Category Archives: Aging

The Lucky One Goes First

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Roger Walck

As my mother aged into her 80s (about my age now), her experience with dying couples taught her, “The lucky one goes first.” She turned out to be the lucky one, but by then my father was sinking into dementia, … Continue reading →

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Accepting Our Decline

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Roger Walck

My 14-year-old grandson lives about 5 miles away, so we see him often. We recently celebrated his birthday, as well we should because we know he is better than last year in many ways: stronger with better agility, making better … Continue reading →

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The Metal Sponge

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Roger Walck

My mother often used what she called “the metal sponge” for difficult cleaning in the kitchen, such as removing baked-on residue from pans. As I recall, the sponges were more coarse than a Brillo pad, consisting of small curlicue turnings, … Continue reading →

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Shamed

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Roger Walck

I passed a bookstall today, and a title caught my eye: I Was Shamed on the Internet—Now What? Forget it, Kid,  is my advice. Maybe I’ve been shamed, too, but I don’t know about it. Older people know enough about … Continue reading →

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Garrison Keillor On Old Men

Posted on August 11, 2019 by Roger Walck

I am, without shame, a big fan of Garrison Keillor. Even my style of writing is somewhat similar to his. That is no accident. I still read his weekly column (Wednesday), published on the Internet. He is only a little … Continue reading →

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Weeds and Bag Worms

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Roger Walck

This year, at this season, one of my morning chores is to weed the shrubbery, mostly with the wiggle hoe. I know the results are temporary, like a toddler boy all spiffied up with his hair combed and wearing a … Continue reading →

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Assisted Suicides

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Roger Walck

The doctor’s letter to The Wall Street Journal editor cited for reference in the 1/26/2015 posting (Sorry this posting took so long to publish, but it was misfiled for many years, and the points it contains are still valid.) was … Continue reading →

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Memories and How Our Brains Mature

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Roger Walck

“The Terrible Teens,” by Elizabeth Kolbert. The New Yorker, 8/31/2015. Just as we have always suspected, teenage brains are defective. Mine certainly was, as those of you who knew me in high school are well aware. One example is our … Continue reading →

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Hanging a Mirror On a Pin (Don’t Try It)

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Roger Walck

Many years ago in our first house, I hung a full-length mirror at the foot of the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. The walls were of plaster, and I wanted to keep the hole as small as possible, so … Continue reading →

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Garrison Keillor On Death, Funerals, and Military Service

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Roger Walck

In his recent Online column, Garrison Keillor has a great quote: My goal is to live long enough so that nobody who comes to my funeral remembers me. Sounds like a good goal to me, and better than most. Then, … Continue reading →

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