With all the talk in the news these days about old men and what they can and can’t do, I thought I would weigh in on the subject since I passed the “80” milestone years ago.
Before I state some limitations I share with most older people, I want to assure those who may take offence at what I have to say that I know there are some people my age who do not suffer from a lot of the problems associated with old age. I also know that they are the exception, not the rule.
It is not easy for some people to admit that they are not as young as they used to be; something responsible for a huge industry that promises miracle cures and cover-ups for their perceived problems. I know I am not as physically strong or as mentally swift as I used to be, and I also realize I don’t bend as well as I once did, as I struggle to put my socks on every morning. I accept that as a part of aging. I do take offence when I am treated as if I already have one foot in the grave and the other on a skateboard, something many of us older people are subjected to.
Sometimes when a young person is talking to me, I hear their voice drop an octave and take on a sympathetic tone as they ask how I am feeling. The truth is, I probably feel the way I should feel at my age. I have learned to live with most things that come with aging, like the loss of my beautiful head of hair that left me around fifty, my original teeth that left earlier than that, and most of my upper–body strength, that left a little at a time, so I wouldn’t notice until I could no longer open a pickle jar.
There are also a few abilities too personal to list, which only old men in Soap Operas can still do. Like many people who live into “Old Age,” I credit today’s doctors and medicines for my long life, but I have found that there are greedy people out there who try to exploit older people with promises of a few more years.
I am always skeptical when I see an ad on TV or the internet for some wonder drug that is supposed to be the secret to a long life. I believe that if the ads were truthful, they would say they want our money so “they” can live a long, luxurious life. When I was young, I could not imagine getting old, even as I saw family members doing so; I guess I believed somehow I would be exempt from that fate; I realize now that I may have been wrong.
To paraphrase Kermit the Frog, who said, “It ain't easy being green,” I will say it also ain’t easy being old; sometimes, in fact, it can be a lot of hard work. One thing that makes being older easier, however, is having children and grandchildren who will do some of the heavy lifting for you. I feel lucky that I get a lot of help from mine. I have noticed, however, that as I have grown older, my children's attitude has changed towards me, which makes me think they believe I am more fragile than I am; they won’t even argue with me as much as they used to. I miss that!
The funny thing is, I can remember doing the same thing with my mother as she grew older, and I worried more about upsetting her. I guess that must be something that comes naturally between aging parents and their kids, and since it feels like a perk to me, I am going to accept it.
P.S. I have lately been asked what I think about the older people who serve in Congress or as President of the United States, and since I am well acquainted with the problems people around my age face, I feel qualified to comment on the subject.
While I too can recognize a camel, an elephant, and most other animals, you might show me as a test of my cognitive ability, I do not think that qualifies me to serve as a Congressman or the President. I feel a little sad when I see old people in government nodding off and sleeping in meetings. I always think, how much more comfortable they would be at home napping in a recliner like me.
I believe if term limits and age limits for a seat in the United States Congress, and the office of President of the United States, were put to a vote by the people, my yes would be part of a vast majority, and were that to become the law, we could all go to sleep at night feeling our country was in the hands of people who can at least stay awake on the job.
Jack Miller is a longtime Sedalia resident and former radio news reporter.
