Commentary
-
MEMORY: Real or Imagined?
We have 100 billion neurons and over 100 trillion synaptic connections in our brains. So why do we forget stuff? Because it’s not important to us. Yes, it’s that simple. I can still remember my grandmother’s phone number from 1970 (WHitney 5-6078) but couldn’t find my car keys yesterday. Granted, the processing speed of our neurons slows… Read more
-
HELP I’M IN THE TUB AND I CAN’T GET OUT!
Look what I just bought myself for Christmas! Remember that commercial where an old lady was on the floor and said, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up?” It used to make me laugh. Not anymore. I finally took my first bath in this tiny tub since replacing both my knees. For reference, it… Read more
-
TROUBLE WITH A little ‘t’
I think we should spend less time putting warning labels on products and redirect them onto people. Wouldn’t it be nice if you were out somewhere and someone walked up with a shirt that said, “Caution. Do not engage this guy in conversation. He’s never read a book?” Mine would say, “Be careful what you ask her. No telling what… Read more
-
KEEP IT DOWN?
“Your voice is really loud,” a complete stranger said to me yesterday at pickleball. “Yes, I know,” I replied. “I could hear you on the court from here,” he continued. “That’s not surprising,” I said. “We’re only about 6 feet away.” “Well,” he continued, “I also notice you’re wearing headphones.” “Yes,” I replied, “but I haven’t… Read more
-
YOUNG AGAIN?
There is no instruction book for aging. The label on an aspirin bottle is infinitely more informative. As if losing your hearing and sight weren’t enough, your brain does odd things. Yesterday, I went into the garage three, separate times. Each time, I brought an item to put in the recycling bin but I knew that wasn’t why… Read more
-
TRY THIS AT HOME?
Suddenly, I wake at midnight struggling for breath. After an hour of tossing and turning, I turn on all the lights and pace, certain that will kickstart my breathing. When that fails, I march outside in 29- degree weather, confident the cold will startle my windpipe open. By the time I call 911, two hours… Read more
-
ADD UP THE ‘EXTRAS’
I love to travel. Let me rephrase that. I love being in new places—not necessarily getting to them. We’ve found new ways to add costs to things that shouldn’t be charged for in the first place. Take airline seats. Once they were wide and cushy and fully reclined. Now you have to squeeze into them like a gymnast. Every airline provided three-course meals, including… Read more
-
I’D RATHER ROW THAN WADE
Had lunch with a friend this afternoon at a local restaurant and we were seated in a booth. When the food arrived, I suddenly realized just how low my seat was. My chin was almost even with the plate. I asked the waiter for a booster seat. He just looked at me. “A booster seat?” I asked again. “Do you… Read more
-
LIGHT IT!
As a mental health counselor, I’ve had my share of suicides, psychotics, schizophrenics, and a host of other tortured, lost souls: Men emasculated by women. Women abused by men. Siblings that can’t stop fighting. Couples that can’t stop quarreling. Addicts that can’t stop addicting and an aging populace that has lost its’ purpose. Recently, a teenager told me that she was… Read more
-
SUNYASHNIKIIS
In 1880, when my great grandmother was born, life expectancy was 40. A Chicago ordinance banned people who were, “diseased, maimed, mutilated, deformed, unsightly or disgusting.” If you were deemed too ugly to be in public, you had to pay a fine of $1 to $50 or go to the poorhouse. Women didn’t have the right to… Read more
AGEFULLY AGING 