Old So What

  I had a brilliant idea the other day. But you’ll never see it. Why… Because I didn’t write it down, and forgot it. This has happened annoyingly often to me. That’s why I urge you to keep pen and paper near by both during the day and at night. Don’t lose those pearls of your wisdom.

  Brian Dennehy, an American actor with a beautiful Irish name. To say he was an award winner is to put it mildly with two Tony Awards, An Olivier Award, a Golden Globe and six Emmy nominations. He also had one of the most beautiful, polished speaking voices with a friendly face and manner that made you think, “Here is a nice guy!” Mr. Dennehy died in 2020.   He made over 180 films and performances on stage and television.   And, as very rarely happens, he was a gifted character actor who fit in equally well as a leading man.  

 Here are a few of the words of advice I tell my elderly cousin often. Take your time . When you are rushing to finish a task and your mind is drifting, you are more likely to loose your balance or drop something. Focus on one thing at a time. If you are easily distracted or trying to do too much at once, try to focus on the just one thing at a time. This will lead to better outcomes and less trouble. Tell yourself "good job!" If you don't have someone around to compliment you, then you have to compliment yourself. A simple reminder that you can do something regardless of how simple, will boost your confidence and independence. 

  “You’re killing her.   She’ll get Diabetes…” How did this happen?   I don’t know. I was feeding her as usual.   But something went terribly wrong. Unexpectedly she blew up to monster size.   Gone was that scrawny little creature for whom I had felt so sorry; now, there was this mighty overnight presence. (She was so big that you could almost envision her getting her own food.) I’m killing her, I thought.   I’m killing this little huge creature.   I felt different.   I looked different, like an axe murderer? The whole veterinary office was looking at us as we exited, whispering behind our backs, I was sure. “You have to lose weight,” I said to her at breakfast next morning.    She looked at me solemnly.   She knew I wasn’t saying anything good.   There were no words of food mentioned. “It would help if you’d stop eating your sister’s food as well as your own, and no more 10 AM treats, no more 1 AM treats.   No more gourmet pet meals that cost me a fortune.” Wait, I

  No! What seems to be growth is actually a comparison:   As we age our cheeks and lips lose volume and make everything else look larger. And the fact that gravity makes our noses and ears sag adds to the overall aging effect. But, so what?!   (Unless you’re thinking of entering a beautiful Ears and Nose Contest.)

  If you haven't viewed the movie, “Moonstruck,” it may be because you’re too young to have seen it when it arrived in 1987, because this was a BIG, BIG Movie.   If you travel back to that time, you’ll notice there are no cell phones. Time has stood still in a very good place.   But this is a movie bursting with good things!   Great things, including the director, Norman Jewison. It’s-A-Feel-Good and Leave-The-Theater with a Smile-On-Your-Face Celebration! The cast is topped off with:   Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis, John Mahoney, Danny Aiello and Vincent Gardenia.   Everyone in this production is la crème de la crème. Described as a “Romance/Comedy,” it’s more like a slice of America at a poignant moment, an America very proud of its family traditions and ties to each other.   It gives us just another reason to appreciate our country. Here is a movie as they used to make movies. Alongside the main plot are other stories, and other characters.   The cast and script

  A dermatologist, a famous dermatologist who was about one hundred years old at the time (and whose wife held your hand in case you experienced any discomfort during the procedure), once told me that: itching is actually the lightest form of pain.  

  About 36,000,000 older adults fall every year. Well, this didn’t just happen. And I think that the brain tries to eliminate the memory of pain, but to be honest, it actually wasn’t as painful as I would have expected. Now having said that… After I fell down the cellar steps, not because something in my body snapped or through lack of calcium, but simply because I reached for a banister that wasn’t as long as I thought, and I had at the time lost my sense of balance due to dehydration. I laid there thinking that I hope I could get up again quickly so I could forget the whole unfortunate event.   But no such luck because any movement on my part led to an unexpected sharp pain. I looked up and saw this spider looking back from near the stairs, surveying the scene and looking as if it was considering the possibilities. Before it got too far into its plans, I decided to get up. I couldn’t.   So, sitting up was the next option. No one was coming back to my house for a week. I d