If you believe that the life of an old guy with sight problems has to be boring, you would be dead wrong. It is anything but boring.
I will admit that I am not the typical 90-year-old. Here’s a quick look at my weekly schedule:
- An early morning swim and exercise at the Kroc Center two days a week. This is preceded by a couple of hours of conversation with friends, followed by breakfast.
- Every Wednesday morning I have breakfast with the “Deplorable” guys. We share plenty of conversation with some new ideas but more political.
- Early Saturday morning brings talk and coffee with the gang at McDonald’s on Sunset Avenue in Suisun City, followed by some shopping.
- My doctor’s appointment is on Thursday, preceded by Tuesday lab work.
- In between all of this, I research and write a couple of columns. Work on my Liberia reading project – all equipment and curriculum have been ordered, shipped and paid for. Work on getting the reading achievement rewards (Beanie Babies). Prepare for help and communications to get the program off the ground. Plus, respond to invitations and questions that come up.
- Nap, nap, nap when I can.
- Most other days I have breakfast and supper with friends at the Terrace. There is lots of conversation and exchange of ideas.
- Meet with The Tax Watchers group the second Friday of each month for lunch. (All activity seems to be around meals. It’s hard not to become fat.)
For me, every day is, or can be, an adventure; a day of discovery of the many exciting and interesting things we don’t know. The complete history of the world is available on the internet. We can’t know everything but we can find out almost everything about one or more topics.
My friend J.L. is interested in railroads and trains, especially here in America. He knows more about that subject than anyone I know. He has replicas of most of the equipment. Someone else knows about wines. Someone else knows about stamps or cars or planes from other eras.
I’m into a lot of things. When I run across something I’m not certain about or uncomfortable with, I look it up. A lot of times the answers I find have no relationship to what I believed they would. In the process of searching, I frequently stumble onto things really new (for me).
No, my life sure isn’t boring.
Even when writing, I sometimes worry over just the right way to say something, the right meaning in the right context.
I’m looking forward to spending a week at the Northern California Veterans Affairs Western Blind Rehabilitation Center in Menlo Park.
I have three objectives. First, to master the Dragon voice-to-text program. I will be able to dictate my columns. Second, to learn how to use an iPad. Finally, to learn Braille so that I will always be able to read even if I am not able to see at all.
Murray Bass of Fairfield can be reached at 720-5139 or [email protected].
Related
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
