Blog #17 Life Begins at Ninety: Time to rethink one's life and actions

At my age not having much time to plan anything, but rather just living from day to day and making the best of it, a thought occurred to me to ask myself a few questions.

  

As long as I remember I was a doer, not a talker or writer.  Why then suddenly do I have the urge to put down almost daily what I observe and try to write about lessons I learned the hard way (is there any other way)?

The revolution in my life came with my discovery of computers- the possibility of instant communication with friends, and getting immediate answers, not to have to wait for eleven days, by which time I already forgot what I asked.

In my eighties when I lived in Palm Beach, I had great reservations to start burdening my small brain with this new and difficult-to-understand stuff.  I bought my first computer – a terrible-looking, green, tall piece of equipment from a neighbor who had lost his wife. It was impossible!  I resold it almost immediately to another “greenhorn” for the same $300.  It felt like a great relief. It was so frightening at that advanced age not to be able to read anything or understand the language, and I felt dumb.

But I didn’t give up.  A year later I met Sami, the 15 year old son of my Finish friend Marjaleena. Sami is a genius! At an early age he built four computers from scratch.  He convinced me that he could teach me to function on a more modern computer than that first monster I had tried to learn to use.  Well, that started a new life of possibilities as well as the beginning of daily frustration which will never stop. Just when I know how to open email, forward a message, etc. I get stuck and can’t figure out how to find a picture or a note that was there in front of me the day before.

    

I imagine I see you smiling, thinking that I’m still a “first grader.”

But really the few simple operations I know how to do give me great pleasure. I begin every morning to see what emails arrived from family and friends, and then have enjoy playing bridge on BBO  with the whole world, communicating and finding  a few friends and not being lonely.

 

Sitting in my Sedona quiet place I connect with so many people. What a thrill.

     

Writing the 18 blog posts so far (instead of writing a book which I had wanted to do, called “Life Begins at Ninety”) my darling Alicia explained that writing a blog from time to time will reach many more people and I will find the responses and opinions very interesting.

   

If you are past 90 you never heard a word “blog”?  Alicia explained that it comes from Web-log contracted to “blog.” Well, now I am in the advanced stage of having written more than 18 of them. Some are waiting to be edited and will be sent out in the coming months. It is more like talking to myself then teaching anybody anything.

   

I will never give up talking about the things that are plaguing our society, and I do hope that maybe it will change for the better in the future.

For instance, eating junk food is what America invented. It makes money and makes people happy but obese!  Lately I noticed, living now in the West, that people seem to care more about “being in shape” 

and that is a good beginning.

Making money is what this game is all about - I understand this -  but we have to save ourselves  in spite of it.  We have to listen to my Aunt Ruth who advised: “never eat anything not worth sinning for”!!!!!!!!!

  

This changed my life forever. She meant only eat the very best, homemade, excellent treats once in a while.  I lost many pounds and maybe I can persuade others to eat well and to think about what they put in their mouth.

Now this New Year 2015 is a good time to start with new resolutions!

I fervently hope that it will start already in Kindergarten.  Why wait till you have much weight to lose and health problems? 

Happy New Year!!!!  Well-wishing old/young  Nika