I find that I do some of my best thinking when lying in bed at night.  There are no visual stimuli to distract and no tasks are demanding attention.  So, this is when I can focus most clearly on plans, projects and problems.

 

It is the problems aspect that is increasingly taking over my nocturnal thinking. It used to be that there was always the possiliblity that there was some way to resolve problems. However, when the time remaining in this life is running short, problems demand a more immediate answer. And this limits the options for solutions.

 

In addition to the time shrinkage there is the matter of physical capabilities. I used to be able to work through difficult situations by burning the candle at both ends.  Well, it is no longer physically possible. So once again I feel the scope of possibilities narrowing.

 

My final out when there were problems that pushed the limits of my ability to deal with them was to turn on a fantasy. I could fantasize about what marvelous solutions might come to me. Somehow I have lost that as I have gotten to this stage of my life.  Fantasy solutions are now meaningless.

 

So, in spite of my innate optimism about handling life's problems, I am now finding that I must accept the fact that there are some bad things ahead that I will not be able to deal with.

 

This, my friends, is something that most of you won't have to face for many more years. But keep in mind the fact that many of the older people you interface with are grappling with these limitations. So, what can you do about it?  Probably nothing more than to be more understanding.

Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades.  Over the years they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures.  Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards. One day they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me.  I know we've been friends for a long time, but I just can't think of your name. I've thought and thought but I can't remember it it. Please tell me your name.

 

Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?"

An elderly Floridian  called 911 on her cell phone to report that her car had been broken into. She is hysterical as she explains her situation to the dispatcher. "They've stolen the stero, the steering wheel, the brake pedal and even the accelerator!" she cried.

 

"Stay calm", the dispatcher said.  "An officer is on the way."

 

A few minutes later the officer radios in, "Disregard." he says. "She got in the back seat by mistake."

Did you know that in Okinawa the average life expectancy is 81.2 years- the highest in the world?. There are also active centenarians studies in Italy, Sweden, and Denmark and, for the most part, results from these studies belie the myth that the oldest old are doddering and dependant. Some harsh demographic selection may come into play. Frail individuals die sooner, leaving only a relatively robust group alive. In fact, one of the rewards of living a long life is that, for the most part, the “extra” years are healthy years.

 How does longevity in the good ol’ USA compare? In the United States, the number of centenarians doubled in the 1980’s and did so again in the 1990’s. And it continues to escalate.

And what seems to be an important factor? Physical activity is a recurring theme. The people in these studies are walkers, bikers, golfers, and beyond that, they exercise their brains, too, by reading, painting, and playing musical instruments.

Although genes are a factor, they aren’t the whole story. Public health advances like sanitation and routine vaccination have greatly improved the odds for long life. Indeed, it may be the intersection of genes with ever-changing health conditions that really determines how long we live.

With all this information at hand, here are some lessons to be learned:

·          They don’t smoke or drink heavily

·         Those who had smoked didn’t do so for long

·         They gained little or no weight during adulthood

·         They don’t overeat

·         They eat many fruits and vegetables

·         They get regular physical activity for as long as they are able

·         They challenge their minds

·         They have a positive outlook

·         They are friendly and maintain close ties with family and friends

BoBBottom Line: Centenarians are simply following standard health commandments: don’t smoke, keep trim, get exercise, manage stress, and avoid social isolation.

A very self-important college freshman attending a recent football game, took it upon himself

 to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older generation to 
understand his generation.  "You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one." 

the student said, loud enough for many of those nearby to hear. "We, the young people of 

today, grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, men walking on the moon, our 
spaceships have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, 

computers with light-speed processing and...," pausing
to take another drink of beer.

 

 The Senior took advantage of the break in the student's litany and said, "You're right, son.

We didn't have those things when we were  young ........so we invented them!   Now,

you arrogant little fart, what are you doing for the next generation?"

The  applause was resounding.

I apologize for not posting for a while. I've been under the weather. What does that mean "Under the weather?"  Does that mean I am under a black cloud?  Does that mean that I might not be able to enter heaven? Or could it mean that I don't have enough sense to come in out of the rain?  Or be unable, when pelted by cold marbles from the sky, to utter these words, "It looks like hail."

 

I will leave you with these final words. I thank you for your love, comments and support. I am am truly on the mend. Now remember this:

 

Whether the weather is cold

Or whether the weather is hot

Whether the weather is mild

Or whether the weather is not

 

Whatever the weather

We'll "weather" the weather

Whether we like it or not.