Aging the right way
January 30th 2023
Here is a question. How many of your friends are your age that you have known for over 50 years?
My daughter marvels at the fact that I still talk and write to friends from elementary school.
My closest best friend was in my life for over 60 years before she got sick and died. When we lose people like that we tend to hang on to those who are left.
What is the reason for this long time friendship? My daughter does not know anybody from high school or later in college.
I think it is for several reasons.
Our town was small and unincorporated, and still is that way. We were interested in history both of our tribe and our community.
We did not have churches but a Sports Bar and a Historical Museum and before that a Garden Club and 4H.
We had an elementary school that was so good there is a waiting list now.
My eighth grade graduating class had 18 members. I still am friends with two of them.
These people tended to stay in the community all their lives. They had jobs of ordinariness, and joined civic groups to fight for the betterment of the town.
Every time I talk to one of them I learn something new about their history and of the place that I left 60 years ago.
They are not big on writing or using a computer, so I write essays and send them snail mail.
Then they phone back and give me updates on family.
Recently I have joined a web site from that small unincorporated community, but I know nobody, and it is filled with notices about stray dogs and asking for farm equipment.
Still someone keeps posting pictures from the 1900’s so we can all know how life used to be.