Damn computer…In the latter part of July, I worked with Microsoft to correct a minor problem that was annoying but not essential to my ordinary lifestyle.  To correct that, we uninstalled and reinstalled the software.   I wrote this paper in late July and found that I could not post it directly to the web because I did not remember the password I used when I started it six years ago.  Today I had an inspiration and here I am back on the web.  In 1954 could anyone of us imagined what machines would be doing for us today?  Computers, cell phones, GPS.  I think 1984 is here, because with all of the technology, big brother is certainly watching us all the time.  It just have not told us yet.

I started out here today to rejoice that there are no obituaries to post this time.  But it is definitely more somber than I was intending.  I promise to do better next time.

Ruminating on Obituaries…(Not intending to be a morbid treatise)

One of the most frequently asked questions of me when people email is whether anyone has died recently.  Probably as recently as fifteen years ago, I rarely looked at the obituaries, which the local paper now refers to as “Life Tributes.”

We are of that age now where we think about mortality.  Some joke that they read the obits just want to be certain they are included.

Classmates frequently alert me to obituaries for some of our fellow classmates who have passed on. These last several blogs have included obituaries of classmates who are no longer with us.  So today, let’s happily report, No Obituaries!

One thing I have noticed is that far fewer people insert obituaries in the paper than was common in the past.  San Antonio has over a million people living here, but the paper usually has only a handful on weekdays, with maybe twenty or so on Sundays.  I do know that newspapers charge exorbitantly for the space, which is why a trend seems to be to mention the Funeral Home website for a more detailed life synopsis.  Do you remember when newspapers published a list of “Death Notices” which were presumably taken from official records.  It was just the name and date of death as I remember.  Does anyone recall differently?  Similarly, the police blotter listings showed all arrests in town.

Ruminating on Aging…  (Intended to be lighthearted.)

I admit that during my seventies, I tended to not advertise my age, especially in our present neighborhood, where all but six or seven are younger than I. We reach a point where, as Marcia Pittman said, “I can’t believe I am eighty.”

But turning eighty was somewhat liberating.  I occasionally comment with a bit of prided after some accomplishment, “Not bad for an eighty-year-old man”.

And Memory…

As we age we increase our concern about memories.  And we send out all manner of silly and funny things about old folks and memory.  I read something the other day that said that everyone walks into a room and tries to remember why they went in there.  Since that happens to me, it was comforting.  The article then went on to say that there are four things that you can do to keep your memory sharp.  First, do associations for the things you want to remember.  Then if it is a bit complicated, break it down into groups.  I wish I could tell you the other two things, but I forgot them.

And seriously…We all are aging.  Many from our class are above ground, but age is beginning to take its toll one way or another.  I know from correspondence that we have classmates who are having serious memory issues or have been diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer’s.  Some are on oxygen or have mobility issues.  And while I am not aware specifically, I would suspect that we have classmates fighting depression, which is not uncommon as people face the reality how few years remain for us compared to how many we have lived.

In closing… the heat is maybe affecting my brain.  We are flying out tomorrow for Sedona, where it will be a bit cooler.  I hope all are enjoying the summer of 2017.  Actually, because of the delay in publishing mentioned earlier, we are back and it is mid-August.  Great trip we had.