It used to be when I opened the paper, the first thing looked at was the funnies — which we now call the comics. Then it was on to Alley Oop, Lil’ Abner or Mark Trail, not necessarily in that order. Now the first thing I go for is the obituaries, scanning to see if I knew any of the deceased then moving on to the year they were born. I like to find out what they did during their lives, especially if they were born in the first quarter of the 20th century.
However, lately I have noticed the ages in the listings are getting closer to my own. This is a surprising revelation for me. I don’t feel as if I have reached that magical expiration date — yet.
kAm|J 72>:=J 9:DE@CJ 5@6D :?4=F56 D@>6 >6? H9@ 5:65 2E 2 J@F?86C 286 E92? >6] |J 525 5:65 2E 286 f` @7 p{$[ 2 C2C6 ?6FC2=8:4 5:D@C56C[ 3FE >@DE =:G65 H6== :?E@ E96:C g_D 2?5 2 4@FA=6 E@ >:5 h_D]k^Am
kAm*62CD 28@[ yF5J 2?5 x H6?E E@ 2 >@G:6 23@FE E96 H@C=5 4@>:?8 E@ 2? 6?5 — :E H2D G6CJ C62=:DE:4] pD H6C6 =62G:?8 E96 E962E6C[ H6 DA@EE65 >J >@> 2?5 525] x H2D G6CJ DFCAC:D65 E@ D66 E96> 2D E96J ?6G6C H6?E @FE E@ D66 2 >@G:6[ D@ x D@F89E E96> @FE] x 2D<65 525] “(6==[ H92E 5:5 J@F E9:?< @7 E96 >@G:6n” %FC?:?8 E@ >6 96 D2:5[ “x7 E92E :D ECF6[ x’G6 8@E 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D x ?665 E@ 86E 7:?:D965]” %96? E2<:?8 9@=5 @7 >@>’D 2C> 96 9FCC:65=J >256 9:D H2J E@ E96:C 42C]k^Am
kAm~? E96 H2J 9@>6 x 2D<65 yF5J :7 D96 E9@F89E 525 H2D D6C:@FD 23@FE 9:D C6>2C<] “yF58:?8 7C@> E96 =@@< @? 9:D 7246 2?5 E96 E@?6 @7 9:D G@:46j x E9:?< 96 H2D[” D96 C6A=:65] |2?J E:>6D E9C@F89 E9:D ;@FC?6J @7 =:76[ H6 86E @FC AC:@C:E:6D @FE @7 A=246] pC6 H6 H@CC:65 23@FE H92E H:== 36 HC:EE6? :? @FC @3:EF2C:6Dnk^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 D6G6C2= C676C6?46D :? E96 q:3=6 23@FE C6A6?E2?46[ FDF2==J H:E9 2? FC86?E >6DD286[ “%96 6?5 :D ?62C]” x E9:?< E96C6 42? 36 EH@ :?E6CAC6E2E:@?D @7 E9:D “6?5]” xE 4@F=5 36 C676CC:?8 E@ E96 6?5 @7 E96 H@C=5 @C :E 4@F=5 36 E96 6?5 E@ @FC @H? =:G6D[ H9:49 :D 2=H2JD ?62C 2?5 D@>6E:>6D F?6IA64E65]k^Am
kAmvC@H:?8 @=5 :D ?@E 62DJ] ~FC 3@5:6D >2J 36 C24<65 H:E9 A2:?] (6 D:>A=J 42??@E 5@ 2?5 24E A9JD:42==J =:<6 H6 5:5 5FC:?8 @FC J@FE9] |2?J E:>6D H6 >2J 86E 56AC6DD65 3642FD6 @7 492?86D E92E H6 92G6 ?@ 4@?EC@= @G6C] $@>6E:>6D H6 >FDE C6=J @? @E96C A6@A=6 E@ 2DD:DE FD :? 5@:?8 E9:?8D H6 FD65 E@ E2<6 :? DEC:56] p 766=:?8 @7 H@CE9=6DD?6DD >2J 36 =FC<:?8 ;FDE @FED:56 @FC 5@@CDE6A] $E@Ai =@@< 2C@F?5] ~AA@CEF?:E:6D 23@F?5 2== 2C@F?5 J@F 3FE J@F >FDE @A6? FA J@FC >:?5 2?5 36 C646AE:G6 E@ E96 ?665D]k^Am
kAm':D:E D@>6@?6 H9@ :D 2 D9FE\:? :? E96:C 9@>6 @C 4@?7:?65 E@ 2 C6DE 9@>6j J@F >2J ?6G6C <?@H H92E :>A24E J@F >2J 92G6 @? E96>] yFDE E96 D:>A=6 24E @7 D6?5:?8 2 3:CE952J 42C5 @C HC:E:?8 2 =6EE6C E@ 2 8C2?549:=5 @C 2 7C:6?5 42? 7C66 FD 7C@> @FC @H? 56DE:?J] v6E E@ <?@H E96 A6@A=6 :? J@FC ?6:893@C9@@5] (92E 2C6 E96 49:=5C6? 5@:?8n x7 J@F 2C6 23=6[ 2EE6?5 @?6 @7 E96:C D@446C @C 32D632== 82>6D]k^Am
kAm%96 7C@?E A@C49 :D ?@E 8@?6j :E 92D ;FDE >@G65] pD H6 86E @=56C[ E96C6 :D 2 E6?56?4J E@ 86E 8CF>AJ 2?5 C6A62E DE@C:6D] $FC6=J E9:D :D 2 3F>A :? E96 C@25 H6 42? @G6C4@>6 :7 H6 4@?46?EC2E6 @? :E] s@?’E 6G6C =6E E96 EH:?<=6 :? J@FC 6J6D 5:>] (96? 2 A6CD@? 4@>6D @G6C 2?5 D:ED ?6IE E@ J@F 2?5 D2JD[ “%6== >6 23@FE E96 8@@5 @=6 52JD[” C6A=J H:E9 G:8@C]k^Am
kAm%@ 8C@H @=5 8C2467F==J :D 2 AC24E:465 2CE] s@?’E ECJ E@ 36 2 36249 3@J @C 2 CF?H2J >@56=[ 3FE J@F >FDE DE:== E2<6 42C6 @7 J@FC 3@5J] xE H:== ?@E E2<6 E96 23FD6 :E H@F=5 H96? J@F H6C6 b_]k^Am
kAm|J 8C2?5A2 #r @?46 D2:5[ “(96? J@F 86E @=5 E96C6 :D 2=H2JD D@>6E9:?8 8C@H:?8 @? J@F @C 72==:?8 @77 J@F]” #6D6CG6 C6>2C<D 23@FE H92E’D HC@?8 H:E9 J@F 7@C J@FC 5@4E@C — ?@3@5J 6=D6 C62==J 8:G6D 2 9@@E] x?DE625 FD6 J@FC H:D5@> 2?5 42== @? J@FC A2DD:@? 2?5 F?56CDE2?5:?8 2?5 8:G6 :E 7C66=J E@ E9@D6 H9@ ?665 :E >@DE]k^Am
kAm%96 8C62E6DE 86?6C2E:@? :D 2== 2C@F?5 J@F H2:E:?8 7@C J@F E@ C6249 @FE 2?5 96=A] *@F 2C6 ?6G6C E@@ @=5 E@ DE@A 42C:?8j :E >2J ;FDE <66A J@F E:4<:?’]k^Am