New World

We now find ourselves in a crisis of gargantuan proportions due to our modern ease of moving around the planet. In their attempts at controlling the spread of the virus governments have imposed a variety of measures to limit crowds and social interaction. So far such measures seem to be having positive effects, however older people will no doubt suffer the most.         

As I discussed in my last couple of blogs, it is important to socialize if we want to age well. Yet, because of the many social restrictions imposed by authorities to contain COVID-19, less socializing will be the new reality for a time. Social isolation will increase and regrettably lead to more loneliness especially for older individuals who live alone. 

However, people over 65, especially those who have health issues, must be especially vigilant. They should stay home and avoid going into stores. If groceries or medication, including over-the-counter items, are needed, older individuals should ask a relative or a neighbor to shop for them. Or shopping can be done by phone or online if available in their area.

But as I heard a doctor comment: If you stay home for the time being it doesn’t mean that you can’t go for a walk every day.

We don’t know how long this crisis will last before an effective treatment appears on the horizon. In the meantime we should all heed recommendations so we all stay healthy.

The nasty virus was discovered by a scientist in 1968 who gave it the name corona because he thought it resembled a solar corona. There are many strains of the virus. The one we are experiencing now is a new strain which is referred to as the novel coronavirus. When people began being sick it quickly became an epidemic as numbers increased. But it grew into a pandemic when it began to affect people all over the world.

Measures taken to contain the spread of the virus include people being quarantine i.e. confined to their homes for a couple of weeks without going out in the community. Quarantine is for people who may or have been exposed to the virus but do not show any symptoms. Another term used these days is social distancing. It essentially means staying 3 feet away from other people to minimize contacts. Not always easy to do when out in the community, working or shopping. But we should all strive to do all we can to avoid putting anyone at risk.

            As we all know, this too shall pass. Stay well.

Aging Well

As we age we all need to come to terms with the fact that our bodies change. However those changes can be managed easily if we take steps to keep ourselves as healthy as we can in the long term. In short, age well.

            This can be achieved by keeping our immune system strong, says renowned Canadian Scientist David Suzuki, now 83 years old. There are three important elements to ensuring the strength of that system, he says.

            First is the need to exercise regularly. As they age people tend to become more sedentary, but we should all make of point of being physically active every day. This does not mean that activities have to be very intense, but they have to be done regularly. Suzuki suggests that a daily walk will keep the body in shape and will clear the mind.

            Second, proper nutrition is a must as we age. There is lots of information easily available to guide in the preparation of nutritious meals. It is a matter of making the effort. Eating lots of veggies and fruit should always be a priority no matter our age. It’s bound to keep the doctor away.

            Third, to age well we need to feel that we are contributing to society, says Suzuki. Socializing is an important factor in aging well and it can be as simple as babysitting our grandchildren. In helping with youngsters, older people feel proud that they are contributing to the family. There are, of course, many other ways to socialize whether by joining groups that fit our individual talents or by helping people through various volunteer opportunities that abound in every community.

            Making sure our eyes are healthy is another factor that contributes to aging well. Suzuki is worried about the eyes of younger people today. He says that the various screens now in our lives are impacting on the health of young eyes that become glued to one screen or another at a very young age. Youngster should be guided to limit time in front of screens.  

            As we should all do.                                                     

Self-Service

We might not always realize it but the reality is that we increasingly work for big companies – without pay. We are now battling a world of self-service so corporations can operate with as small a staff as possible.

            All because of technology, of course. Companies are taking advantage of the fact that the public can do a lot of unpaid work and thus add to their bottom line. Think about it: while ATMs are very convenient they make us do the work of actual tellers. And we now have to pump our own gas unless we take the trouble of finding filling stations that still serve customers. And when we vacation we are actually travel agents as we search for deals on line; we even print out our own boarding passes.

And we have to book tickets to all sorts of events and concerts on line, and if we encounter a problem it takes forever to get an actual person on the phone to solve the issue.

In recent years, grocery stores have been installing self-serve stations in the hope, I suppose, of one day being able to do business without any staff. That day is already here because grocery stores that operate without any cashiers are actually being tested. Purchases are automatically registered through a hand-held device as items are touched. But be warned, if you help another customer put an item in their cart, you will be billed as if you had purchased it because your device will read it.

Is self-serve efficient? One day when the lines to the actual cashiers were long, I tried the self-serve option. As research has found time after time people scanning their own items takes forever compared with a trained cashier. I was no exception, and I had to wait for an actual person to enter the right code for a discounted item because the machine didn’t trust me. The gall! I decided that in the future I’d wait in line for a real live cashier. After all when spending money in a store, the least I should expect is being treated as a customer not an employee.

Many younger people have not known real service so they don’t miss it, but the end result is that they are losing human contact just as we all are. We may not think so, but even brief exchanges with cashiers and tellers do link us. The self-serve world is becoming much lonelier. It seems to me that there will eventually be a price to pay because I am old fashioned when it comes to our need to interface with other humans.

Experts warn us that healthy aging must include socializing yet life is becoming more and more home centered. Retired individuals who live alone or far from family will surely suffer the most from the lack of contacts, however brief, in our changing society. People don’t go out to movies anymore because there are so many entertainment options on their television. And shopping is done online and delivered, including meals, without our having to talk to anyone. Texting instead of phoning further reduces social interactions.

The experts have it right: chatting even briefly with others while shopping is socializing that is good for our mental health. If the trend continues and people hardly talk to each other I believe the world will be faced with increasingly poor aging.

Going with the Flow

A woman I considered my aunt, but who was in fact my father’s cousin, passed away at the age of 105. She did not have a disease per se, she simply left peacefully in her sleep.

            What an ideal way to go!

            I always admired her philosophy. She said that the past should remain in the past and not be rehashed. And the future? It will take care of itself, she’d say. She went with the flow, today’s flow. That’s what was important to her.

           When she was in her 80s, she would run errands for “the old people” who had problems getting around. She needed to help others, to be of service, and always had a bright smile. She was not rich by any means, but she had a recipe for a rich happy life: Don’t worry and go with the flow.

            I would stop by to visit with her from time to time. I remember going to see her one day when she was 90. She wasn’t in her apartment and I was told: It’s Wednesday, she’s gone for a walk. Sure enough she was ambling down the street of the small town where she lived to make the most of every moment. It can be argued that she was graced with good genes, which she no doubt was, but there was more: she made it a point to enjoy life to the fullest.       

            Not always easy to do, is it?

            But she did inspire me to try by stopping to worry about my children and grandchildren because worrying does nothing to help them, by not wasting time and energy on small stuff like being stuck in traffic, like locking myself out of the house, like spilling food on a white blouse in a restaurant, and countless other irritants.

            As the song says: Don’t worry, be happy. In short, go with the flow.

           

New Talent

Recently, I heard a commentator discuss the results of a poll which to him—and to me—indicate a radical change in society. The poll showed that many young people today have no clue how to do some of the basic things older folks have always done, such as preparing a decent meal or sewing.

Traditional skills are being lost to the changing face of society. Why learn to cook when you can order out or quickly heat up frozen meals in the microwave. Not especially good for health, but who cares, it’s quick. Why learn to sew or knit when clothing made in developing nations is cheap and easily available. Of course, today second-hand businesses have become trendy, so sewing is far from necessary.

In just a couple of generations, priorities have shifted. My mother had skills that the world is quickly forgetting. We lived on a large farm, and she canned vegetables from the garden as well as fruit from our trees for our winter meals. She found time to sew clothing and crochet all sorts of items during the long winter months.

Of course, my mother didn’t waste time updating her social network profile! Her entertainment was a little more basic—it was the radio. I remember that it seemed to be on all the time. She kept up with the news and comments of the day, and was entertained by the music as well as when she let her imagination make the most of listening to actors reading radio plays.

When I talked about radio plays recently, my grandchildren were at a loss to understand what it was. “You mean just listening to a play?” Nourishment for your imagination! What a concept!

            Of course, today, podcasts of information and views that can be downloaded are essentially talk radio on demand as technology presses on.

In a world where video is taking so much space, it’s nice to see that listening still has room to prosper.

To Advertise or Not to Advertise

I don’t know about you, but once in a while when I’m looking for something I’m hoping to buy second hand I visit websites where everything, it seems, is offered. I spent some time recently on an especially cold Sunday reading ads, and I must say it opened my eyes as to what people can come up with. Of course, there are always erotic and porno ads and ads from married men looking for “discreet” meetings and all the rest, but here are some of the most unusual ones I found.

One man was asking for help in finding his flying saucer because he needed to get back to his planet for a dental appointment. (Hopefully it’s a planet far, far away!)

Another man was looking for women because he wanted to start a harem. (I thought about applying, but reality soon won out. Think of the competition!)

A woman placed an ad because she was looking for the perfect man. (I silently wished her luck with that!)

Then there was the man who advertised his willingness to impregnate women. (Of course, he’d do it willingly!)

And then there was the meditation group looking for new members. And, oh, it’s a nude group. (My first thought was: Are they really able to keep their eyes closed as they meditate!)

A young man was asking for help in developing an air conditioner for baby strollers. (Wonder what he was smoking!)

Another young man claiming to be normal said he was into feet worship and was looking for women of all ages so he could massage their feet. (How does he feel about hammer toes and bunions I wondered!)

And a couple was looking for people to do house chores naked. (That’s not something I’d be willing to do. I’d probably trip over my boobs!)

And there was an ad from a man who claimed to be in his 90s who was looking for   a “mature” woman (he specified not older than 40) because there was still fire in his belly. (Hopefully that fire will not spread!)

Finally, I saw an ad for a young man offering his services as a math tutor to people of all ages. (I might ask him to help me with this one: If I travel at 60 miles per hour and carry 6 oranges, how old am I?)

DEMOGRAPHIC REALITY

Boomers are changing the demographic landscape at a very fast pace. If designers and advertisers have not faced up to this new reality yet, they will no doubt be forced to do it because boomers are a tsunami which simply cannot be ignored.

In trying to reach the boomer demographic, I often wonder why the advertising industry feels the need to use non-boomers. A man I know who has been in the advertising game all his life is quick to explain: For the most part, people want to be younger than they really are. We simply give them what they expect.

I’m not sure I’m convinced.  They do it because that’s what they think people want.

Boomers should be proud of the wisdom acquired over the years rather than waste time on hoping to look like the models advertisers throw at us. We have to look beyond our imperfections, whether it’s a few wrinkles or a couple of extra pounds, and rejoice in who we are. We also need to talk to our grandchildren so they can accept themselves as they are. It’s vitally important when we know that girls as young as sixteen want plastic surgery and ten-year-olds are starving themselves to be as slim as the models they see.

I say let’s praise imperfection instead of youth for a change and be happy.  Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.