Old Age Isn't a Deal Breaker

My stove is an eyesore.

There. I said it.

This baby has boo boo's that I've tried to fix with metal repair paint. Alas, it turns out there are varying hues of this magical goo, and I unfortunately chose the wrong one. 

My range is an electric model, and it's well over 20 years old. Like anything of such an accomplished vintage, this workhorse has needed a replacement here and there. I've changed up the drip pans on more than one occasion, and the latest batch has the coils sitting ever so slightly askew. 

End result? Things are a bit tilted in the making – but the final product is still more than respectable.

Similarly, the desktop on which I’m composing this piece just celebrated its sixth birthday. If we were talking about a child, we’d say he was just beginning his journey. When electronics – especially ones that get as much wear and tear as computers – hit this kind of milestone, the word Neanderthal springs to mind.

At the risk of jinxing my good fortune, I must pat this thing on the back (make that motherboard) and declare it an Energizer Bunny that gets the job done.

Don’t misunderstand me. We have limitations. The monitor predates the tower, so it’s lacking in some areas. For instance, Zoom meetings are rather quiet on my end due to the lack of a microphone. A few letters on the keyboard are indistinct or even rubbed off altogether – again, a sign of age but, heck, my fingers know where “L” is supposed to be, so we soldier on.

Some would assert that I ought to just scrap my old dinosaurs and start fresh. Out with the old, in with the new. The thing is – well, truth be told, there are a few things preventing such an ageist approach. First, there’s the “they don’t make ’em like they used to” factor. For instance, I’ve researched kitchen ranges and find them long on expense and short on durability and lifespan. Secondly, I HATE – in the strongest sense of the word – the process of researching, price shopping, arranging delivery, and generally all things connected with replacing worn out stuff with newer but soon-to-be-worn-out stuff. When dealing with computers, let’s not forget the utter joys of setting up the system and transferring files.

Who needs it?

The bottom line is, when it comes to appliances and electronics, I limp along for as long as I can and replace when I must.

This isn’t such a bad strategy, all things considered. For one thing, it’s great practice for getting older. Let’s face it: time marches on, time waits for no man – pick your idiom. However we choose to phrase it, none of us is getting any younger, so we may as well find some way to cope with the changes. True, our bodies benefit from new parts from time to time, but not one of us can boast a full body or mind transplant. This is one of many reasons I can’t support the gender transitioning phenomenon sweeping our nation, but I digress.

Since we don’t have the luxury of throwing away the aging models God gave us, we simply have to manage them.

This brings me to why I trekked over to the Blue Church in Springfield recently. This faithful organization has an absolutely mind-blowing ministry called the Caring Hearts Lending Closet. Let me share the shout-out I gave them on Facebook:

Amazing staff and stuff! I never saw such a huge array of expensive freebies! Karin was prompt in responding to my email questions about availability and times. Catherine fed and watered me while I waited for my turn at bat (which, by the way, was only minutes). You heard right. Not only are they collecting, inventorying and distributing FREE medical supplies, but they hand out breakfast to boot. PT Maura Tehrani Henderson donated her time to show me how to size and properly use the items I was taking home. As if all this weren't enough, another volunteer whose name I didn't catch schlepped my "winnings" out to my car and loaded them in. This is truly a grand ministry, and I walked away feeling completely blessed.

I visited this community event because some of my parts are working less than optimally. Since I’m very interested in preserving function (see above), I thought it best to grab some equipment in hopes of shoring up the old gal.

The Bible offers many insights into the aging process. In fact, this timeless book has scads of passages about the wonders of growing old, and the wisdom which often accompanies that process. Scouring my own website, I find I’ve written extensively on this subject, even referencing the old stove (same one) which catapulted this article.

Can one bring suit against oneself for plagiarism?

Nah. Let’s consider this an update and leave it at that.

Case in point. My prayer partner and I enjoy ministering to a small elderly population at a local nursing home. One of our “ladies,” as we fondly refer to our geriatric buddies, has quite the sense of humor. At 92 years young, this dear woman has more than her fair share of ailments. Once, while battling a cold, she quipped that she planned to get rid of the cough by cutting her throat! Another time, instead of complaining about ongoing GI troubles, she joked about them thusly: “That tenant down there – he’s been given an eviction notice but he won’t leave!” And I’d be remiss if I failed to quote the time when she was discussing a 78-year-old acquaintance. She interrupted her story and sighed, “Oh, to be 78 again!”

This lady is not only a riot, she’s as sharp as the proverbial tack. I recently “assisted” her in e-mailing government officials regarding an issue about which she was concerned. In my authorial hubris, I wrongly assumed I’d be doing most of the writing and she would merely sign off on the correspondence. Imagine my surprise when this nonagenarian rattled off exactly what she wanted to say succinctly and articulately. Not only that – she didn’t agonize over word choice or endlessly edit, as I’m prone to do.

A lesson learned…

It’s time to wrap this up. I started this article a couple of months ago, and it’s been lollygagging listlessly on my hard drive ever since. Some pieces come effortlessly and can be knocked out in an hour; others, not so much.

I guess what I really want to say is how important it is to recognize the beauty in all stages of life. With youth comes energy and verve; as the years creep by (make that speed by), we lose some of our stamina but gain perspective. For example, I felt very self-conscious telling my bosses I would be hobbling into work with a cane for the foreseeable future. The funny thing was, no one else seemed to give much of a hoot. Oh, everyone was sympathetic and concerned, but I quickly realized my colleagues and students were going to take their cues from me as to how to react to the change. If I acted like an invalid, moaning and groaning, we would all feel awkward. If I treated it like the practical, sensible strategy it is (as an educator, I sought and implemented practical, sensible strategies with students during my entire career), we could all move on without any fuss. Interestingly, after I got over the emotional discomfort of using the cane, it became a trusted friend, made more so because it had belonged to my dad. Thankfully, as my doctor predicted, eventually the cane became unnecessary, and simply resided in my locker “just in case”. 

The goal, it would seem, is to keep whatever function we have while adapting gracefully to what we’re losing.

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." 

                                                                 - Psalm 92:12-15