Aging

There is a place I order books from.  If I order over $100 worth, delivery is free.  Merril and I combine orders to get it over that mark.  Most of the books I wanted were listed as ones they could get, but they did not have.  As we are going on holidays on Monday most will come in our absence.  We have someone looking after the place.
We like to take 2 weeks of 2 weeks per year.  This time we are heading down the coast.  For a number of years, it was up the coast.  Wherever we go our aim is to veg.  We spend a bit of time reading.  We will take some fishing lines with us but if it is anything like of late, I do not anticipate catching much.   I imagine we will also check out a few shopping centres.
One book that did arrive yesterday I intend taking on holidays with us.  It is simply called “Aging.”  That is a bit of a bent of mine.  Ads seem to be a bit unrealistic when it comes to aging.  It is depicted as a time of putting the feet up or the golden years.
To me for sure retiring has its advantages, and it would be great if the growing old did not go with it.  But it does.  I reckon we are in denial as a society.  We are told not to talk about death or taxes.  While it should not be an obsessive conversation piece, I think we do ourselves an injustice if we come into it unprepared.
It is a fact that weak bones, tiredness, dementia, loneliness and susceptibility go with getting older. Also, “personal resolve and positive attitudes cannot rescue the aging from systemic injustices that make their last years of life anything but golden.” (Aging – Will Willimon)
I have only just started the book, but I have highlighted a few things said already.  I thought him saying “we are everyone’s future, whether they want to face it or not” was spot on.
For sure it is not all bad news and the freeing up of time means I have time for things I may not have had in the past.  To me it is a case of coming into it prepared.  Just yesterday I wondered if the way I felt had to do with my getting older or slackness on my part.
To me that sort of thing is important to know.  I therefore intend to find out what I can.