I’m just a few years younger but I, too, think about some of the things you’ve mentioned. You sound like you’re healthy n have family nearby n are independent. Sounds like you just may make it to 100 but like you said, a quality of life .. at any age. Would make getting older much more worth it. I wish you continued good health n happiness and keep looking forward .. don’t waste time thinking about the past.. keep your positive attitude as it will serve you well . Congratulations!

Your post on turning 80 is wonderful!

Readers something to think about and hope it makes people’s lives a little bit better.

I wish you a lovely birthday and many more. I’m glad you are enjoying life. That’s a blessing at any age.

Is she datable?

the feeling. Sometimes we forget just how much has changed around us that is not "visible" and apparent. I happened to watch a video of a guy reacting to hearing for the first time Joe Cocker at Woodstock. The guy looked to be in his 20's or so. First of all he said the show was at "some place called Woodstock or something". He liked the video and also said that it looked like a lot of people at the concert and so it probably "sold out". He might even think this was just a Joe Cocker concert. No frame of reference. The same kind of thing happens if you talk about beat poetry/music/beatniks. Over half the population thinks Dr. Dre when we say that. No frame of reference about Vietnam, the Draft, open housing fights, freedom riders, J. Edgar, getting kicked out of school for long hair and all the rest. Kent State to them is just a small college in Ohio. Look how many today holler free speech but know nothing of Berkeley. House Un-American Activities Committee is nothing to them. Much of what I've said is perhaps just a generational passing sort of thing but the last 75 years have been about fighting for social change and improvement and if over half the country is more or less ignorant of the major things we went through and events of the time then we have some of the answers for why voter turnout for the under 40 crowd is tough. There are other reasons as well but I never expected that at my age and after all these years I would have people in their 20's and 30's having to ask "Who is this Bob Dylan guy people are talking about?" Yes I know that many young people are very involved and active etc. but my comments are mainly about how such major events of a generation can be so unknown to the next.

Remember girls getting kicked out of school for wearing pants? Remember being told you would never be an airline pilot. Remember when getting pregnant was a death sentence. Oh wait that’s now

and I've commented before about people needing to remember girls being humiliated in front of their classmates when teachers and principals would make a big deal about their skirt being shorter than "allowed". This is where the GQP wants to take us back to..

think about that girls/ women had hopes,

fears and challenges of getting through live like I do. I try to listen to other people without judgement and recognize we are all going through it, but differently.

Too much history in the allowed, four years.


And we look at events like Woodstock, the three assignations in the 60’s. These were events that shaped our lives.

And..,
I can imagine my grandparents, wondering why we didn’t know about the battleship Maine. We were supposed to remember that throughout our history.

Or the Red Scare of the ‘20’s… the 1920’s, not 2020’s.

🥂

And hope it enriches lives.

so don’t give up hope… many, many women in your age group would be delighted to find you, especially as socially aware as you are (not to mention great health, apparently!)

Wishing you more joy than you expect this year. Happy birthday.

Two of my five siblings (I'm one of six) have died. I have two brothers, both in less than wonderful health, and a sister left. Sis and I will probably outlive the brothers, and at some point only one of us will be left. That will be weird.

Meanwhile, not that you need any advice from me, do make friends with younger people. I've been reasonably good at that, and hope to continue.

They mostly kept to themselves. Seldom went out of the house. I don't recall ever talking to any of the three.

Then one died.

The day after the funeral, somebody knocked on the door. No answer. Police called.

The two remaining brothers were dead, embracing each other.

That's what I am wondering.. who will I outlive?

Although perhaps the brothers were glad to more or less all go at the same time.

I honestly expect I'll be the last one alive. No guarantees, of course.

My very best friend in the whole world is a man who is 11 months older than I am. His health is currently quite good, so he probably has a decade or so more. Eventually, one of us will go on to whatever else there is. If he goes first I know I will spend the rest of my life missing him.

I personally have a very strong belief in an afterlife, and trust me, I'm not about to try to convince you to believe the same. But for me, it provides a solace and a comfort.