Marching at 90

This morning DemocracyNow interviewed a woman marcher in St. Louis: she was 90 years old! She said she has always known St. Louis was segregated and racist, ever since she moved there in 1967, and has worked for change.  When asked why she still feels compelled to speak out, she said because it’s still an issue and she still cares. That made me sit up and take notice: she was vital, interested, quick-witted and active; at 90. This year I turned seventy, and though turning seventy doesn’t feel as daunting as it did in February, I know it is still affecting me.  My daughters were concerned this year because I forget things which I never used to do. My Dad had Alzheimer’s , so I could understand their concern.  I was frightened too.  I saw my doc, who wanted to send me to a neurologist for some tests, which I didn’t want to do since I don’t test well, especially when I’m nervous. I never have, the college boards a case in point.  I can still picture that damned exam room, all these years later.  My doc suggested an on line test, called the SAGE test, which I did take. When I scored 100%, we dropped the matter.  Nevertheless, my memory loss still bothers me, so I signed up for Lumosity and do the exercises for fifteen minutes three times a week.  Thank God, I am improving, able to remembering more every week.  And in scoring I am above average for my age group,though not by as much as I’d like. Bottom line: how do I deal with the last third of life,  knowing that as each year passes I am closer to death?  Of course that is true for everyone, but when I turned seventy, that reality suddenly became burdensome.  Seeing that woman on television this morning helped me realize I could be vital for another twenty years if I eat healthy food, which I do, exercise frequently, which I do, and exercise my brain, which I now do as well.  There’s still a tingle of anxiety, but maybe, just maybe, like that silly battery commercial, I’ll just keep going and going and going!