Am I the only one… who believes aging often improves the process?

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AGING
By: Richard L. King

 It is the common belief that wine improves with aging. Tis so with life, as it is with wine, is it not? Might this not also be true of other things as well?

Kentucky Bourbon is at its best, only after the proper aging has occurred. Jack Daniels, Knob Creek, Makers Mark, Jim Beam, they all enjoy reputations as fine Kentucky Bourbons and I’m led to believe that they all go through an aging process. As I am not an expert in this area, I’ll not testify, but I have been told aging makes the difference.

Music? Can it be classic if it hasn’t been around for a while? Me thinks not. Segar, Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, to name just a very few who have become better with age. Not to say that they weren’t great from the beginning, but they are now CLASSIC. And, to a lesser degree, on the female side we might add Gloria Estefan and several others. They have all stood the test of time and, in retrospect, have become better.

Movies? Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, The African Queen, Citizen Kane, The Godfather, The Graduate and of course The Wizard of Oz have all stood that test of time. We can’t say that they have gotten better because they haven’t changed and technology has. But the story hasn’t changed. The way the story is told and displayed has changed, but in the grand scheme of things these movies are still holding their own.

Cheese? I’m told that the best cheese has been aged, but don’t quote me on that. I’m not much of a cheese connoisseur. I like a good strong cheese on my cheeseburger, but that’s about the extent of my expertise. I’ve come to understand that some cheeses are best consumed young, but there are many more that benefit from aging. Suffice it to say that different cheeses require different treatments.

Aging? And now for the meat behind all this: It is said that 50 is the new 40. Don’t you believe it, 60 is the new 40. The miracles of modern medicine have made it so. Pacemakers, stints, transplants, replacement joints, the list goes on and on. What is common place today was unheard of in my grandfather’s time. On top of that, new technology allows doctors to perform these miracles in a fraction of the time, through ever smaller incisions, making the recovery time miniscule as compared to earlier days.

I’m 74, my oldest brother is 84 and we’re both still going strong. Although we’ve lost a sister and a brother to heart problems, we have another brother who is 77 and a sister who is 72. The two who have passed both made it into their 80’s whereas both of our parents died at age 64. Obviously, the medicines of my parent’s day wouldn’t compare to those of today, but perhaps that is not the true secret to our longevity. Today’s senior, as a general rule, eats healthier and doctors more frequently. Likely those are key factors, but that only partially accounts for todays added longevity. Both of my parents smoked right up until the day they died. My brothers, my sister and I have all been reformed smokers for years now. Trust me; it makes a big difference not only in the way you feel, but from a longevity standpoint as well.

Although I won’t be running any marathons anytime soon, I have aged well and I am truly a happy camper.

…and I repeat, as it is with wine, so too it is with life, aging often adds to the luster, to the intrigue, to the joy.

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #410

About: Hard Times

There’s a difference between
‘Rock Bottom’ & ‘on the rocks,’
but often it’s hard to distinguish.