Withdrawal

I spend a great deal of time on the Internet, reading, researching, communicating with friends and family, updating material for the workshops we do through our Institute on senior health and wellness. I am on a number of social media sites. I belong to Bebee, I have a Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook account as well as a presence on Google and on Blogger. I use Google maps not only to get around but when I visit a place I spend extra time and rate my experience to help others.  I enjoy my time on the Net although many of my generation like the Internet, they do not like social networking sites. 

As a group, 81% of my age group (65-74) uses the Internet, although the use of the Intenet by those over 75  drops to 75%. Many of my friends use the Internet on a daily basis. Health research is one of the most commonly searched topics. However, not all sources on the Internet are reliable. I tell my friends to be careful as to what they read – especially health information. The Internet is a great resource and a tool to help you to become more knowledgeable and increase awareness. However, always consult a healthcare professional for any health advice, including prior to engaging in physical activity.

According to the Pew Institute, when it comes to social networking sites I am an outlier, only 45% of my age group use social media of any kind. For seniors over 75 only 29% use any type of social media site. One of the biggest reasons is my friends tell me they do not want their privacy to be compromised. I tell them that if they are using Google or any search engine, and any browser their privacy is already compromised. They don't believe me and continue to resist the idea of joining any networking site. I could spend many posts giving reasons why my age group should join and use social media platforms, but I would be preaching to the choir as the old saying goes, so I won't. 

 My friends and I are off for a week of golf and fun, without any access to any social networking sites or the Internet. Since I like my friends and enjoy quality time with them, for the next week, I will be off-line. This is by design, as I will spend the time enjoying their company and like all men, we will tackle the problems of the world. We will reminisce about what we did on earlier trips and raise a glass to those who are no longer with us. We will laugh and tell stories to bring our friends back into our mind's eye albeit for a short period of time.

We call ourselves the "Lords of Golf" based on an inside joke, which I won't bore you with, but the tour has been going on in BC and the NorthWest every year since 1982. Members of the group change every year, although the organizer and founder, my best friend, has been on every trip. There are a few others who have been on this trip for over 25 years, but I am a newcomer as I have only been on the tour since 2002. Our numbers range from 24 to 4 depending on who can make it that particular year. 

Every year we go at the same time, but we pick a different location in BC or Washington State. This year there are 9 of us and we are visiting the city of Kelowna for a week. We do not take the golf on tour very seriously but we have a trophy and the winner gets to keep it for a year. I won a few years back and perhaps in the next 16 years, I will have a shot at winning again. We have few rules, but one is that 

However, thanks to the wonderful tools here on Blogger I can create posts which will show up online at a later date. So I have worked ahead and will not miss a post here, even though I will not be online.

Celebrating Your 50th Birthday!

Millions of people turn 50 each year and you are not alone! There are actually many individuals who have those feelings of sorrow on their 50th birthday for one reason or another. Sometimes those feelings are combined with thoughts that your life is almost over and other time the feelings are accompanied by a mild depression and thoughts that you haven't accomplished much of anything in your life. However, chances are that none of what you are thinking about on your 50th birthday is true and the reality is that your 50th birthday is just as important as the one before it and the birthday that comes after it! 

If you are one of those individuals who are starting to feel hopeless on your 50th birthday then you may just want to take a look in the mirror. However, you are not going to look in the mirror for the sole purpose of trying to find all the wrinkles that you've gained, but you'll be looking deep inside yourself to see the things that you've actually accomplished, the people that you've helped, the family that you've given joy to, along with many of the other hopes and joys that you have experienced along the years!

Finding Hope When You're 50!

Hopelessness and helplessness are two feelings of despair which you absolutely do not need to be feeling! As was mentioned, there are many people throughout the world who turn 50 each year and you are absolutely not the only one. If you have a family then you can bet that they'll be wishing you a "Happy Birthday" as well, but maybe you should consider beating them to the punch-line! Here are a few reasons to be happy about your 50th Birthday!

Benefits for Senior Citizens

One thing that may be a fun and cute little perk to enjoy about your 50th birthday is the ability to receive the Senior Citizens' Discount at the many stores and restaurants that offer them. Many stores and businesses appreciate their fellow senior citizens by giving them special discounts up to 10, 15, and even 25% off of the items that they buy! Wait, though: it might not be at age 50 when you are able to receive the Senior Citizen's Discount, but it's sure a fun thing to look forward to!

Retirement!

Depending on what age you are going to retire at, you may be just nearing that retirement stage. There are many people who decide to retire at age 50, but then there are many others who decide to retire a few years after their 50th birthday! In any case, though, your retirement years are just around the corner and you can begin to start thinking and dreaming about all the fun things you'll be doing!

All in all, there is no reason to be depressed and down in the dumps on your 50th birthday! Just by thinking about your 50th birthday as another year on the chalk line should make you happy and relieved! After all, turning 50 is not the end of the world!

When suddenly I am old and I start to wear purple.

My wife is, as was, her mother a Red Hatter and that is a society of women who defy what society thinks of the elderly. and the first verse of the following poem sits on our fridge but I always wondered about the entire poem. Many of you have read it and it has much meaning for many. However, some of the interpretations I have read say that as we age we gain should new freedoms, the chance to show our true selves suppressed by years of professional duty or social decorum.

The dream may be there but it is a myth, we do not change because we reach a certain age. As Joseph points out in the closing lines of the poem: “maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised when suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.

The time to wear purple and be outrageous is when you are younger, if you won’t be outrageous when you are young, you will find it difficult to be that courageous when you are older. Life is an adventure and we are the heroes and heroine of our own adventure, and it is difficult to change our part in our story as we move to the end of our saga. Contriving some entirely new persona in one’s pensionable years feels just as uncomfortable as it looks, so when you are young, create that persona and let them sneak out to surprise people every now and then. So when you are older, this persona can be brought out without everyone around you think that you not right in your head. Let them know the secret you when you are young. If people ask what you are doing tell them,

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple. 

Project Poem

Robert Lee Brewer has a poetry page and every Wednesday he posts a Wednesday Poetry Prompt! On May 3rd his prompt was to write a project poem. He said, “there are so many possible projects: write a book; plant a garden; train for a marathon; build a life-size Godzilla out of ice cream and toppings (and then, eat it!). I mean, this prompt projects a lot of possibilities.” He also posted his Project Poem, building a Patio. My poem is "the Fence" right below Mr. Brewers poem

“the patio”

it took an entire weekend
to dig up the earth & smooth
out the base & place the stones
that weren’t exactly perfectly
level but the three-person
swing held an entire
four-person family
late into Sunday
evening

The Fence

Tearing down was easy, the lumber flew

The posts snapped to attention then fell on cue

Within minutes space occupied where there was a wall

They watched enthralled

As we moved the timber to the truck

And out of sight, soon with any luck

The first post hole soon was dug, the cement poured

Section one completed once we nailed in the boards

Within two hours the fence was completed

Drinking our lemonade we were not feeling cheated.

What project do you have that could be turned into a poem?