Life they say is but a game and they let it slip away! That was said in a song by Seals and Crofts many years ago, and believe it or not it is true. many people tend to play at life, having fun daily and not realizing, excatly how fast time flies by. We tend to laugh and joke and play games, physically and mentally, and in the end one day we look up and we are suddenly, old or elderly, and not as capable anymore.
We age and the wear and tear on the human body can be painful and sometimes delibilerating also. mentally we start to forget things, because we stop doing them. Or because of chemical imblances we get in our systems. We forget places, and things, we never thought we would. we end up not being able to danc eor walk or run like we used to also as we age. we end up giving up sports, or clubs, or conversations out of frustration or lack of focus, as we age.
While this is a normal process for all of us who age and reach our elderly period of life, it doesn’t mean, wec an’t try now and then. I love reading, but find myself, reading less as I age, concentration became a factor for me. I love solving puzzles, but again my concentration has waned overtime also. Physically, i don’t walk like I used to either, I was averaging about 3 miles per day, now my body and back, tells me no. I love bowling but found myself, lately in more pain than pleasure from doing so. So, I have to stop for a while an dhope my back will be better in the future to do so again. It means changing how I bowl if i do it, so I don’t pull my back muscles anymore, and with six herniated discs in my spine, it may be best not to bowl. Each person is different and we all have different levels of pain tolerance also. Some of us can handle pain and still do, others can’t.
Lucky, in my case at least, is I can still write, poetry, short stories and blogs, to entertain my mind. I write poetry as it hits me, as many probably already know. I have written many and at least 51 short stories. I write of life, love, laughter, and sometimes serious subjects. My blogs cover all of the above and more, for I delve at times into the political arena, and talk of the countries current state. I wrote blogs for a web site for a summer, and of course have submitted some to news agencies.
Now as I age and my body starts to fail me, I am cutting back on physical activities. Those include bowling now, at least for a while and pickleball I gave up in 2022 after twisting my ankle, badly. It was like a softball for up to 6 weeks before it came down. I am a competitor at anything I do normally, that includes pickball, pool and bowling. Yet, i am also acutely aware that, others ee people who win all the time, as people they do not wish to play with anymore. So, I play the sports I do, without trying to win all the time. No sense having people saying they don’t like playing with me, cause I beat them always. I consider others feelings at all times.
I have what is called hyperactivity and attention disorder also. I get hyper at times and then slow down, and I sometimes don’t focus as well as I used to. I also have Post Tramatic Disorder from childhood and military life. So I try to control myself at all times, I had it drilled into me as a child, self-control. No one is perfect and may wonder why I Do not participate in many events here in Condo Activities. The answer can be found in my PTSD and, other medical problems. I try hard not to be rude to others, and I do not at times have the patienance to handle all that is thrown at me.
I am now facing shortly, the fourth Anniversary of my wife’s passing come August 10th, 2025. Losing her has been the biggest loss of my life. She steadied me, keep me busy, and was always there for 28 years. her sudden passing from her cancer, was rough on me. While I cared for her for 16 years, for her cancer, taking her to Doctors, tests, scans and more, including all her chemo and radiation treatments, over those years. In the middle she went into recession and life was good, till I wa shit with lung cancer myself. I survived it, and had a lobe and one third of my right lung removed. I came back fast and continued to care for my wife, till she passed, Ultimately, I hospiced her at home, in her final fourteen days.
Some ask me why, I do not participate in events here where I live. well the answers are found above in all I have spoke of. As to some who ask why I do not date, well, I am not an easy man to date, based on my PTSD, attention deficiet disorder and hyper-activity. There are times when I do slow down, and focus. I would never date a woman where I live an dit is nothing to do with the women who live here. It is based on the fact that it is a close neighborhood period.
I grew up as the black sheep of my family. I was the unwanted one, who was given away for two years and came back. In the end I was there when my step=father needed help rebuilding the home they bought. I wa sthere to protect my younger siblings when needed and care for them. I helped friends and family where and when I could it was me. I went on to a military life that lasted 16 years, through three branches of service, so I did ok. I even went back to school at 37 years old and graduated witha 3.7 grade average out of a possible 4.0. I ama member of two Honor Societies, Alpha Beta Gamma and Phi Theta Kappa. Won awards in Collage also. So I believe I did well. Even if I was always told I was a loser as a kid.
In the end, life is a maze of overcoming, dealing with and moving past problems and complications. Life is not, handed to us, and all handed to us. as we all know, one must work at what you want to achieve it. All is an effort folks, for all of us, maybe more so for someone like me. But, I am now 69 and headed to age 70 soon enough. I thank God each morning I wake up open my eyes and am able to get out of bed and move about. God Bless All!
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