This blog presents the ideas and creative thinking of some of Utah's talented older adult writers. Their submissions are to inform and entertain, not to present policy or opinion positions of the Utah Commission on Aging. Enjoy.
I’m old. Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as people in their 20s, but many elderly people get much less sleep than they need. Do you have trouble getting enough sleep? Is it because you’re old, or have you always had issues with sleep deprivation? Maybe being old has just added to the reasons you can’t sleep.
My journey on the road of life has been quite the adventure. I'm a 73-year-old outdoor junkie, who, at the ripe age of 22 had his life take a detour. I sustained a C-6 spinal cord injury from a diving accident, paralyzing my body from the neck down.
Parkinson’s Disease awareness has been raised by Emmy Award winning actor Michael J. Fox’s 32-year battle with the disease and his successful Michael J. Fox Foundation that has raised over a $1 billion for Parkinson’s research. But his age—30—when the symptoms began and all he has been able to accomplish and continues to do during that time is not typical of what many others with the disease experience. Like several neurological disorders, the initial symptoms and the progression can vary greatly from person to person.
Probably most people reading this—grandma or grandpa—adore their grandchildren. You anxiously awaited the birth of the first one and now you can’t see them nearly often enough to suit you. Oh, I know the old saying, “It’s great to have them come, and it’s great to have them go home.” But if the other grandparents I know are to be believed, their grandchildren are the light of their eyes and their grandchildren adore them! But I have no idea how many of you actually feel guilt about their grandparenting or lack thereof.
“Age is just a number” is a common saying among seniors. It’s said to us and by us. It’s sometimes meant to encourage us to do things we think we’re “too old to do,” or to justify things we are doing that others think people of a certain age really are too old to do. It can refer to the way we dress, the people we associate with, the places we travel, the cars we drive, the things that are still on our bucket list, ETC.