Life

Do you ever stop and wonder how our mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers did it?  How did they deal with getting older?  I do not recall hearing any of them talk about growing old as I grew up. Now that I am well on my way to "older", it bothers me how much talk about aging there is and how many drugs are being pushed for every ailment one could imagine. I also find the "I'm Ok, Your Ok" generation not all that "OK!" We share and complain about each pain and every aliment .  Headaches, migraines, joint aches, colds, flu, we share it all. When was the last time you went through an entire day where everyone you spoke with was "doing great"? What are we missing? Why is it that as we get older, we complain and medicate more than all the past generations combined?

My step grandfather Marshall said once, "Getting old ain't for sissies!" He was born in Oklahoma when it was still a territory, rode the rails from the time he was 14 years of age and work for Southern Pacific all of his life.  He was 70+ when he married my Grandmother - Elsie. Marshall managed our ranch outside of Cash, Texas for nearly ten years and was amazing. He never complained about arthritis, eye-sight going or any other alignment. He was thrilled  to be working with his hands and doing most of that work in the Texas outdoors. Marshall had a severe stroke in his mid-80's but fought his way back and I do mean fought.  Marshall also had macular degeneration of the eyes (basically blind) and had to live his remaining 10 years in a wheel charge. This would be pretty depressing for most of us, least of all a man who had been active and independent all of his life. He use to push himself backwards down the hall to the dining room and asked you to help his bride (my grandmother) with her chair. If you offered to help him, he would say, "no thanks - just don't need it."  Marshall listened to the radio each and every day. Stayed current on sports, politics and life.  You could ask him anything and he knew the latest and usually had some sound thoughts to go along with what he knew.  Being blind and having to struggle back from a stroke did not stop him from living life and learning. He was amazing.


My father-in-law Bob Webb was the same way.  A Milwaukee boy through and through. He was a Captain of the County fire department and could do just about anything. If he did not know something, he would walk down to the public library and look it up. He loved to walk and Bob walked over 4 miles each and every day. During his late 70's, Bob required surgery due to a melanoma tumor located behind his eye. The day of the surgery Bob took the bus to the hospital, had the surgery and when they went to release him the staff asked if his ride had come for him.  Now we all know they do not release you from the hospital without someone there to attend to you; but not ole Bobby!  He was a clever fellow. Bob told them his ride would be there in a moment. The nurse left him in the wheel chair by the door for a moment and when she turned her back, he slipped out and rode the bus home to his wife Ethel.  You know, he never told any of this to us at the time and to this day, I am not all together sure Ethel knew what he had done either. Never a complaint, never a word about  a melanoma being found, he just took care of business.  The melanoma reappeared , this time in his neck when he was 92.  Shortly after this discovery, one afternoon he saw a regional event for The US Olympics for Senior Citizens.  He walked to the field, signed up, qualified for the high jump, and made it to the Nationals in Kentucky where he received the Silver medal for the high jump. That was the fall of 2005, he died January 2006. What amazing way to live ones life.

Marshall and Bob were remarkable men to me. Both fought in World War II, both were self-taught, and both were kind men. They were generous with their knowledge, kind in their thoughts and shared their love of life.  Maybe that is it - maybe we need to stop dealing with life and start living it.  Perhaps it is our attitude that needs to be adjusted and not our bodies.  What if we gave of ourselves a little more and spoke (texted or emailed) a little less? Perhaps we might not feel so bad, so often.