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 The Woodward family is to receive $150,000 in exchange for dropping their civil suit against Brattleboro, paid for from the town's insurance policy. They will use the money to start a foundation to benefit the elderly and disabled.
Though I'm not that old, I have to say that for the last time in my life, I am becoming the person I have somewhat wanted to be. As I've aged, I've become less kind to myself. I am sometimes sentimental, sometimes senile, but some of life is just as well never forgotten even though I eventually forget the important things. I am cursed to have lived long enough to have less hair left to turn gray than ever before and to have my youthful laughs forever etched into deep grooves on my neck. So many have never laughed. So many have died, and I'm still around to note the passing of each one. As I get older, it's harder to be positive. Unlike young people, I stop caring about what other people think, and I constantly question myself. I've never earned the right to be wrong so I dislike growing old and that is setting me free.
Younger people wonder why older people are still driving and having a good time as if they're the only ones entitled to crash the car into a Starbuck's. Yes, it's true you mostly hear on the news only negative stories about older drivers. Maybe the media portrays older people as dumb and stupid, but they portray liberals the same way so at least they're in good company. The commercials on TV with older people always portray them as lost, deaf, and stupid and young people as confident and cool, but at least the elderly don't all dress alike. The media doesn't need to change their attitude toward older people. Why? Because the media is shallow and self-conscious and a whore for advertising. We are not all feeble and stupid, we aren't all hooked on Maalox Plus non-flatulent, non-constipating antacid. We simply don't consume as rabidly as children under 25 years old do. Yes, sometimes we may wander into some potentially dangerous situations, but at least we all don't die typically as a result.
They say that growing old in America can be lonely and isolating. But it depends on the paths you take and better to be on a quiet path that few dare travel than one familiar and filled with bands of teenagers. If you're young, you tend to be too frightened to stand out and be different so you tend to take the beaten path. Today's younger, more affluent parents like boring children that go to Duke or Princeton. But beaten paths are for beaten people.
Let's hope the elderly don't need to be running to the Robert Woodward Center for care and for support. Maybe the elderly have something to teach us, something of value that we can learn? Something that we can depend on them for rather than the always the other way around.
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Guido Condosta lied last year at 93. He was a fiercely principled, radical pacifist who, when they wanted to draft him during WW II said: "You can put a gun in my hand, but you cannot make me fire it."
The last time I saw him at a public meeting, was at the Vermont Yankee dry cask hearings, a few months before Guido died. At those hearings, our Progressive representatives, were running around warning people that if we would applaud or show any actual, human feelings; our legislative masters would take offense, and then -- because of us -- they would give Entergy everything they wanted. (In other words, we were supposed to be mesmerized in awe of the notion that the state legislators are so irresponsible, that, rather than protect the community based on solid information and evidence; they would sell us out because they were pissed off that people had applauded.)
During the public comments, Guido was recognized. Addressing the legislators, in no uncertain terms, he reminded them that we are not their underlings, but that they are our servants. He admonished them not to forget whom it is that they are serving. When he was done, I felt that it was probably my last chance to express my respect for him, and so I ignored the solemn warnings of my Progressive state senator, as did a large portion of the assembled, and we gave Guido an long and loud ovation. I am glad that we did. With the help of our Progressive protectors, we ended up with a "compromise" allowing Entergy to continue to accumulate nuclear waste on site. The results would have been no different if we had dutifully sat there like potatos.
Recently, at a BMH lecture, cardiologist Michael R. Cohan got very upset because some of us "potatos" actually had the audacity to ask questions. He wanted to give his prepared lecture as though he were reciting for a video, without (mentally) alive people present. I guess we were just supposed to be there to provide an audience, for effect. The questions were sound and reasonable. There were about 20 people present, about 15 were passive, but 5 people (the youngest of whom was about 50) insisted on asking questions, some of them challenging questions.
There was one couple, who said they were in their 80s, who were very well informed, and who would not allow the good doctor to make mistatements. At one point, when Dr. Cohan showed a slide with big, letters which said: "Your medicines are your friends," The woman (who said she is 82 years old) raised her hand, and said: "I think that when you say 'medicines,' you mean pharmaceuticals." Another woman made the point that you should always ask a doctor who is pushing pharmaceuticals whether he is receiving any incentives from the drug companies. We all waited to see whether Dr. Cohan would deny that he receives awards; but he was silent.
There are two reasons why an older person is in a strong position to demand straight talk:
1. Our age (particularly if we have some grey hair) somehow, gives us credibility. It was clear that Dr. Cohan wanted very much to dismiss the 5 of us as irresponsible upstarts. But, it is really difficult to discredit someone who is in their 80s as an irresponsible youth.
2. By the time you have reached a certain age, gone through tragedies, survived life-threatening situations; you may have developed a "to-hell-with-everything-but-the-music" attitude, which allows you to speak in a direct way. I think this is something Linaolin was referring to. Part of that attitude is a depersonalizing of the issues, so that you may be less likely to be trapped into personality conflicts, and more able to speak plainly about the issue itself.
Linaolin mentioned the depressing effect of understanding too well the gravity of the current situation. I do not really know what to say about that. It may just be that it is necessary to cultivate a dual perspective: Being completely honest with oneself about reality, while at the same time creating optimistic illusions simply because one has to function and survive.
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Every Day Is A Good Day! (well...mostly)