Refocusing in Old Age
Back in Louisa, when I was but a young child, my focus was on playing, eating, and having fun. As I grew older I came to prefer organized play over toys in the dirt, but I still liked to eat when I could. The category of ‘fun’ grew to include others, especially those of the fairer sex. In fact, by the time I was in high school I had added music, team sports, girls, and exploration of ‘things’ as my focus. I walked, rode my bike, or drove in a borrowed car all around the county finding places I didn’t know existed. I did the same when I visited my ‘working’ mom in Detroit. There I went to the historical museum, the fine art museum, the ballpark, some of Detroit’s special places like Bell Island, and other spots. I went to concerts held in the park by the Detroit Symphony at no cost.
As I watch my grandchildren I see all kinds of energy being used in play that I wished I could capture in a jar to use whenever I find myself a little short. Yes, I have come to the place that I just don’t have what it takes to move about and explore. It’s as if I’d rather just stay put than to run about in a hurry. The youngsters don’t waste time walking from one room to another, but always…I mean always, run. These days I have come to the place that running is all but impossible. So what happened?
Fellows of my generation have said in many ways at different times that growing old isn’t for the weak, or the timid. Life at this end can be rough. Thinking about all the conflicts, the bills, family troubles, taxes, and whatever is destined to break and require fixing, is enough to cause me to retreat to my ‘man-cave.’ Instead of exploring in breathless anticipation I prefer to shrink into a private place and look for distractions. I used to go off on my own when the kids wanted to watch cartoons. Sadly, I now sit and enjoy them with the kids.
I still like museums but would rather see a documentary than to walk for hours through the musty buildings and listen to guides explain what I usually already know. I love ballgames but can watch them on TV without the cost or worrying about parking. I still like pretty girls (of any age) but prefer they not interfere in my life. It’s difficult for me to understand the younger ones, and far too easy to understand those closer to my age. ‘Yes, dear, I’m taking out the trash.’
As a youth there were time I liked to sit on the porch swing and read comic books. I remember many times of sitting on the porch floor and going through my collection of baseball cards with my friends. Those were restful times and did occasionally lead to a comfortable nap. Even with all that energy a nap was a good thing. I wonder if youth was like living with an ‘on and off’ switch, so that I ran at top speed and then needed rest. If so, life has changed so that the ‘on’ switch doesn’t provide the same level of power. On the other hand, the ‘off’ switch still works very easily.
During the times of rest I used to dream about comic book characters, war heroes, and major league ball. As I grew I added girls. As a grown man, I dreamed about life’s problems and the solutions to global threats. Today I dream about the luxury of staying put. Our new home has a large wooden deck which we just had rebuilt. We have the usual tables and chairs for outdoor cooking, but we lack a restful porch swing or glider. The view is such that we could use one or two of those, perhaps using them for a mid-day respite from life, perhaps even a ‘cat-nap’ before supper. Wait a minute! What has happened to me? Naps were once a thing to be avoided. Now I’m dreaming about having a good nap?
Well, I have to admit that I remember some fine naps in my growing up years. I remember playing hide and seek at my uncle’s dairy farm. I found a safe, warm place between hay bales up in the barn’s loft. I must have won that game because my cousins left me be if indeed, they even found me. I remember on the very day of my high school graduation that Johnny Bill Boggs and I went fishing near the mouth of Blaine Creek where it joins the Big Sandy. We sat in the sun on a big flat rock for a good while when Johnny Bill walked a little ways up stream on the creek. I had removed my shirt and wadded it up to make a pillow as I stretched out for a bit of a rest. When he came back he woke me, but I was as red as a lobster. That night I had to wear my graduation robe over my starched shirt and wool suit and sit still to listen to speeches at our outdoor ceremony. I was glad to have reached this goal, but might have preferred no one slap me on the back just then.
I would finish this article but frankly my attention span is wavering and my eye lids are all so heavy. Maybe another time…
Oh, by-the-way, write me note after your nap. I’d love to hear from you. mcoburncppo@aol.com
Hey, Mike, growing old is a whole new ballgame. Now I get to explore the ramifications of sleep apnea and CPAP machines. Broke the elbow on the nasal mask and found out that I have to buy the whole thing consisting of the headgear, frame, nasal mask, elbow and small hose instead of replacement parts because that particular machine doesn’t come with individual parts. Or so the sales person said.
Atrial fibrillation is keeping my pulse racing and challenging my body to respond to potential blood clots. The solution is to go on a medication that inhibits the enzyme that causes blood to clot. Now I don’t have to worry about strokes or heart attacks from blood clots. I just have to worry about bleeding to death if I get a severe cut.
I no longer can out run a four year old boy; I know this because one took off in my care and I could only yell, “Stop running!” Of course, he didn’t. Running was what he wanted to do!
I think God knew what he was doing when he gave children to young adults. Mom and Dad have the stamina to keep up with their energy.
I am lucky if I can walk twenty feet without having to collapse in a chair. My 2:00 p.m. nap is coming up so I’ll end this trek down life’s lane to get my nap in before my favorite TV show comes on. LIfe has changed when one is reclined in a chair and the husband reclined in his chair says, “Hand me the remote.” It seems that is the most exercise that we get these days.
Cute, but very much on target. I have closets full of CPAP parts that doesn’t work with my new machine. I’m on blood thinner because of Afib, too. Can’t run, only fall. Water retention because of BP meds and no diuretics because I’m down to one kidney. All that said, I’m quick on the remote when commercials pop up. I film my Hallmark movies ahead so I can skip them. I get up in the mornings and ask which doctor am I to see today. I can still wiggle my toes even if I can’t feel them. Meanwhile, morbid obese isn’t a pet name. It means I’m fat! Oh my. More of me for the grandkids to love. I’m still searching for the world’s best pizza, but am getting close. There’s some really great ones out there.
Thanks for writing, Diane! I enjoyed finding out I have kindred spirits reading this articles.