Senioritis

It has been a while since I posted anything specifically meant for my fellow seniors and the boomers who are swiftly approaching my age. This one, I hope, will be of some use to our children and grandchildren as they struggle with the issues attendant to having an old person in the family to worry about.

I just finished a “chick book.” It’s one of those stories that might be turned into a “chick flick, “ as we have called romantic or sentimental relationship-based movies that are said to be more popular with women than men. I confess that I have, over the years, enjoyed several of those movies. However, I have rarely read a “chick book.” I am a bookworm, to be sure, but that has been pretty much limited to histories, both factual and fictional, legal fiction, military stuff, British royalty fiction, criminal and spy stuff (Yep, James Bond and John Grisham, for example}. Then there are the ninety or so volumes of biography, journals, and historical works that I have accumulated in my personal effort to document the life of one ancestral family in the founding of St. Louis and the operation of the fur trade.

How did I come by this “chick book?” Well, I met, in our library, with the book club, which consisted of three very nice ladies and one guy besides me in this senior independent living residence. Someone picked out this book for all of us to read. It is titled “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” the first novel of a young woman named Shelby Van Pelt. The hero of the book is an aquarium-trapped octopus whose intelligence affects the lives of several people who have widely different journeys to the influence of this creature. Despite early misgivings, I agreed to read it and was fully captured by the story, partly because Van Pelt so deftly and compassionately describes the kind of decisions that many of us must make as we reach what I call “the fourth quarter” of our life. I am looking forward to the discussion we will have about the book at our next club meeting.

The above experience has made me reflect on how I spend my days. Some of my actions seem typical of my fellow residents, but as you will see, some are not. Our physical and mental conditions vary greatly. Most of us do our best to use this precious time well- to stay busy, to be useful in some way, and to have each day be better than the previous one. Some are more social and conversational than others. There are a few that we rarely see outside their apartments. I think most of us have some contact with nearby family members. As for me, my little 12-year-old Shih Tzu, Frodo, wants to go out two or three times a day, one of which is a walk for about half a mile. He also is overjoyed when I take the cover off my Can-Am Spyder 3-wheeled cycle, put him in his carrier, and we take a ride over the Palouse hills to visit family, a ten-minute ride to Moscow, Idaho, or just to enjoy the beauty of the country and the fresh air. I acknowledge that this is not a common event for my fellow residents, and I am most fortunate to be healthy enough to do that for a bit longer. Then there are the light strength and balance exercise classes most mornings and bingo, trivia, or card games in the afternoon. I do not always participate in these, but I enjoy it when I do. Meals, especially breakfast, is a good social time for some of us. As you would expect, trips out for medical appointments are common, and there are nearby stores for most of our needs. I often spend an hour looking at the photo albums my sweetheart so carefully put together so that we could review those many memories when this time of life would come. I usually read two or three books at a time. We have nice little patios or balconies to spend that time on when the weather is good enough. I have both the TV standard channels provided by the residence and some streaming channels, but I do not watch it much. Some days, it never gets turned on. I wonder what will change when winter comes. I envision staying inside the building much more, except for those mandatory dog and medical outings.

I must acknowledge that the cost of living in a place like that is out of reach for many folks my age, and tough family decisions about the progress from independence, to family care or assisted living to skilled nursing care will have to be made. It would be nice if all of that was well planned in advance with such things as long-term care insurance, etc. and I heartily recommend that everyone do so to the extent that they can. I do recommend Van Pelt’s book for another view of this aspect of life.

Until next time, Keep your powder dry!