those attending the reunion are the younger classmates such as me.  This year only six of us made it.  That is not very many when we had 52 graduates. More were supposed to come this year but old-aged heath raised its ugly head which at the last minute made them cancel their trips.

My classmate who hosted us this year became frustrated as he had hoped for more of us to attend.  And at the start of his planning he received many yes’s so he was very excited.  Then the cancellations started coming in and of course that troubled him.  So, next year we plan to take a 3-day cruise.  No planning will be involved.  Those attending will just buy their tickets and we all meet on the deck. 

Maybe I will attend next year.  I hope so but one never knows.

Don’t forget to buy my novel ‘Mary’ on Amazon for $5.99.  Yes, ‘Mary’ by Russell Burton.  It is a mystery with adventure and at the end much terror.  A great read!!!!

As always I can be reached at burton.russell@att.net  But please write in the title ‘The Old Rusty Nail’ or it will be deleted. That is I don’t click on any emails unless I know the name of the writer.

THE LOST ART OF PENMANSHIP

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I received handwritten thank you cards the other day from my two grandchildren.  Their penmanship, if it can be called that, was horrible and consequently I could not read some of it.  One started the note with a crude form of cursive which gradually transformed into printing.  The other was entirely printed.  Now the person who tried handwriting was 14 years old and a freshman in high school getting very good grades.

I mentioned this to a friend the other day and she told me that her son who is an attorney only prints.  And, then I was reminded about a TV cable repairman who wrote down on a piece of paper some things I wanted him to relate to his supervisor and he too printed.

So, what is going on?  Well, to begin with cursive is not taught in school anymore.  How sad but true.  I remember especially my eighth grade practicing cursive with all of those perfect written letters, both little and capital, in a huge size posted on the walls above the blackboards. Oh how we tried to duplicate those examples of perfect cursive but of course none of us were ever able to write like that.  Still, at lease we wrote so that someone could read it.

The letters that we tried to duplicate were beautiful and what could be called perfect.  At that time, I understood that a certain woman wrote those letters and that was what she did for a living.  Now, I think making cursive a profession is a bit extreme but it still should be taught in school!

And, speaking of reading it a friend of mine told me that one of her grandchildren can not read cursive – only printing.  That made me think maybe my grandchildren will not be able to read my short notes which I wrote in cursive and sent back by regular postage (you know snail mail) to each of them.  I guess I should have printed or written the notes on my computer and sent them email.  But, to me receiving an email is not nearly as friendly or caring as getting some hand-written note.

Okay, my handwriting is not what it use to be.  My signature is in the form of a few bumps and squiggles that can’t be read but interestingly it makes my documents legal and that can only be accomplished with my handwriting.  Yes, it is possible to e-cursive but it is still some form of handwriting.

So, apparently cursive is going the way of the Dodo bird and I think that is too bad for many reasons. The most important one is that only humans can write in this wonderful flowing manner that relates information to other humans. Another reason is that the printing I have seen is not neat and hard to read for it is a mixture of small and capital letters.  Another reason is it takes so much more time to print than to write in handwriting.  

Of course the computer and other e-things are the reason for this loss of hand writing ability as texting becomes a primary mode of communication which is the new form of writing. And, oh how rapidly these young people can text on that little key board – some with fat fingers.  I must admit it is a remarkable skill, but somehow does not compare with cursive.  I can imagine some poor lost soul not being able to write a simple message in huge letters to ask for help to some overhead plane trying to rescue that person. Okay, they would print it.

But of course the computer does offer a form of printing which is perfect and rapidly performed, especially if one learns touch typing.  I guess touch typing is still taught in schools, but I see kids texting ‘hunt and peck’ and not even using complete sentences with many ‘misspelled’ words like ‘u’ for ‘you’.  Okay so they are not misspelled only shortened using some form of short hand.

Speaking of short hand, I remember when I was attending school in the winter in South Dakota between the second and fourth grades, my folks paid to have me go across the street to someone’s home and eat a hot lunch.  They had a teenage daughter who was constantly practicing a form of written short hand.  She was attempting to make each letter exactly like the one in the book.  I think she was practicing for a contest.  I am not sure they teach written shorthand anymore.  Probably not….

What is amusing to me is that some computer software is available that prints words in cursive style.  Now, I wonder why they would write such software when people are not interested in writing it themselves anymore and I assume not interested or capable of reading it anymore.

I know I have fallen way behind on all of this e-stuff probably like most old people. I guess some of it I should have tried harder to understand but learning how to misspell words and write incomplete sentences is something I just won’t do.

I just finished reading a biography of Benjamin Franklin which brought back memories of reading the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.  Of course both of these wonderful manuscripts were written in beautiful cursive by men who were just writing
English and not professional penmen.  I assume today if any group of people had the ability to write such profound words of wisdom and agree on them (which I doubt with our present political system) they would be produced on a computer using ‘Word’ or on an Apple.  To me there is something about that which is just plain wrong.

Thinking back more than two hundred years ago, about what a person who lived then would think of life now if they could be made to live again.   In particular, Benjamin Franklin who was a brilliant person with his marvelous intellect and interest in new inventions. I think he would fit right into our present high-tech world.

I guess I’m no Benjamin Franklin.

LOOKING BACK

 The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

An article in the Smithsonian magazine, January 2014 entitled ‘The End of … You’ by Jerry Adler, a former Newsweek editor quotes in his article ‘… that you can’t prepare for a future we can not predict’. It’s a philosophical based article noting that looking ahead at what you will be in the future and looking back at what you were results in much different perceptions.  That said I am not surprised as at my age of 83 I look back a lot but then I still look ahead although there are much more to look back over (you know remember) than to look toward in the future.

The focus of this article is that when we look ahead at our future we believe that what we have become we think ‘will be for the rest of our lives’.  This phenomenon is called ‘the end of history illusion’.

Of course, with very little future left, I think I can predict pretty well my future life.  I can’t put a timeline on it but I have my life pretty much on track with my age and some financial security so I do not believe that there will be many serious changes – you know, I will be pretty much the same person for the rest of my life

Now he focuses his article on middle aged people in their late 30's – early 40's and ten years later.  That is how different they were in their 50's.  I wish he had addressed these perceptions when people become much older. Of course, old people have less dynamic lives but not entirely as I will discuss later in this article.

Certainly when I was in my late 30's I was beginning my final professional career so my life was not much different than years later when I was established in that career.  And, now in many ways, I do not see myself changed much from what I was ten years ago.  Having retired at 68, I had adjusted to a retired life that with a few exceptions has remained constant.

Well writing constant with some exceptions is kind of a silly thought. So, maybe I should rethink that because my hobbies, which for old people many times become one’s career have changed during my retirement.  When I retired an important part of my life was painting with water colors and acrylics. I took some art classes but really was self-taught.  I joined all of the art clubs some of which required active participation and all the ability to demonstrate respectable art which could be sold. I really thought that I would continue doing that the rest of my life.  But alas, a few years ago I lost interest in painting as I began to write these articles for my BLOG which I really enjoy.  

So, my life even in retirement is what one could call dynamic.  And, when I look back over my entire lifetime I see many changes leading me to what I am today.  Of course involved with these memories are what I guess could be called the evaluation aspects of my life.  You know, what I did right and what I did wrong.  Now, some of what I think I did wrong is clearer to me today as the outcome has occurred and is much different than I had predicted when I made that decision.  You know 20/20 hind sight.

Certainly, my life-long professional career is something that I would not of predicted when I was in college preparing for my life-long goal to become a practicing veterinarian.  It was absolutely clear to me and my class mates that I was going into clinical medicine in California establishing and enjoying a medical practice for animals.  My classmates wished that they were as sure of their careers as I was. I had not yet decided if it would be large or small animals or maybe both but it would be clinical medicine without any doubts.  After seven years of veterinary practice which had become all small animals I realized finally that this was not the career for me!

Looking at my father’s life who hated his job every day for nearly 40 years, I began to realize that I was in a trap much like my father was in, but I had time to escape if I did it soon.  And, soon I did, putting my practice up for sale which was sold within a few days.  I literally gave it away for I needed to move on to another career before it was too late.  I had no job offers in fact I did not have any idea what I might do with my degree in veterinarian medicine. 

My first thoughts were I might begin working for the State of California as a regulatory veterinarian or a meat inspector.  These jobs were available and would have been a good career but then strangely I had a veterinarian friend suggest going back to the University of California at Davis, from where I had graduated and apply for a job that he knew about.  I did and I was hired which led to my career in research eventually ending up with an MS and PhD degrees and becoming Chief Scientist of two US Air Force laboratories in of all places, Texas.

To this day, I look back at when I was spaying dogs and cats in my practice in Grover City (now Grover Beach) California and the thought that my career would end as it did is beyond my craziest imagination. But, then if I had known all of what I had learned then I would not have ever gone to veterinary school, but would have become a scientist much sooner.  But, of course without this experience I would not have known that I did not like clinical veterinary medicine.

Well, now that I have reminisced about my past life relative to this article I realize that the study which Alder writes about did not fit me as he concludes,  ‘… what we should seek… seeing the person will be in the future’.  But, of course like I wrote about my career ‘to seek our future’ is fine but seeing the person I will be in the future for me was impossible.

Next I guess I could write about my personal life which has had many twists and turns many of which I could have avoided if I had been able to see the person I would be in the future.  But that story I will never write even though it would mirror more closely the premise of the original study with which I began this BLOG.

I guess this article was not really about being old like I usually focus most of these articles on but it is about my own reminiscing about the improbability of my eventual successful career, something I do a lot of these days. You know when you get old reminiscing of one’s life is something a person does often and it is really fun. It’s something a young person and certainly something my many friends who have died can’t do.

1/14

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS HAS COME AND GONE

 The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

Well, here it is December 26, 2013 and I am cleaning up by home where some nine of us had dinner yesterday beginning sharply at 1 PM.  I mention the fact that it was at 1 in the afternoon and not one minute later because these things can get out of hand with guests not arriving on time.  So, it gets put off and off until the dinner is served much too late for people who must live on a tight schedule.

This exact thing happened this last Thanksgiving which was scheduled to begin at noon, but someone phoned that she had to work and would get there as soon as possible.  Well, that ASAP was three in the afternoon.  One guest was a diabetic and this caused all kinds of problems for her as she must eat when it is time to eat and that is not three in the afternoon.

A young couple was a bit late this year but people were still serving themselves so my schedule was maintained.  Of course, there were the usual compliments about the food and some people even wanted a couple of the recipes.  Someone wanting the recipe to me is a sign that they really did like the food. 

One food I cooked was my version of Boston Baked Beans made from canned baked beans. The label on the can states that the contents are baked beans, but unlike Boston Baked Beans, they do not have any molasses and that is necessary.  I love BBB and I have tried to cook them from scratch with dried Navy Beans but without any success.  This recipe is my own and I like it a lot. 

I start with a can of Bush's Boston Baked Beans adding molasses, mustard, dried onions, a strip of uncooked bacon cut into pieces, and a squirt of Worcester Sauce.  I bake them for 2 hours at 325 F.  

My son-in-law mentioned that that kind of beans served with BBQ beef brisket was odd.  You know, in Texas some form of BBQ beans is not the norm.  But, he did eat a couple of portions and my other son-in-law wanted the recipe.  

The brisket I bought already cooked and it is very good, so why should I try to do the same when I really can’t do as well. Of course I think I can do better but then I think of all that electricity I'm saving keeping the oven going for hours upon hours.  I served three different kinds of BBQ sauces.  You know what they say, ‘the sauce is the boss’.  Not sure about that but I do know that different people like different sauces.

I tried for the first time making what was called ‘corn pudding’.  I saw it in the local newspaper the other day.  I know it is chancy trying out a new recipe on your guests but made of butter, sour cream, eggs, and cheese it had to be good.  And, it was very good.  Most everyone wanted that recipe!

The conversation was pretty thin as each family has its own history, activities and friends, etc. so there is really not much in common among the in-laws for topics for discussion.  So, after the gifts were opened we had disserts and everybody went home.  One dissert was a sugar-free pudding and the other a sweet-potato pie.  I love that pie but most everyone turns up their noses at the word sweet potato even though it tastes a great deal like pumpkin pie.

The gifts were traditional with clothing, etc. but what is becoming more common and expensive are these e-games for the younger people, both boys and girls.  One good thing about them is that they don’t take much wrapping paper as three games will fit into a small Christmas bag.  And, these games are not cheap.

Every time when I am in a store that sells $10 movies, I remember when the big deal was William Randolph Hearts had a movie room in his castle where guests could watch a movie all to themselves.  Boy that was a big deal for how could anybody be that rich?  My how times have changed!

Back to cleaning up the mess left in my home, which I will do in small jobs and be finished by bedtime.  But, I will be tired and sleep late in the morning and tell myself that this is the last year that I am going to do this, for I am getting too damn old.  Now, I said that last year and the year before that, so I guess next year I will have Christmas or Thanksgiving here again.

I know for sure if I stop having them at my house, it will be like giving up on another thing for the rest of my life.  And, I don’t want to give up anything until I really can’t do it anymore.  You know, just another bad sign of growing old.

Every Christmas brings back many fond memories of how much fun it was when I was a young boy especially when we were living in South Dakota.  Now there they have real winters with snow and really really cold weather.  I lived there with my folks from when I was six years old until I was ten and most of that time I believed in Santa Claus.

It was a tradition in my family that we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve and during the night Santa Claus would visit with special gifts just from him for me. 

Gifts I remember were leather gloves I got every year from my Grandmother who lived in Washington DC.  I always knew that in the small box from her would be leather gloves lined with fur.  And, how I needed them in that cold weather!  But, my mother would not let me open the box until it was Christmas Eve even with much begging.

The other gift I remember was a bike that we ordered from Sears Roebuck, yes not just Sears like it is now but Roebuck was part of the name.  I believe it cost $15 but they didn’t have the one my folks ordered so they sent a more expensive one that was much too big for me.  It did not cost my folks anymore money but my dad had to wire wooden blocks onto the pedals so I could reach them.  It took several years before I was big enough for that bike.

Yes, that was the best age for Christmas.

Well, I will close another BLOG article.  As I read over it I thought how much of it was my remembering things that happened but then that is some of the fun of being old.  Yes, memories especially fond memories are a pleasure which are ours alone and can’t be bought but must have been acquired by living for 82 years.

LIVING TO BE 100 YEARS OLD

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I ran across an article which appeared in a January/February 2013 issue of Health entitled ‘Live Long and Strong – Secrets From 100-Year Old Women” by Aviva Patz.  Of course, it had to be about women for very few men live that long.  I am not sure that I want to live to that age unless I was wealthy, healthy and wise.  Well I know I will not be wealthy unless some most-unlikely thing happens. Still to be healthy and wise at 100 might be fun. You know two out of three is not all that bad.

The article, showed ‘recent’ pictures of six of them and most looked to be in their 70s or perhaps even younger – quite amazing.  Of course each had some wisdom as they called it about living to be a centurion.

The article started with an interesting bit of trivia.  Fifty years ago just one person in 67,000 lived to be 100.  Today scientists predict that half of people born now will reach that age!  Wow… I am not surprised by these data for when I was growing up I wished I would live to see the turn of the century for that would have made me 68 years old, my life expectancy at that time.  Here I am 83 years old, healthy and I plan to live at least another ten years – perhaps to be 100!  Who knows…

Like I have written before my Uncle is healthy and 93 years old, my father died in his late 80s and my mother lived until the age of 92 so at least longevity is in my genes.  But, certainly this article showed that there is much more to reaching that age than merely genes for this remarkable increase in longevity over the last 100 years can not be explained by our genetic pattern – genes just don’t change that rapidly!  So, this increase in longevity clearly shows that right now half of us have genes to become centurions!

Of course much of this increase in longevity must be attributed to advances in public health, medicine, nutrition, technology (standard of living) and automobile safety.  Still there is some value in examining the wisdom of these six-young-looking 100 year-old women.

The article begins with a brief summary of their living habits including 77% exercise; 88% drink (alcohol I presume) and 22% go online.  Now, ‘going online’ I do not believe has anything to do with successful aging.  Well maybe as this suggest that they are trying out something new – looking forward.

The first individual piece of wisdom is ‘Get off your butt!’  This woman does Pilates for one hour each week.  Certainly exercise as a routine is important.  Just by walking 30 minutes several times a week is of great value in staying healthy.  In addition, weight lifting, aerobics on a stationary bicycle, stretches, and working on one’s balance are additional important exercises.

The second piece of wisdom found in this article is ‘Buddy up.’ Have an active social life.  Such social interactions ‘boost your brainpower’ and certainly are helpful in warding off depression, a common malady of old people.

Next, ‘Watch your weight – sanely’ which includes a healthy low-fat diet. In addition, exercise and not smoking are mentioned as key habits in reducing disease risk by 80%.  Please note that exercise keeps returning in the picture of successful aging.

Fourth, ‘Find a passion and follow it.’  This woman explained that ‘seeing the world’ that is being engaged with the world ‘gives meaning’.  Find out what makes you the happiest and do it such as hobbies like photography, gardening, or painting.  My major passion is of course writing.  I need to do it everyday which usually involves this blog.

Next to last, ‘Apply lipstick’ which means take care of your looks.  Well, I don’t think I will do that. One study, found a lower blood pressure in women who thought they looked younger after a hair job. I suppose I should get a hair cut more often.

Oops, lastly this 100-year-old lady did everything wrong such as being overweight and never exercising but her fix on longevity is ‘Look for silver linings’. A study from an aging institute found that being optimistic will help you live longer and happier lives.

A sidebar suggests that you can eat your way to health and old age.  Suggested were (1) eat five fruits and vegetables each day; (2) daily intake of low-fat yogurt; (3) eat fish 2-3 times each week; (4) snack on nuts; and (5) get plenty of fiber.

So there we have it - the secrets of long life.  Of course, none of these are secrets and without genetics on your side they will not offer you life for a century, still all of these suggestions for long life are important in living a longer and healthier life.   And, so you don’t make 100 years, 99 is nothing to sneer at. 

I mentioned my Uncle previously in this article who is doing quite well at 93 years of age. Now, I have never asked him his secret about successful aging.  He walks a bit; eats healthy food which his daughter fixes for him; engages actively in family matters and has a libation or two every night.  I think the last secret is an important one!

Well, the ‘old rusty nail’ is signing off another article on being old. Hey, just being old tells us that we must be doing something right.   It is indeed a privilege that I hope we all enjoy and appreciate every day.

   

CHAUTAUQUA

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I have never written in this e-journal about Chautauqua, an institution which each year provides everyone, who wants to pay each day, a nine-week program of lectures, plays, operas, symphonies, educational programs, and discussion group activities.  I call it an intellectual Disney Land knowing that such a reference might be considered a bit snobbish.

Each morning during the week the major lecture lasting an hour and 15 min begins at 10:45 includes Q & A as it is called, you know questions and answers. This lecture occurs in the Amphitheater known as the Amp.  Interestingly, this structure dates back to the early 1900 and is in the throws of being torn down or just rebuilt.  Much controversy here as anyone can imagine but that is another story.  Of course with that long history, many well-known speakers have presented at the Amp.  The most notable was President Roosevelt.

A few of these lectures have celebrity speakers, many of whom we have seen on TV.  The topics vary many are about timely issues covering a host of topics.  Each week has a theme in which the speakers are expert.  In the afternoon at 2 in the Hall of Philosophy is another lecture which can have some religious connotation as it is sponsored by the Department of Religion.  This lecture can be followed at 3:30 by another lecture some of which are also presented by well-known speakers.  These can include authors of books selected by the Chautauqua book club the topic I write about later.

Besides these major lectures the day is sprinkled with other lectures and learning activities.  At night are different entertainments including opera, symphony, plays, individual or team acts including musical groups.  Bill Cosby has been a regular but I think his visits have ended.  

I have been attending this annual event for well over a decade beginning in 2002.  I discovered it when I visited my son who was Assistant Professor at the New York State University located in Fredonia, NY.  Even though it was only a half hour away and he knew of Chautauqua, he had never visited.  So, during one of my summer visits when the program was ongoing we visited it and found it to be most entertaining.  Thus I have attended every year since.  I even bought a condominium unit on Lake Erie in the little town of Westfield just a short 20-minute drive to Chautauqua which of course I use each summer.

Now why am I writing about Chautauqua in this article directed towards old people?   Well because it is visited mostly by old people who get some respect there.  In fact if you attend when you are 90 years old you get to begin to attend for free.  Of course at this age not many people are capable of attending because a considerable amount of walking is involved.

Still getting in free is a considerable savings for to attend for one week the cost is several hundred dollars per person not to mention that living on the grounds in less than lavish small quarters costs about $1300 per week.  So, attending this program is not for poor people. None-the-less I enjoy it not only for the programs most of which are well presented but because I am among so many old people.  It is interesting but when we become old we suddenly find ourselves living in a minority group.  Now this can be disconcerting especially to us white people who in American have always been in the majority.  And, I am aware of my new position in life when I go to the grocery store and see how few old people are buying food.

Of course having attended Chautauqua for many summers I have met and acquired many good friends some of which have become very close but that is another story.

In the summer of 2014 I became a celebrity of sorts as I was appointed the rare and distinguished position of a Keeper of the Gates.  Now this requires some explanation to be sure especially if you have never attended Chautauqua during the summer activities.  I previously mentioned all of the formal activities which can be attended each year at Chautauqua but I failed to mention that anyone can become a member of the Chautauqua Literary and Science Club (CLSC) by the way the oldest book club in America, by reading just ten of their listed books of which ten new ones are identified and published each year.

But what is the CLSC and why should anyone want to join this rather low profile book club when it requires four years of dues and reading ten books? And, some of these books may not be high on your list of interesting books to read.  So my interest in this book club waxed and waned for over ten years of attending these summer programs before I decided to take the plunge. And to be sure, it was certainly not about reading books for I am not an avid book reader.  Oh yes I do read a few books each year but they tend to be on history and science and not many of those kinds of books appear on their book list.

None-the-less a few years ago I decided to join and begin to pay my yearly dues and read those ten books.  Well to my surprise I had already read some of those books so I only had to read about five which was about one each year.  Well, that was no big challenge so I began my quest to become a member. 

With my four years completed in 2013, I graduated with some 300 plus book readers from all over the United States and became a dues paying member of CLSC Class of 2013.  Out membership was the highest number since the Class of 2000. Another interesting distinction was that our class honoree was Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.  I campaigned very hard for her. For many years she has enjoyed Chautauqua frequently seeing her on the grounds on many occasions so in some respect she is a Chautauquan.  And, she was kind enough to address our graduating class.

I became our class Newsletter writer and Secretary an honor on top of an honor. The following year we had the privilege, well really the requirement to help put on the graduation ceremony for the CLSC Class of 2014. 

This graduation ceremony is rather elaborate for what one would call a local event.  I would class it at the level of any College graduation of which I have attended more than I wish to count.  One of the high lights of this graduation which takes place in the late morning hour is for the new honorees to pass through four named gates as they make their way walking to attend the major morning lecture in the Amp in their honor.

Well as I wrote about a few paragraphs ago, I was asked to be one of only two gate keepers for the first gate, known as the 'History Gate'. This gate being the first our class gate keepers will guard as we graduated just last year is one of four gates through which the new gradates pass each year.  And, I remain a guard for each of those gates for the next three years!  Of course I had to wear an elaborate shiny ornament around my neck which cost me only $40.  My uniform for this festivity was a white shirt and white pants.  I did have a white shirt but my pants were a bit off color but next year I will be prepared with the most pure white pants ever worn at this crowning event.

  

So, why am I writing this long dissertation on my new position?  Well, it is the commitment that I made to get this honor.  At 82 years of age I am committed to stay alive for another three years!  My last year of guarding the gate I will be 85 – Wow!!!!!

Interestingly, I did not think of this commitment until I had accepted this invitation.  I guess that speaks a thousand words about my thought process on accepting old age.  Good for me.  On the other hand, perhaps I should have reasoned that three more years at my age is nothing to scoff at although the actuary table guarantees me another six years of life.  With a guarantee like that I need not to worry about my age affecting my commitment to complete my obligation.  I have always prided myself on taking any challenge seriously.  You know if I said I would do something I would do it.  So with this commitment I am sure I will live at least three more years – well maybe.

MY NEW CAR

                          The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

Yep, you read it right I just bought a new car.  I decided that my old Honda Fit had to be traded in on a new one.  It was not that my old Honda Fit had anything wrong with it, but I needed some driving aids which I could only get by buying a new car.

Today most cars are built so well that many will go 200,000 miles without any problems.  In fact several years ago I had a 1998 Toyota Avalon that I gave to my son with about 200,000 miles on it.  He and his family needed another car and they put on another 100,000 miles without any major problems and it would have gone farther but one of his kids wrecked it.  I remember a few decades ago a person was lucky to get 100,000 miles on a car before there were serious mechanical problems with it.  Then the Japanese came along and showed American car manufacturers how to do it right.

I only had 90,000 miles on my 6-year old Fit so obviously it had many more trouble free miles on it, but I needed ‘cruise control’ and ‘automatic transmission’.  Yes, my old Fit had a stick shift and no cruise control.  Why would I buy a car that was going to be my only car with those two driving helpers?  Well, it was going to be my car for running around town.  My primary car for traveling long distances was going to be my old Avalon but like I just wrote my son and his family needed it so I gave it to them. 

Well here I was with a new little car that I quickly began to love.  I have told many people that it is the best car I ever owned and I have owned many very nice and some expensive cars. A Porsche sports car comes to mind.  So, here I am with a new car that I loved without cruise control and automatic transmission.  And, each year I drive myself from San Antonio, TX to Westfield NY on Lake Erie for the summer.  That trip is just a little less than 1900 miles. 

But of course, six years ago I was only 75 years old and able to give what it took to drive for three long days with my foot on the accelerator all the time.  Well, this last summer at age 81 it became just too much to give for what it took.  My right leg just gave out as it rode the gas pedal for hours upon end.  Yes, I stopped at all of the rest stops and that helped but once back in the car my right leg quickly began to hurt again.  And, trying to drive with your left leg on the accelerator is really impossible but I tried many times without of course any success.

Now, buying a new car is as much fun as getting a tooth canal as we all know from the horrible experience of doing combat with a car salesman or saleswoman.  Yes, now we have a choice to argue and fuss at a man or a woman.  And, I can tell you from experience there is really no difference. The one difference is that the saleswoman must be pretty whereas the salesman can be as ugly as a broken down fence post.  I wonder what the saleswomen do when they began to lose that kind of sex appeal.

At my age I assume that this will be the last car I will ever buy.  Come to think about it, this will be the last time I have to argue with a salesperson and it’s the last time they have to pretend to make me think I am getting a good deal. 

So, having returned not long from my summer trip back to Texas I had to buy a car with speed control and auto transmission.  Certainly, now days because most cars are so good a late model used car is a real bargain and worth looking at, but the Fit does not loose much value.  I paid $14,000 for it six years ago and the retail Blue Book was over $7000! An interesting side note is that 2007 was the first year that the Fit was imported into the US.  It had been in use in Japan for several years before they decided to start sending them to us.  Of course Americans had to ask for more car so it quickly got longer by 3.5 inches, with more gadgets, etc. so it weighs more and gets less gas mileage.  Still, the gas mileage is not all that bad. My first tank of gas gave me 33 mpg and that was mostly around town.  My old Fit gave me 42 mpg on the highway.  We’ll see…

So, why did I buy a Honda Fit?  Well, there are lots of reasons besides the fact that it gets relatively good gas mileage and I am concerned about global climate change.  Of course there are other cars which get better gas mileage so why the Fit.  The first big reason is that it is a very dependable car.  Consumer Reports of which I am a great fan, always gives it the highest marks on its list of several criteria.  According to CR I should be able to get a minimum of 200,000 miles on it without any major problems.  For me, it is practical for I like the huge rear space for hauling things which includes the ability to collapse the two rear seats for more room.  And, old people should drive small cars for the simple reason that they are easier to handle.  Lastly, it is reasonably inexpensive to buy.  

I’m still learning things about it which is fun.  Many surprises and most of them are rewarding.  Last night I suddenly realized that when I got in the car I could not find where to put in the key.  Of course the roof lighting was not turned on right. I had a difficult time finding the ‘on-off button’ for the radio.  For some reason they moved it from where it was on my old car, but the radio still looked pretty much the same.

It has tinted windows, some thin fake strip of paint on the side, and the door edges have some nearly invisible covering that the salesman pointed out with considerable pride.  I didn’t need this stuff but it came with the car so not much I could have done about it. And, of course they discounted the car so that stuff came free. Yea right…

It is silver in color which I like.  My other car was white.  These light colors are important when living in a hot climate for obvious reasons.  Everyone tells me that the tinted windows will help keep the interior cooler.  I suppose so…

But, I must admit that this car rides much better and with less outside noise.  I do love it already and I hope that those feelings remain as the years pass.  Speaking of years passing, when I get it paid for I will be 86 nearly 87 years old.  Yes, I financed it for some important personal reasons.  I usually pay cash for things like this but I may need the cash so I decided to finance it through the car dealership.  And, at 0.9 % interest the money is costing me very little.

I thought at my age they might think twice before offering me a 60-month contract and without life insurance.  Now, they didn’t bring up my age but they found out of course working out the contract with them.  And, the girl looked shocked at finding out my age.  Well, she tried to look surprised as she told me I looked much younger.  Now, that was not a reason for me buying the car from her, but it helped.

Now, I have monthly payments which I hate.  I am trying to get it taken off my bank account automatically each month so I don’t have to write a monthly check after they send me that monthly statement.  I wish they would just give me a book with monthly coupons which I could just tear out and send it in with the check.  Monthly statements sent to me become complicated when I move to NY each summer.  You know a change in address. 

I asked at the dealership about getting it taken off my bank account automatically each month.  He said just go to your back when you get the first statement and they will do that for you.  Well I did just that and the bank person told me no, that it was done through the dealership.  Oh well… 

I still love my car and I have had it for nearly two weeks now.  And, I think I am getting better gas mileage as I examine the gas gauge but of course I will not know for sure until I fill up the tank and check the mileage.  I should get good mileage for I drive like an old man.  I still try to stay out of the way of speeding cars which pass me like I am standing still yet I am going the speed limit.  Well maybe a few miles below it.  I think with age comes more responsibility behind the wheel of a car.  The trick of course is not to drive so slow that you impede the traffic flow.  I am cognizant of that because I don’t want anybody to think I’m an old person.

Oh by the way, occasionally I find myself trying to work with my left leg the clutch that isn’t there and I forget to sometimes use the cruise control when I should.  Oh I still attempt to lock the car by pushing on the right door lock button instead of using the electronic door lock button I now have on my car  key.  You know the problem of teaching old dogs new tricks.  

MY GERIATRIC PHYSICIAN

                                        The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

Now, the title might be a bit misleading for it could mean that my physician is old.  Well, that is not the case for indeed she is much younger than one who could be considered old. So when you read the title correctly you must conclude that I have a physician who specializes in old people.  The University of Texas Health Science Center located in San Antonio, TX has a Geriatric Center consisting of four physicians with appropriate medical specialties. This concept I think is rather unique and they do not pile up appointments months in advance and the physician takes plenty of time to talk to you.  You know not the five-minute visit most of the time with the physician writing out some prescription that you don’t need because he or she has not taken the time to understand your medical problem(s).

Of course those kinds of physicians have graduated from some medical school which at times gives them a god like ability to diagnose your condition by just looking at you.  Okay, I am being a bit factitious still it would be nice for your personal physician to get to know you a bit.  First they might learn something about you or your history that would have some bearing on your problem.  And, I do presume that you’re going to a physician because you have a problem and you think it might have some medical basis.

I have had three visits now with my geriatric physician group.  My first visit was about an hour long – yes an hour long.  She started out my giving me six things to remember then about ten minutes later she asked me to repeat them.  And, I got five of them immediately about 15 seconds later then I remembered the other one.  Not too bad, but then my brain is holding up alright as I write my monthly BLOGS and am I glad for a body without a brain is a most horrible thing.

During our hour chat she got to know me as she reviewed my meds which I was taking for my high blood pressure, GERD, and my blood thinner.  The blood thinner is for an arterial stint that I had inserted a little over a year ago.  She seems to think we can stop the blood thinner and that would be a wonderful thing to happen.  With this med I always have some severe bruising especially of my arms.  And of course when I cut myself, even very small lacerations it is hard to stop the bleeding.

My third visit was also enjoyable but different.  I was first greeted by a resident who took my history, etc.  You know this is a teaching hospital so patients must be patient as you are part of the learning experience.  He was very young, I thought early college age but of course at my age most everybody is younger so it becomes difficult to gauge their age precisely.  In 2013 while I was attending the Chautauqua Institute summer program the young man guarding the parking gate told me that he would probably not be there next year for he had just graduated from college.  I would have bet money that he had just graduated from high school.

I noted to my resident that one blood pressure drug was causing me to had short dry coughing spells that could be annoying.  He suggested that we might try another blood pressure drug.  Thoughtful but in comes the real doctor who suggested that we just reduce in half the drug I was taking. And take it in the evening instead of the morning. I’m sure the resident was prepared to have his instructions changed as it surely has happened before and will happen again until he escapes what he at times thinks is the ‘meddling oversight’.

As the patient I am thankful for the meddling oversight! Of course he is still learning about old people for his primary training in medicine was based on information on ‘normal-aged’ people.  Older people can have different norms.

I explained to the real doctor that I wrote a BLOG on being old and gave here one of my articles.  As I did, I explained that no one knows what it is like to old until you are old.  Now, she countered that my explaining that she had a severe accident that interfered with her mobility for several years and with great pain.  But, that is not being old.  Of course she has listened to many old people with aches and pains thinking that some of those pains would instill some knowledge about being old. 

Well, it is much more than getting hurt.  As I have tried to explain to someone who reads these articles on old age is that being old is another world that can not be explained.  It must be learned and that can only happen by being old!  There is no short cut or substitute!

Old age is a great dictator giving you no choice but to keep physically and mentally fit as possible.  One does not have any logical choice!  Young people have many choices about life but old people have few good choices.  Of course they can neglect what they must do to live a somewhat normal old life but only at their own peril.

It has been shown many times that the human mind does not care about the distant future.  It only is concerned about what is about to happen.  I wrote about that in an earlier article as the basis for not being concerned about the horrors coming at us full steam with climate change.  It is by far the most important problem we have but it is placed down the list of living priorities because the human mind will not grasp its importance because it is probably a century before we see the catastrophic changes which are surely to arrive then if not sooner.

It is clear that immediate problems are very important and in fact for less sophisticated animals it is by far most important.  The vast majority of animals have a short life span and with having to find food and water each day, escape life threatening danger, plus other serious problems, so short-term problem solving is in our DNA.  Long-term problems which now can be dealt with are very recent and primarily a human event, so of course it is not in our DNA. 

So, like growing old and even quitting cigarette smoking the consequences are far into the future but when they arrive it is usually too late.  I know about smoking for I had a three pack a day habit that was nearly impossible to quit, but I did it.  Now, I look at some of my friends who are still alive and still smoking (many of them died early) or quit much too late and am so glad that I could see the grim future in time.

But for old age it is much different than smoking to deal with.  Unlike cigarette smoking you can’t quit old age and be healthy. And, it is difficult to prepare for the future for it is unknown as to which of the major problems of old age will a person develop.  Still, care must be taken to approach old age with some activities which we know will be helpful.  Of course, those are simple physical and mental exercises which can be started in old age, unlike quitting the smoking habit when it is usually too late.

But of course trying to grow old with dignity I believe must be started early on in the aging process.  I started jogging when I was in my fifties and lifting weights at the gym in my late sixties.  The jogging has been reduced to walking for about an hour three times a week.  My weight lifting I do twice a week and lifting much lighter than the ones I use to work with.

Before my weight lifting, I do my stretches on a machine.  After this exercise, I walk upstairs without holding on to the railing and do a five minute balancing exercise on a ‘T-board’.  The day following weight lifting I do my 30 minutes of aerobics on a stationary bike when I get my heart rate over 100 bpm.

So, did I begin working on my physical prowess as I resist my old age on time?  No one knows but I am glad that I did start when I was much younger for I know it has helped me grow old with some kind of dignity!

As for staying young in mind, try writing a BLOG each month.  And, of course read regularly and don’t forget the Sudoku.

On my last visit she told me that I was very healthy so I should see her but twice a year.  Then she went on to explain the poor condition many people are at my age.  I guess to be considered healthy at my age the bar is not too high. And, I am off the blood thinner.

So I end pleased that I have my own Geriatric Physician who understands old people for old people have different physiologies and many different diseases one of which is old age.