Aging Often Means Losing Those Around Us

Above, yours truly at a 2021 clamp-out with Glenn Thornhill (left) and Gary Julian
(right) in Quartzsite, Arizona. Fortunately both are still reasonably in good health.

The one unfortunate part of aging is that we see people we have known for years fall by the wayside. 

Abe Hoffman, who passed away last week from a sudden onset of leukemia, I knew since the mid-1980s. We camped together through 40 years of E Clampus Vitus clamp-outs. 

While talking with another longtime friend, Glenn Thornhill, about Abe's passing yesterday, he informed me that one of the guys we've hung out with since college, Mike Collins, passed away a few months ago. This was the first I heard of his passing. He was an avid model railroad buff. 

Psychology Today posted an article on aging which often means losing those around us. While many of us age "gracefully", some people we have known since the days of our youth aren't so lucky. This is something that is expected as we get older. Several people I've known for decades have passed. 

The article begins with:

When Nora Ephron’s son, Jacob Bernstein, wrote about her passing in The New York Times, he said,

“The thing is, you can’t really turn a fatal illness into a joke. It is almost the only disclosure that turns you into the victim rather than the hero of your story.”

He goes on to say that for his mom, tragedy was a pit of clichés that filled her books. While I normally try to take a light approach to topics I cover here in (R)Aging with Grace, this is one where it feels disingenuous to go there, as I am now in my 70s. My third trimester of life has so far been without incident, but all those routine tests and doctor appointments have me breathing a sigh of relief each time I get a “full speed ahead.”

We can look at aging in two ways: 1. Aging sucks, 2. Aging is a privilege. A paradox of living is that striving to age healthfully can lead to increased longevity, meaning you'll have more experiences with death the older you get. As we age, so do the people around us. This is just as much a part of the “aging is a privilege” perspective as any of the rest of it.

Living longer has both joys and consequences. We will lose friends and loved ones to accidents, illnesses, and, as we reach our later years, old age—though we desperately want to know the “whys” of old age losses, seeking answers on how to avoid them.

 To read the full article, go here.

Russell Azbill, R.I.P.

Above, Russell and I at Jerry's Cafe in Gallup last year.

Our Jamestown, New Mexico group received some sad news yesterday. One of our friends, Russell Azbill, was found deceased near his home's front porch. He either died yesterday morning or yesterday night.

He may have been heading to his main outer gate to retrieve a package when stricken and was turning back to go back into the house when he fell. 

Another friend, who was to take him to a doctor appointment was trying to reach him by phone. He went to Russell's home where he found his body on the ground just inside an inner gate at the house. 

Above, Russell and the Jamestown group at Grandpa's Grill September 6.

We last saw Russell on Tuesday at our regular coffee gathering at Denny's at the Flying J. He was in good spirits and said he was feeling pretty good. He had several medical issues and had a heart attack a few months ago, which he seemed to have recovered from. 

Russell was a writer, a racecar enthusiast and interested in UFOs, Bigfoot and other paranormal topics. He and I regularly swapped UFO and Bigfoot stories on Messenger. He last sent me a text on Messenger October 6 on Funny Car Acronyms. He has one published book, Darkest Hour. He was working on another book at the time of his death.

He is survived by two brothers and his dogs, Watson and Derek. He will be missed.

Congratulations Les On Your Retirement!

Above, Les and I at his Hawthorne home for Independence Day 2013.

Congratulations to Les Geriminsky on his retirement! 

His brother Mitch and I have been nagging him for years to retire, but those paychecks were too good to pass up.

Above, Les's Jeep.

I've been also bugging him to come out here with his Jeep to do some off-roading in Six Mile Canyon. Now that he has the time, he can finally do so. 

Keeping Political Polar Opposite Friends

Above, I found out recently that Jessica Tseang is opposite politically
 to me. We haven't ever discussed politics and I have plans to do so. 

In this polarized era where conservatives and liberals are practically at each other's throats over this election campaign and politics in general, one wonders how friends who are polar opposites politically can remain friends.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, of course. 

One can look back at actors James Stewart and Henry Fonda. Stewart was a conservative and Fonda a liberal. They both came from the same era of movies and were great friends, yet were very opposite politically. They managed to remain friends over the decades until death took them.

How did they manage to accomplish this? 

It was simple. They did not discuss politics at all. Each knew where the other stood but did not raise the subject of politics. 

I have some left-leaning friends. We manage to remain so because we don't discuss politics. We confine our conversations strictly to subjects that are shared interests such as movies, ECV, Godzilla, comic books, travel, etc.

So if one wants to keep the peace with friends who don't share one's views politically, just don't discuss politics. 

Old Photos From the 1970s

Last evening, while Clint was working on the Jeep's brakes, I was going thought some boxes in the garage and found one small box of photographs and negatives dating back to the 1970s. I haven's seen these for many moons. Some were in Fotomat sleeves (remember Fotomat?).

Some were of everyday things, travel and miscellaneous family shots. Some were badly faded, despite being kept in a box out of light. I took these photos, except where I'm in them (obviously).

I scanned a few of them.

Above, my parents and I in Las Vegas, 1974.

Above, my uncle Ralph and aunt Rose, Thanksgiving 1975.

Above, co-worker Jeannie McDonald in January 1979. We did a photo shoot at her house. This was an outtake.

Above, my parents in Cedar City, Utah in 1975 on vacation. My dad hated this photo.

Above, Al Geriminsky and my dad working on a car (probably mine) in Hawthorne, California, 1975.

Above, yours truly at Grad Nite at Disneyland, 1972.

Above, Goodyear blimp over Long Beach.