Dotage

Thursday night I get to join in celebrating Dr. Arthur Jampolsky's 90th birthday.

He has been friend/mentor for 46 years and he, like me is likely more active/effective than at any time in his life.

Physically, we are both clearly deteriorating in many ways, but we are educted by the process at least as much as we are diminished therefrom.

The propaganda about how the last months of life are sapping the resources of the health care system and placing undue burdens on those who are not yet "retired" ignore our continuing growth and contributions. The notion of old people sitting in rocking chairs and fishing from the river bank are myths/legends and unrelated to what actually happens.

For the 80 years of vivid memories/learning I've been around, there aren't a whole lot of people who fit the stereotypical view of old-old people. It would be a great mistake to accept the resignation of some to the notion that our usefulness deteriorates along with our vision/hearing/balance/mobility.

And at the other end of the age spectrum, we do pretty much the same as we pretend that infants are more sink than source. I learn a lot from younger people - all the way to toddlers.

We are all in this together and I'm as excited to be going to important meetings in Spain/Belgium/Netherlands/France/UK as I've ever been and what I learn (and hopefully teach) will be vectors for the kind of changes that will make us better.

Love.