Our interconnected world offers many imaginable connections that can better our common future. Today’s column highlights an extraordinary link which I am privileged to share with KABOOMERs. Thinking of the blog title, I love what NY Times journalist William Safire wrote in November, 1993, lo those many moons ago:
“Rip is a diamond of a word…”
My title is a song by the former Dixie Chicks, yet I’ll shy away from those lyrics and the group’s very recent name change.
I won’t shy away from the etched-in-stone epitaph of comedian Leslie Nielsen. Wait, wait…
Dr. Holley Kelley, a gerontologist, thanatologist and podcaster extraordinaire, invited me to chat for her AGING GREATFULLY episode, to be aired on September 11th, 2020. Time passed far too quickly for me as we delved into important lifelines for getting older without feeling or getting OLD. Lifelines about what a forbear of mine (Ralph Waldo Emerson) labeled “felicities of aging.”
Felicities like: 1. leveraging the power of time, 2. putting one’s “house” in order, 3. a young heart beating under fourscore winters, 4. not counting a person’s years until there is nothing left to count, plus 5. “whoever loves is in no condition old.” Holley also enjoyed my association by name and shirtsleeve relationship with a poet laureate – Robert Frost. This adopted Vermonter had a (ah yup) stoic sense of humor which we chuckled over:
“If predestined to die late…Make up your mind to lie in state.” That should work for me when my partying days are done. I’m just sayin stamininety. Holley liked that compound word Stamina at Ninety (stamininety).
We agreed, as O.W. Holmes offered, “they grow old because they quit playing.”
We spoke of ENCORE acts for Medicare-aged folks like some of you (and me). Keeping the end in mind, we examined several epitaphs, including Leslie Nielsen’s. We only get to die once, so why not leave a legacy? Perhaps Nielsen’s whoopi-cushion humor was meant to honor the wisdom of Holmes.
Laughter is good medicine , even as parting shots!
George Carlin’s? “Gee, he was here a moment ago.”
Rodney Dangerfield’s? “There goes the neighborhood.”
The epitaph of Billy Wilder? “I’m a writer, but then nobody is perfect.” I suppose this works for bloggers and indie authors too.
A few of my podcast takeaways with many thanks to Doctor Holley?
Don’t quit playing. Make your workouts …PLAYouts.
Die late, then let ‘er rip.
Perhaps in a manner different that Mr. Simpson’s audition for a Strength Test, yet let ‘er rip anyway…
KABOOM.
If you are sitting in air-conditioned, “WFH” ambience, why not click over to check the growing list of KABOOMER KOACH interviews and podcasts that I’ve be blessed to experience?
Thanks to my many hosts, like Allan Misner (Forty + Fitness), Frank Samson (BOOMERS TODAY), Josh Koerpel (Firebuilders Live), Dan Nitro Clark, Lunide Louis, PhD (Best Morning Routine Ever) and more. And my big ‘ol country thank you to Holley!
Or subscribe to my quarterly KABOOMgrams?
Let ‘er Rip!
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