Aging by one who is aging
- Public Health and Urban Policy, University of California at Berkeley, 410 Warren Hall no 7360, School of Public Health, Berkeley, California 94720-7360, USA; lduhl@berkeley.edu
My purpose is to discuss issues of aging from the point of view of one who has reached that state. Most research and discussion is done by younger people, who look from the outside in, and although they understand and can analyse what is going on, they cannot understand it from experience.
The process that takes place is a slow one. One hardly notice’s a change day by day. One’s mind always sees oneself as younger, full of vitality, and quite able to cope with anything. It is not the sense that the adolescent has of immortality, rather it is a sense of sureness that comes from long experience.
Suddenly one notes what people call senior moments, where one forgets names and facts, only to have it return later. Then, you start losing things. They could be left anyplace in the house, in the office, or the car. You soon get comments from your spouse, wondering if you should buy radio locators that are sold by Sharper Image. You say no, but you really would like to say yes. That would be admitting a deficit!
You’ve always felt that you were physically fit, indeed cardiac non-impaired. You don’t puff when you climb the steps, or when you take long walks. However, you notice that it’s hard to twist tops off the jar, and that it requires help from spouse or friends. You join an exercise class, and because you’re dyslexic you discover that when others move their right hand and left leg, you move your left hand and right leg. However, you feel comfortable with the Y. It is a neighbourhood place and friendly. You make friends there, most are almost your age, although Dan who was in his mid-80s claims seniority.
Ah! Ha! Suddenly your sight dims and you …
