As one gets older there is a tendency to become more aware of the potential
for one's system to malfunction. Naturally the media has picked up this and one
is confronted with an seemingly endless list on helpful articles containing
advice on how to cope with this. The problem with these is that so many of them
seem to concentrate on what might best be described as Terminal Malfunctions,
like strokes, heart attacks and great-grandchildren. I cannot say that these,
with the exception of the last one, are my primary concerns as they are by
definition terminal and as such fall into that most welcome category of problem
classifications - they are an SEP - "Someone Else's Problem". Now an
almost-terminal malfunction that you survive and recover from is another matter
completely.
However what I am getting at here is the minor malfunctions that one lives
with day after day. Presbyopia, short-term memory loss, fleeting loss of balance
and other co-ordination related events. There are preventable problems like
learning not to drink anything after 8pm unless you really want to wake up early
the next morning. But, at the end of the day - or approaching it as slowly as
possible, in my case - you have to work with what you've been left with.
So celebrate your crankiness and wear your coke-bottle lensed glasses with
pride. Until your personal voyage reaches it's final destination you can at least
try to remain the captain of your own ship.
