<H1>On Being Born and Growing Older</H1>

Like you, I have no memories from my first year of life. In fact, my memories prior to age 15 are pretty tenuous and consist of a name here or there and scattered incidents, really foggy incidents in scattered places. I think the same can be said about the next 6 decades, only those names and places come to me in high definition colour, some good, some bad, but all interesting enough that I have chosen to remember them. When I think of the past, there is very little negative energy emanating from my youth.

I am in a place where I am very happy and if it were not for a serious illness that has invaded my wife, I would be very content with our family of 3 adults, their spouses, and their children. I have only missed one thing, the passage of time.

I turn 73 this month!

Gone are the days of wine and roses, the excitement of a new girlfriend, the joy of marriage, the first teaching job, my life as a teacher and so on and so on. I am proud of my stint as a student activist and the true life-long friendships of Wayne and Bill who joined me in my exploits. I miss my friends who have gone to the great unknown. I miss growing up on an army base. Yes, I am an army brat and proud of it.

Where did those days go. (not a question. No question mark required.)

In our youth, it was not within our reality to grok that we all have an expiry date. We looked forward to our birthdays, Christmas and New Years. Now, many of us are members of the golden age club,and we are faced with our mortality which, for some of us includes an attack on our brains by the devil PD. This is unfortunate because, as in my case, one feels no different than when we were in our twenties except our bodies won't comply with our brain's commands. So, on top of old age, we have a persistent brain problem. What to do? (question mark required).

I can suggest you take heed of the following to slow down the pace of PD. Trust me. I have been there, done that. At least consider the possibility I am right.

• Get yourself out of the wretched doldrums of inactivity. Science has all but proven that exercise slows the rate of advancing PD
  
• Eat nutritious meals
  
• think positively and confidently. Assume your muscles will do their assigned job, even if they don't.
• Take your meds as precribed
  
• Do not accept claims that seem too good to be true, natural remedies don't work!

We did not ask for the "disease" to continue into our declining years but it came anyway. We just have to put a little more effort into life to enjoy ourselves.

Facing eternity came as a complete surprise to me but I believe I am handling the notion well.

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes?"