Page 10 - 2020junejuly

HANDLING THE TRANSITION...THE LATTER YEARS

by Dave Friant
t’s the ultimate journey for guys. The passage of years
from adolescence into that maze of existence known as
Ifull-fledged senior adulthood. The challenges and realities
of being productive males are for the most part still recallable. A few come to mind. Traveling to parts of the country and/or
From parenting rugrats and making inroads into a solid marital world with few time demands for scheduled returns. Presence
relationship to searching for a suitable time to grab hold of the on more of a regular basis at activities involving the grand-
retirement reins, it’s not for the faint of heart. kiddos. Establishing at least a twice-a-week routine, between 3
Btw. . . this is not an opinion piece on the currently popular and 5 in the afternoon, as our new “lupper” time to grab a meal
transitioning process associated with changing one’s gender at different eating establishments.
identity. Much too controversial of a subject to address in a My health was in reasonably good shape when I decided to
publication designed to applaud the marvels of being a golden- call it quits professionally. High blood pressure medication
ager. In the vernacular of the millennials, I was born a dude and the once-a-year visit with a neurologist for a 1996 seizure
and continue to be satisfied with all the unique wirings that was the extent of medical malfunctioning. Participation in
accompany such a designation. God decided to go that route for league tennis and umpiring slo-pitch softball were my principal
me, and never have I been more appreciative. exercise highlights. I was still able to maneuver (albeit at a less
I digress. rambunctious manner) on the ski slopes. It was a naïve notion
Pour a cup of Joe. Relax in the form-fitting and tattered leather of invincibility.
Laz-E-Boy. Bust out into at least a grin as I reference a few key Mine appeared to be a look the other way approach to health
happenings over my last couple of years with some on-going issues involving “older folks.” My peers were in the midst
adjustment maneuverings. of developing ailments ranging in severity from arthritis to

Been recently thinking about some concerns associated with inoperative cancer. I was to the point of creating a forever
my current rung on the age ladder. Nothing unmanageable. buoyant approach to the expected final couple of decades. I’d
They’re fortunately able to be answered with a decent helping dodged some bullets that are supposedly a part of this age. My
of resolve. Seems I’ve floored it head-on into the experiences of parents both died in their mid-70’s, but I had read once that
that supposed milestone age of 70 without sufficient warning of genetics was not necessarily destiny.
the inevitabilities that tag along. I’m 69 years of age. To many Then it happened. The shock with no evidence of absorbers
of you, it’s a “still a young pup” marker on the wheel of life. I being still fully operational for relief. Firing on one less
understand. It’s all relative. cylinder. Over a period of 18 months or so (up thru March of
This entrance ramp to the final stretch (however long it may this year), the demons of health irregularities entered the scene
be) presents different challenges to those of us not known to with a vengeance. From spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis to
be the fairer sex. Our gearing mechanisms are so dissimilar to atrial fibrillation and other specialist-required ailments. What I
those of the ladies who remain as the principal rudders in our mistakenly believed was a dungeon for the duration of the ride
lives. We react differently to “social stimuli” and other areas of had been reached.
interactions for which volumes of research has been gathered. It’s been a time of reflection while moving on with these
While interesting, it’s another topic for another day. diagnoses. I’m in the midst of untangling the realities; comparing
After 40 years of public service with State and Federal my relatively minor medical slowdowns in activities to the larger
government employment, I decided to toss in the towel and and more significant matters in life. Trying to remain on the
retire at 60. The pension pursuit had become exhaustive. It was adjusted course with positivity and enthusiasm is by no stretch
time to test the waters of still another leg of the empty nesting an easy effort. I know it’s cliché, but accenting the plusses
phenomenon. Still just the two of us. That had been the case experienced over the years while living each day to the fullest is
since the youngest of our children headed off to college in the therapeutic. The nature of the veers and bumps on the path have
mid-90’s. But now, several more hours together on any given changed. An ache here, a pain there. All things considered, not
day based on the Mrs. also deciding to “take her job and shove that big of a deal. We’ve still got pulses.
it.” Desired was the devoting of more time to mutual delights;
taking part in activities that were only discussion topics during
earlier years.

page 8 | celebrating life after 60!