Stereotypes of aging are everywhere:  newspapers, magazines, movies,  TV shows, and those insulting, mock-humorous birthday cards for sale in most drug stores.

For those of us over 50 or 60, hardly a day goes by that we don’t encounter assumptions about our presumed decline and decay. We’re over the hill, we can’t learn new things, and before long we won’t even remember the things we used to know.

I get that a lot of this stereotyping comes from denial of aging, a fear of confronting one’s own mortality. I also get that younger people often condescend to people over 50 or 60 with the utterly mistaken idea that they’re somehow being nice.

They refer admiringly to a grandfather who “still” climbs mountains or rides a Harley or jumps from airplanes even when the engine’s not on fire.

As discussed in his TED talk, Dr. Bill Thomas, suggests that it does not occur to the younger person that he values his grandfather to the extent that the old man engages in activities associated with youth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijbgcX3vIWs

Recently, I came upon a twist on this attitude in an appalling concert review which appeared in the Seattle Times. This is how the author, Charles R. Cross, began:

Patti Smith is 66 years old, but at the Neptune Theatre Wednesday night she put on a vibrant and energetic performance that one would expect from someone 50 years her junior.

Mr. Cross’ review went on in that vein with four more sentences describing what a wonderful concert is was, followed by the word but and apparent astonishment that any one as old as Patti Smith could put on such a great show.

At one point, he also referred to her “…surprising awareness of the pop-culture mainstream.”

It occurs to me that the reviewer may actually have though he was complimenting the performer. If one strips away the the ageist language, he is saying that Patti Smith was vibrant and energetic and that her voice has never sounded better. Why not just leave it at that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5HYHnhbKlU

I love the way she shakes out her hair as she begins to sing. What do you think?

Editor’s Note:  This is an update of a post which was originally published in February, 2012. I’ve clarified discussion of the vaccine for tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis, based on my own experience.

We often think of vaccinations as being for children, but grown-ups need them too.

Do you know which ones you need? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has an excellent on-line tool to answer this question, based on your age, any chronic health conditions you have, and other factors.

When I took the quiz, the essential vaccinations for me were the four listed below.

Why are these vaccinations essential?

Seasonal flu vaccine is recommended for all adolescents and adults because the flu can be deadly. The flu virus mutates so rapidly that every year a new vaccine must be produced.

Pneumococcal vaccine protects against bacterial infections of the lungs (pneumonia), the blood (bacteremia), and the covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

A single dose is recommended for everyone age 65 or older and for younger people with a chronic illness or other risk factors. According to the CDC, pneumococcal disease causes more than 6,000 deaths per year in the U.S., and more than half are adults who should have been vaccinated.

Shingles vaccine prevents a very painful reactivation of chicken-pox viruses, lurking beneath the skin. Everyone over 60 should get the virus— although in my experience—getting it was not easy.

Tdap vaccine protects against tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis—all of which are caused by bacteria.

*** tetanus (sometimes called lockjaw) is caused by toxin-producing spores of a bacterium named Clostridium tetani. (It’s a relative of  Clostridium botulinum which causes food poisoning from damaged or inadequately-processed canned goods. And from which botox is produced.)

The spores occur in soil and in the intestines of animals and humans. People can be infected with tetanus by puncture wounds, animal bites, abrasions, surgery, or burns.

The disease causes painful tightening of the muscles and can cause “locking” of the jaw, so that the victim cannot open his mouth or swallow. Between 40-60 cases are reported every year in the U.S. , and 30% of those who are infected die.

*** diphtheria is a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract. It’s now rare in the U.S. and Europe but hightly contagious and potentially fatal. Those at highest risk of death are children under 5 and adults over 49.

***pertussis is commonly called whooping cough because babies and young children with the disease have severe coughing spells which make it hard for them to breathe. When they finally do breathe in, there’s often a loud  “whooping” sound.

Keeping track of your vaccinations

Once I knew what vaccinations I needed, I used this table to keep track of (1) which ones I’d had, (2) the date and place I’d had them, and (3) whether and when I’d need another vaccination.

[1]  In my personal records, I included the name, address, and phone number of my primary care physician or the pharmacy where I got each vaccine.  All vaccines but the last one were given in Maryland. In July, 2012, I moved back to Washington state—a fact which turned out to be significant, as discussed below.

[2] This is the the vaccine I actually got, not the one I thought I got, as explained in the section below.

Staying current with vaccinations

Once you’ve had your essential vaccinations, it gets simpler. For me—and probably most of you—it’s just a flu shot every year as soon as the seasonal vaccine becomes available and a booster shot for tetanus and diptheria every 10 years.

Flu vaccine

The reason to get your annual flu vaccine as soon as the next fall/winter seasonal vaccine is available is that the flu season may come later than usual, as happened in parts of the country last year. Or it may come earlier and strike unvaccinated people earlier and much more severely than usual, as is happening this year.

Tdap vaccine

This one turned out to be a bit tricky for me. Several months after returning to Seattle in July, 2012, I developed a bad, hacking cough. Because the US experienced an epidemic of whooping cough in 2012, with more than 3,000 cases through July 14 in Washington state alone, I was concerned that I might had contracted whooping cough.

Was that possible, and, if so, how could it happen? After all I thought I had the Tdap vaccine in Maryland at the end of June. Here’s what I learned from my follow-up investigation and a visit to my primary care physician’s office in Seattle:

• The information about Tdap – Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis on the CDC website is confusing and incomplete, starting with the use of the word “booster” in the first sentence:

You need one booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine if it has been 10 years or more since your last tetanus and diphtheria booster.

• The information on the website of the Immunization Action Coalition, on the other hand, is completely clear.

All adults should receive a one-time dose of Tdap as soon as feasible. Then, subsequent booster doses of Td should be given every ten years. Adolescents and adults who have recently received Td vaccine can be given Tdap without any waiting period.

• The vaccination I received in Maryland was not Tdap, as I’d thought. It was Td— tetanus and diptheria only.
• In fact, I don’t know whether I’ve ever been vaccinated for pertussis.
• I did have a very bad cough that was going around in the Seattle area, but it turned out not to be whooping cough.
• I still need to get a one-time Tdap vaccine to protect myself and others. There’s no waiting period after getting a Td vaccine.
• I should get a Td booster every ten years after that.

What about you? Do you know your essential vaccinations? Have you talked to your doctor about which vaccinations you need? Have you had them yet? Do you keep a record of which vaccinations you’ve had, when you had them, and where? And do you keep that record in a safe place, such as, well, a safe?

On November 27, 2012, Glen Campbell’s Goodbye Tour came to Seattle’s Paramount Theatre.

In a Seattle Times review, Tom Keogh wrote of the mixed emotions created by the performance, saying

“One of the last concerts remaining on Campbell’s long-running Goodby Tour, which the 76-year-old musician launched last year after announcing he suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, the Seattle show underscored the beloved artist’s strengths as a consummate crossover musician since the 1950′s.”

The reviewer went on to say that ”…the ravages of Alzheimer’s were very much in evidence” but also that

For the most part, Campbell’s voice was in fine and moving form, still stirring in the higher registers. But his guitar virtuosity was the knockout. The former session ace for Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys, who later brought expressive haunting colors to his own recordings, was very much in evidence.

In the video below, Glen and his family talk about his legendary career (the good times and the bad), his diagnosis with  Alzheimer’s disease, and their  unprecedented decision to share the diagnosis openly. Glen’s extraordinarily supportive family also talk about how they are coping as his condition worsens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6J99mWFqMU

The Goodbye Tour has held over 120 concerts so far this year. In Phoenix Glen sang It’s Only Make Believe, which became his first No. 1 Gold Record (in 1970). As he begins to sing, he imitates Elvis and gets a laugh from the audience. But then he sings it straight from the heart. With power and feeling. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZQWUIR-B2M

And, finally, one last video—Glen Campbell and Ray Charles together on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour singing Cryin’ Time. No matter how many times I listen, I can’t help tearing up. How about you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0ULkUzRCSs

I applaud the Campbell family’s courageous decision to go public about Glen’s diagnosis and to support him musically and emotionally in his Goodbye Tour.  What do you think?  I’d love to hear your comments.

Photo of Glen Campbell and daughter Ashley in Phoenix on the Goodbye Tour taken by David Kadlubowski of The Arizona Republic

The Olympic Games in London were inspiring, thrilling, dazzling.

How exciting it was to watch the best runners, gymnasts, cyclists, swimmers, and other athletes in the world compete for a medal.  And that thrilling moment when the top three in an event stepped on the podium to accept their medals. 

A Bronze medal for the third-place winner, a Silver for second- place. And, as the national anthem of the first-place winner played, he or she came forward to accept a Gold medal.

You too can earn a Gold medal

It’s exciting to think of, but not impossible. You can earn a Bronze and a Silver and a Gold medal by participating in the Presidents Challenge physical activity program at http://www.PresidentsChallenge.org

True, there won’t be any wildly cheering crowds, no stirring national anthem in the background, no one to hand you your medal. But you can commit to go for the Gold and then work for it day-after-day, month-after-month, year-after-year.

And by the time you earn it, you’ll be healthier and stronger (and probably thinner). You’ll have cut your risk of a heart attack or a stroke or of getting Type II diabetes. If you have Type II diabetes (as I do), you’ll help prevent long-term damage to your eyes, kidneys, feet, and legs.

How I earned not one, but two, gold medals

I earned them by participating in the President’s Challenge. And they don’t call it a Challenge for nothing. It wasn’t always easy.

For one thing, I was living in Seattle, and the weather was a factor. No, not rain. Snow—lots of snow in a hilly city which seldom gets any. Snow which turned to ice and made even walking treacherous.

I kept at it though—sometimes using a mini trampoline indoors. I piled up points by doing various exercises and logging them on the President’s Challenge website.

I earned a Bronze, a Silver, and finally, a total of 80,000 points for Gold Medal Number One. And I was as excited as a little kid when a FedEx truck stopped in front of my house one day to deliver my Gold medal.

Then I had to do it over

My excitement turned to dismay, though, when I learned that I’d only just begun the President’s Challenge. After the Gold was a Platinum medal which would require earning 340,00 more points.

And that wasn’t all. The Challenge got still more challenging. They pushed the goal posts way back.

Now I needed twice as many points for a Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum medal. (Actually, I had enough for the Bronze and Silver but needed to re-earn a Gold medal.)

Gold Medal Number Two

After moving from Seattle to Maryland in the middle of record-breaking snow storms in the east, I got back with the program.

Erratically at first and then enthusiastically, I began walking along Chesapeake Bay, enjoying watching the graceful black vultures, great blue herons, and even brown pelicans.

My persistence paid off. I’ve earned my second Gold medal, and now—back in Seattle—I’m going for the Platinum. If I rack up another 822,000-plus points, the Platinum medal is mine.

If I don’t pick up the pace, I figure it will take about nine years. So I definitely need a plan.

How about you? What’s your favorite physical activity? Do you do it regularly? Do you exercise indoors or outdoors or does it depend on the weather? How do you stay motivated to exercise? Do you have any suggestions for more intense exercise I could try? I’d love to get your comments or suggestions.

photo by jp_photo_online

Over the course of my life, I’ve moved across the US from coast to coast no fewer than seven times.

Move 6 in January, 2010 was prompted by my partner The Engineer accepting a term appointment at the Pax River Naval Air Station in southern Maryland. Move 7 in July, 2012, was coming back to Seattle.

Both involved transporting a houseful of furniture; a car; a truck; over 1,000 books and other documents; computers, printers, and related equipment as well as The Engineer, an aging cat, and me.

Now that we’re back and mostly settled in, The Engineer and I are in absolute agreement that we never want to do this again. And after two moves in 2 1/2 years, we have our reasons.

Moving is a logistical nightmare

1. It takes an enormous amount of planning and coordination.  A few examples of what we had to do:

• Notify post offices in Lexington Park, MD and Seattle, WA of our change of address and make arrangements to get keys for our mailbox in the stand of mailboxes across the street.
• Submit a change of address or other contact information to various websites;
• Complete various dental procedures before the move;
• Make changes to the homeowners insurance policy to reflect tenants leaving and our returning.  

2. Even Puddy The Cat needed documentation that she was current on her vaccinations and healthy enough to travel. She was, but I needed to have her examined at the local animal hospital in Maryland to obtain the required documentation. And that meant making sure we had the document in hand when the three of us checked in at Reagan National Airport.

3.  As it turned out, Puddy had an easier time with airport security than I did. The TSA agent questioned my photo ID, a still-valid Nexus card issued by the U.S. government. He said he’d  never seen one like that before. And while he didn’t actually decline it, he did ask whether I had “another piece of identification” which I did.

The greater the distance, the harder the move (and the higher the cost)

4. Even though The Engineer and I each had valid driver’s licenses, we each had to apply for a Washington State driver’s license within 30 days of our move. And to get new license plates for our vehicles. At two different locations.

To do that we had to produce the vehicle registrations which meant that we had to plan ahead to carry those documents on the airplane with us rather than packing them in a box that went in the moving van which  would reach Seattle some weeks after we did.

5. And it fact, the van hauling our furniture, dishes and kitchen wares, computers, and various other essentials  did not arrive until nearly two weeks after we did. Our challenge was to function in a nearly empty house.

We developed coping strategies, such as eating out a lot, sometimes asking for take-out boxes for left-overs and reheating them the next day in a borrowed mini-microwave on microwaveable coated-paper plates.

6. During this time, we also slept on an air mattress. Getting up during the night or early in the morning to pee was quite awkward for both of us aging humans, but Puddy had no problem with it.  

Murphy’s law (that things which can go wrong will go wrong) was in full force

7. Sometimes we ran into glitches when trying to do the simplest thing. One  particularly frustrating example involved getting the mailbox keys mentioned above. 

We went to the Post Office, paid for the keys (in cash since the PO couldn’t accept credit cards or online payments);  got a receipt; and picked up the mail that had been held for us. A few days later, we went back to get the keys and were told to come back in a day or two.

 Altogether we went back about five times and finally learned that the PO had no record of our payment for a key. They said we should come back with our receipt. But we couldn’t find it amidst the pile of move-related papers piling up on a kitchen counter.

Finally, the woman who delivered mail to the boxes across the street knocked on our door and handed me our keys.  Apparently, the bureaucrats at the PO had finally found their misplaced record of our payment. And had cleverly sent the keys to be delivered to our mailbox—which we could not open up without a key.

And now for the good news

The weather in Seattle  has been wonderful, we’re mostly settled in, and we’re back to work and to taking long walks on the scenic Burke-Gilman Trail. Puddy seems happy to be back and is spending most of her time outside, coming in only to eat or to use her litter box.

How about you? Do you think you’ll ever move again? Or are you undecided? Do you have any suggestions for making it easier or less stressful? I welcome your comments.

photo by patleahy

Listening to John Fogerty sing still gives me goosebumps. Here John (now 67) performs “The Midnight Special” at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2008 to a huge and wildly enthusiastic audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSoc0WZuc_Q

And here he sings “Cotton Fields” before a large crowd in Koln, Germany on Juy 9, 2010. I love the part at 1:28 where he signals to the young  fiddle player to “take it.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pRYg3s2EAs

A change of pace as Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, both 71, perform together in Madison Square Garden in New York in October, 2009. Paul’s long lead-in to “Sounds of Silence” and the look between the two as they begin to sing brings tears to my eyes. Every single time I watch it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHlXoxSUPQ0

Bob Seger, now 67,  and the Silver Bullet Band is another group that really rocks. Here they play “Roll Me Away” at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts on November 29, 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzAR31Ff8bg

And, finally, Bob Seger with a surprise guest, Bruce Springsteen, 63, at a concert in Madison Square Garden on December 1, 2011. And what more appropriate song for these two fabulous rockers than “Old Time Rock and Rock.”  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z80fYawnWs0

What comes through in these performances is passion for the music, energy, and the sheer joy of  performing. Joy that is infectious and quite irresistible, joy not diminished by age.

Who are your favorite rockers over 60 or 70? How do some rockers manage to survive the temptations of a performer’s lifestyle and continue to do wonderful work in their 60s and 70s? I’d love to have your comments. 

Meets with Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Meredov

Hillary Clinton is one hard-working, globe-trotting Secretary of State. Since taking office, she’s  traveled an astonishing 809,180 miles—the equivalent of circling planet Earth 32 times.

Her most recent trip (May 3 through May 8) was to China, Bangladesh, and India. April 13 through April 19, she was in Columbia, Brazil, Belgium, and France. Before that it was Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and before that, the U.K., Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.

She’s traveled to Somalia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and many other countries to discuss a litany of world challenges, including human rights violations, trade and economic issues, climate change, counter-terrorism, and trafficking in human beings, aka the “sex trade.”

You can see a fascinating interactive map and details  of all her trips here. 

With UK Prime Minister David Cameron, addressing session on US-UK relations

So it was disturbing to see recent online posts criticizing her appearance: her hair pulled back in a scrunchie, her face devoid of makeup, other than lipstick, and wearing glasses. Wearing glasses—what was she thinking?

Will we ever get beyond placing so much attention on a woman’s hair and makeup? What about her intelligence and energy and talent and passion for public service? All of which Hillary Clinton clearly has in abundance.

Meeting with Pakistani Foreigh Minister Hina Rabbini

And not that it has even the slightest significance —but take a look at this picture of the Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. I think Hillary Clinton looks terrific.

While we’re at it, do we expect our male Secretaries of State to pay particular attention to their appearance?  I don’t recall the media or the general public criticizing Secretary of State Dean Rusk or Henry Kissinger or George Schultz or Warren Christoper or Colin Powell for their appearance? Or even commenting on it at all? Or even noticing it at all?

What do you think? In terms of women in the public eye, do we pay far too much attention to the way they look? Should the media criticize a person for appearing “tired,” when jet-lag is an occupational hazard of her job? If her work is exhausting, is she somehow obliged to use lots of makeup to cover it up? Does that even work? I’d love to hear your opinion.

It’s spring, and temperatures are rising.

Cherry trees and apple trees and magnolias are covered with blossoms. Migratory birds are busy courting and building nests.

So why on earth is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control urging you to get an annual flu shot now—just because you didn’t get around to it last fall? Hasn’t the flu season come and gone? Shouldn’t you just wait until next season?

The short answer is “no” and here’s why:

*** In 2011, winter was warmer and milder than usual, so the flu season will be later than usual. Maybe as late as into May.

*** Flu is a serious disease which can drag on for weeks, causing fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue, headache, and muscle ache.

*** Those most vulnerable include people over 50 and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions.

****  Flu can be prevented with a seasonal vaccine. This season’s vaccine protects against  two strains of influenza A, namely H1N1 (or swine flu) and H3N2. It also protects against influenza B.

*** And the most important reason not to wait til next year is that the flu virus can weaken and damage the lungs, making a person susceptible to a deadly  bacterial infection. And that’s exactly what happened to members of a Maryland family in March, 2012. 

Flu-related deaths in the Blake family

According to the Washington Post, four memers of the Calvert County family stricken by flu complications had the same H3N2 strain of the influenza A virus, Maryland health officials said Friday.

Lou Ruth Blake, 81, died at home March 1, and two of her children, Lowell, 58, and Vanessa, 56, who had cared for her, were hospitalized March 4 and died the next day.

A third child, Elaine, 51, who lived with her mother and had been her main caregiver, was hospitalized March 5 and discharged [March 8], a Medstar Washington Hospital Center spokeswoman said.

Lou Ruth Blake had had the seasonal flu vaccine, but none of her three adult children had. According to state health officials, the two who died developed severe bacterial pneumonia, specifically methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, and had developed it prior to being admitted to the hospital.

Lessons from this tragedy

Being vaccinated is not an absolute guarantee that you won’t get the flu. A person with risk factors, such as advanced age, may still get it.

But not being vaccinated puts you at significant risk for getting the flu which in turn puts you at risk of a serious bacterial infection. Possibly by bacteria which are resistant to common antibiotics, such as penicillin or methicillin.

Therefore, getting the seasonal flu vaccine when it was available last fall may have prevented the deaths of Lowell Blake and Vanessa Blake.

What you need to do

If you haven’t received this season’s flu vaccine yet, don’t wait one day longer.

You can get vaccinated in stand-alone pharmacies, such as CVS and RiteAid,  or pharmacies in supermarkets, such as Walmart, Walgreens, Target, or Giant.

You don’t need an appointment, and there’s generally little wait. (It’s probably a good idea to call ahead, though, to find out whether the the pharmacy still has a supply of flu vaccine on hand.)

The cost varies, depending on where you get it, whether you have Medicare Part B, and what insurance you have. Medicare Part B covers the cost of vaccines to prevent flu and pneumococcal diseases, such as pheumonia.

How about you? Have you had your seasonal flu shot? If not, I’d urge you to get it today. It won’t take long, it won’t cost anything if you have Medicare Part B or certain other insurance, and—in any case—it won’t cost much.

And then go celebrate by taking a long leisurely walk to enjoy warm spring weather, trees and flowers in bloom, and birds in spectacular mating plumage. And, if the weather’s bad, celebrate at Starbuck’s with coffee and some reduced-fat banana bread.

You deserve it!

See Washington Post articles about the Blake family, dated March 7, 10, and 15, 2012.
photo by richardfisher

On September 27, 2011, Don Bateman was one of five Americans who received a U.S. Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama.

Bateman, chief engineer of Flight Safety Avionics at Honeywell, was honored for his work in “developing and championing critical flight-safety sensors now used on aircraft worldwide, including ground proximity warning system and wind-shear detection systems.”

More than 40 years ago, Bateman invented the ground prox warning system that alerts a pilot that he’s about to fly into an unseen obstacle, such as a building, a mountain side, or the ground.

Initially, he used existing airplane instruments—the radar altimeter and the airspeed indicator—to provide a warning. In the 1990s, he added a GPS locator and extensive data on terrain.

To get a clear sense of what the system does, watch this video of Markus Johnson, Honeywell Aerospace chief test pilot, flying a King Air Turboprop toward twin peaks in the Olympic Mountains  (Note: There’s a very brief sponsor message at the beginning.)

Ground prox warning system averts disaster at LaGuardia Airport

According to Bill Voss, chief executive of the Flight Safety Foundation, Don Bateman’s invention eliminated the “No. 1 killer in aviation for decades. It’s accepted within the industry that Don Bateman has probably saved more lives than any single person in the history of aviation.”

An instance of lives saved by the ground prox warning system was described in the New York Times in 2005.

A United Airlines jet was descending through snow toward New York’s LaGuardia Airport when the crew reported the runway in sight and the tower cleared the Boeing 757 to land.

The “runway” was actually red and white lights atop a hotel, which looked exactly like runway lights through the swirling snow. The plane, capable of hauling 182 passengers and a crew of five, was almost full. It was also more than 200 feet, or 60 meters, too low because of a navigation error.

Less than 10 seconds before disaster, an artificial voice blasted through the cockpit. “Obstacle! Obstacle! Pull UP!”

Invention inspired by airplane accident witnessed at age 8

Seattle Times aerospace reporter Dominic Gates relates the story:

Bateman grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada, spending part of his childhood on a farm, where he drove a tractor at night during planting and harvesting time.

He often got in trouble for breaking rules. “I’ve been a maverick since I was a kid,” he says now.

In 1940, when he was 8, he broke his elementary-school rules to get close to an incident that left an indelible impression. Sitting in a classroom, his friend Mel Kubica looked out the window and saw a flash, then debris, and what looked like people, falling from the sky.

Don slipped out of school early with Mel, jumped on his tricycle and pedaled to the scene. Two military training planes — a Lockheed Hudson and an Avro Anson — had collided in midair with 10 crewmen on board.

“I had never seen blood before from a human being,” Bateman recalled. “It was horrible. It was pretty gory.”

The next day, his teacher reprimanded the two boys and ordered them to write a detailed account of what they had witnessed. When he handed in his piece, she told him: “You sure can’t spell. You’re going to be an engineer.”

That incident brought home to him the grim reality of wartime aviation, underlined later when two uncles and a cousin who’d joined the Air Force all died, either shot down or in air accidents.

Ever since, he said, he’s been motivated “to make things better; to make flying safer.”

What’s next for Don Bateman?

Don, who turns 80 on March 8, says that he has no plans to retire. And as Bill Voss  puts it “How do you retire from saving lives?”

How do you retire from doing something that you feel passionate about? Whether it’s caring for sick people or playing music or writing or making furniture or directing movies (Think 81-year-old Clint Eastwood). How about you? Do you want to work as long as you can or to stop as soon as you can? I welcome your comments.

Sources
Seattle Times    Tourism & Aviation     Honeywell | Now
New York Times    The White House

I’m an evangelist for exercise, and I practice what I preach.

I’ve been a convert ever since I read the book “Aerobics” by Dr. Kenneth Cooper decades ago. I began exercising for life—walking or running along the Charles River in Boston, Lake Washington in Seattle, and Chesapeake Bay in southern Maryland.

I walked or ran in good weather or bad, with a partner or alone, early in the morning or after dark, and while pregnant and after childbirth (although not immediately).

I exercised outdoors or indoors, running on a treadmill and working with weights at the on-site fitness center at my last job. It was efficient, convenient and free. It was also Beyond Boring, and—when I retired from that job—I swore I’d never run on a treadmill again.

Taking on a challenge

Then I stumbled upon the President’s Challenge fitness program at http://presidentschallenge.org . It has a long list of physical activities and gives points for each day’s activities, based on the time and intensity. Earn enough points and you qualify for medals—a Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Just like in the Olympics! 

I don’t know about you. Maybe all you need to stay motivated is to make a commitment to yourself and stick to it. Or maybe you need a program, so you can track your progress, rack up points, and go for medals.

I’m in that second group—a real glory-hound, a sucker for awards and medals—and after discovering the President’s Challenge I went right to work earning points:

*** 20,000 for a Bronze medal,
*** 45,000 (including the 20,000) for a Silver medal, and
*** 80,000 (including the 45,000) for a Gold medal. 

One challenge after another

When I earned the Gold medal, I was elated. But only for a little while because I soon learned that the awards didn’t stop there. After the Gold medal came the Platinum medal, and to get one of those I needed a whopping 420,000 more points.

I decided to go for it, but things went very slowly due in part to our moving 3,000 miles across the U.S. in the dead of winter. When we got settled in though, I got with the program again. I was building up momentum, when the President’s Challenge unexpectedly moved the goal posts again.

Now each of the medals—Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum—required twice as many points as it had before.

I felt as if my hard-earned Gold medal had been snatched away, and I’d have to earn it all over again. But I figured they don’t call it a challenge for nothing, so I stuck with the program. For a while.

Taking a time-out

Then for some reason, I lost motivation. I didn’t stop exercising or tracking the data with my pedometer, but I stopped entering it. Many days I told myself that I really should enter my data, but I couldn’t seem to make myself do it. Until a few weeks ago.

At this point I’ve earned 135,000-plus points, enough for a new Silver Medal. I need 27,000-plus more points to go Gold again, and after that another 840,000 points for a Platinum Medal. 

So now here’s my plan

*** Stick with the President’s Challenge and earn a new Gold Medal
*** Join a nearby fitness center
*** Resume working with weights to stave off osteoporosis
*** Resume using a treadmill at least in bad weather—which will be every day for the next 4 months
*** Review my progress in 3 or 4 months

What about you? Are you exercising for life? Do you have a plan? Do you exercise regularly? If so, what keeps you motivated month after month, year after year? Do you follow a particular program? Or is your Number One New Year’s resolution to start exercising regularly? Either way, I’d love to hear from you.

photo by h-k-d