Medical Health

"Act as if what you do makes a difference…and it does!" William James

The year was 1969, and it was my last year in the U.S. Air Force, and a few of my buddies and I were having a beer at the NCO club, and we were wondering how the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, would look like, when they reached the age of 40! To us back then, the age of 40 was ancient…fossils…all old people for sure!

Well…well…well…how times change! Here we are, entering a brand new year of 2008, and I will be 63 years young on February 18, 2008! OUCH! Where did the time go?

"You’re as young as you feel." SHUT UP! Do you mind…I’m sick of hearing that!

"How you spend your time, is more important than how you spend your money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever." David Norris

When I turned 40 and 50 years old, it didn’t bother me! But, when I turned 60 years of age, it bothered me, because getting old is my greatest fear! Add illness to old age, and you have a toxic mix for sure! I have now entered the 4th quarter of my life, and the scoreboard up ahead, tells me that the 2-minute warning is fast-approaching, and all of this is making me quite nervous!

"Live your life, so that when you lose…you’re still ahead." Will Rogers

I grew up during the first generation of rock and roll, and I love to see the oldies shows. But, I don’t like it when they show the audience, because I think to myself, "Do I look THAT old?" These are my peers! Where did the time go?

"Life is too short!" SHUT UP! I’m sick of hearing that, too!

"A man or a woman is not old, until regrets replace dreams." John Barrymore

I think it’s all in the attitude of a person…how you feel about yourself, age, life and death…what you’ve accomplished and what you have not accomplished, etc. Have you gotten your 15 minutes of fame, yet? Do you even want it? I liked the attitude of one of my favorite comedy writers, Art Buchwald, who died recently, and he would not allow technology to help keep him alive, but he let nature take its course! We should all be so brave, right?

"If you have the time to whine and complain, then you have the time to do something about it." Anthony Ward

Have you ever thought about how you’re going to die? Have you reached some or all of your goals? Let’s face it…like it or not…we’re all heading for the Old Folks Home…and we will all hang up our sneakers sooner or later! The dreaded S-word is sneaking up on all of us…SENILITY!

"I’d rather regret the things I’ve done, than the things I haven’t done. Lucielle Ball

Everybody wants to look young these days. What’s wrong with looking old? (forget I said that!) Today, you see boomers pushing the panic button, in trying to look young! They go out and buy themselves a 55 gallon drum of hair-coloring and jump in it! Nothing is left out to look younger…face-lift; tummy-tuck; wrinkle cream; magic dust; snake-oil…WHEW! I hate to rain on their parade, but they’re still getting OLD!

"Hope is the best part of our riches." Christian Bovee

But, there’s a little hope for old people! Grandma Moses didn’t start painting until she was 78 years old, and look what she accomplished! Ronald Reagan didn’t become President of the United States until he was 70 years old!

"You cannot do kindness to soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Merv Griffin, was one of my favorite entertainers, and I saw the show in the 1960’s, when he told the audience, what he wanted on his grave stone. He wanted it to read, "We will NOT be back after this commercial message!" Isn’t that funny? IF I die…and that’s a big IF…I don’t want a stone on my grave…but I want a parking meter which reads, "TIME EXPIRED!"