Strategies For Aging

 So this am I had a convo with one of my old man friends. Turns out...when you become an old man, lots of your friends are old men,too. His query: what was the best way to go forward? Accepting the limitations of age, the greatly decreased energy for doing most things, or resist? What would I do?

I answered with a song quote, since most of my thoughts come from lyrics, movie lines, or stuff I've read or heard over the years. The quote came with background about the writer -- since parenthetical discussions are fine for retired, or mostly retired people.

The writer was Randy California, of the group Spirit. Randy was an LA Jew, born Randy Wolfe. He was in Hendrix's band, with another Randy, and Hendrix kept confusing the two, and so named one Randy Texas and the other Randy California. When the world's greatest guitarist gives you a nickname, you keep it.

Anyway, Randy later formed Spirt, and wrote a song called "Nature's Way," and the lyric is "It's Nature's way of telling you...something's wrong." In other words, I plan to let my condition determine how I live -- if I'm limited, so be it. If I can push myself and do more, I'll do that.

Randy died tragically, in Hawaii, saving his son from drowning. I guess that was Nature's way of telling him to stay out of rip currents...

After the phone talk, I met Jonathan my trainer for a rare Friday session, since he was sick on Wednesday. I'm the second oldest person in the gym -- one fellow looks to be late 70s or early 80s, with a wife my age. It's nice when the younger folks move aside when I walk by with weights -- fearful I may drop them on their feet. Age has its privileges.

I then called the Lexus dealer, and they told me Wifey's SUV was ready. I turned in the loaner the color of her eyes, and went inside. My service rep was out. The manager, a pretty Cubana, said he would call me. What was going on? Had they lost the car? Crushed it by mistake?

Carlos called from home to apologize. The check up showed the computer was saying, unlike by Nature's way, that something was wrong -- with the AC. But Carlos checked -- I have the extended warranty I bought when we bought the car off lease from D1 -- and anything needed would be covered. But -- could they keep the car a few more days -- maybe until Monday?

Of course, I said, and then made believe Carlos was saying his "jefa" was simpatica and hermosa, which she was. She blushed. Carlos laughed -- I told her I was making things up. Old dudes can get away with that -- another privilege.

So I have the loaner for a few days. Only problem is, it has a new shifting system -- push button for Park, and you have to manipulate the shifter for the other gears. Zero chance Wifey finds it easy -- but she doesn't have anywhere to go. If she does -- I'll give her a tutorial and hope for the best.

And today is the 63rd birthday of a great man -- Dr. Barry. I asked him if he was going Denis Leary, or Rabbi Yossi. Leary says there comes a time in a man's life when he needs to realize his birthday is no big deal -- and that age is 8. Rabbi Yossi says our days are gifts from The Big Man, and failure to celebrate a birthday is an act of ingratitude.

I think Barry is choosing the opinion of His Holiness -- hopefully we meet for dinner tomorrow night -- and some Zoom cocktails tonight.

D2 and Jonathan are happily in Portugal, and D1 and the boys have a full day tomorrow at the beach -- I think we'll see them Wednesday.

So the days continue to run together, each to each as Yeats wrote, and they're pretty sweet.