No - You Can't 'Change the TIME!'

You realize you look old when a middle-aged women offers you a seat on the subway! Obviously, I turned her down and said I was getting off at the next stop. If that was not bad enough, I finally took the 'bull' by the horns and did what I have been threatening to do for the past two winters. Yes - my skis, ski poles, helmet, hockey skates, scuba wetsuit etc. were packed into the back of the SUV and delivered to Goodwill early Thursday morning. I do hope someone will enjoy the stuff as much as I did.

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Tuesday afternoon was a 'Celebration of Life' for a young nephew who recently died in his sleep! When we arrived home from his Celebration I decided to sit out on the West balcony and enjoy the warm spring sun.  I was thinking how difficult it is to face major changes in life. Somehow the mind can't catch up with the body. About to cross the middle bridge of the eighties reminds me just how short life can be. No matter how hard I try to accept these occurrences, it is always arduous to leave behind the people you love and care for, or the things that were so very important to you in life.

These past few events also encouraged me to do some house cleaning. The huge storage room in the condo was pulled apart and many items I have been saving for years such as extra electrical and TV cabling, storage boxes, tools and a huge box of Christmas decorations, were all taken to recycling or the local dump. I wonder what I will regret tomorrow when I go looking for a tool I was sure I had?

There is probably no universal definition as to when old age really sets in. I think Grey Power is jumping the gun! No doubt getting old has different connotations and meanings across cultures and peoples. But in 2008 the EU arranged it this way: a) Older Workers are between 55 and 64. b) Older People are between the age of 65 and 79 and c) Frail Old People are 80 plus. (Mental Health of Older People, Directorate-General for Health and Consumers) That definitely makes me a FOP! I hope they have improved their nomenclature for 2015!

One thing I like about living in Toronto, when you ride the subway you are shoulder-to-shoulder  with many more young people than with FOPs. I hope somebody is taking the responsibility to plan public health, social services, labour implications and public finances for them!

Unlike the Rolling Stones (I Can't Get no Satisfaction), except for the arthritic aches and pains, I am enjoying every minute. It is an opportunity to explore new possibilities, time to learn more about myself, build new skills, adjust to change and meet the challenges. Fortunately, I have a wonderful partner, had a sound
education, fulfilling jobs, good health (except for one chronic clash with prostate cancer!), and live in a time of new medicines and rapid technological change. I even read recently that someone who is 5ft. tall faces 32% greater risk of coronary heart disease than someone who is 5ft.6in tall. (The Guardian April 9, 2015). And I'm over 6 feet!

Oh, I should also mention I am careful getting out of bed in the morning. I sit on the side of the bed till the 'spinning' stops.

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week

Did you Know?

Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom recently said that by 2050 antibiotic-resistant bacteria could kill 10 million people a year. Beware, the bugs are out to get you!