I was born at the old St. Joseph’s Hospital on Linwood Boulevard and was fortunate to have been reared in an Orthodox Jewish family. When my parents brought me home from the hospital, I stopped breathing eight times and would have died had my father not instinctively thrown me into the air to catch my breath. Who would have thought I’d live this long?
In the good ole’ days, there really wasn’t much to do for an “alta cocker” like me. But today we have television and iPhones. Via my iPhone I receive daily newsletters from The Washington Post and The New York Times. Thanks to television, I get to watch the news and great movies, such as “Sleepless in Seattle” and “In the Heat of the Night.”
But one thing I’m sure is similar is the pain. No one ever tells you there’s going to be a lot of pain. But thank God there are all kinds of medications and pain specialists to help you through it.
Something else that no one ever tells you is that you’d better plan to get up two or three times every night to pee. And it’s all because of those little blue pills they make you take when you have an enlarged prostate gland.
And here’s something I have that makes getting older easier. Her name is Bundle, and she’s a Whoodle, which is a cross between a Wheaton Terrier and a Miniature Poodle. That dog is truly a wonderful companion, always at my side while looking up at me with those beautiful brown eyes. And smart?! She is probably the smartest dog in the world!
And then there’s my wife, Debbie Jean, who is 18 years younger than I. When I married her, everyone thought I was going off the deep end, but today she’s my caregiver and wonderful wife who takes care of me 24 hours every day. If not for her, I’d be in one of those old folks homes, or I’d be pushing up daisies. There’s no question about it: “Good Wife, Long Life.”
And of course there are my three wonderful children, Gary, Sarah and Elana, who constantly check in with me to see how I’m doing.
I must say that one thing about getting old is that I miss a lot of my old pals who have passed away. They aren’t around to talk about days gone by and Chiefs games and they won’t be around to wish me a happy 90th birthday come December.
And finally, there’s been a lot of discussion in the media about the secret to longevity.
From my point of view it’s a combination of two things. First of all, and most important, is having a high sense of self worth as a result of having been reared in a loving, nurturing home environment. (Carl Puritz is a good example.)
My father was from Russia and my mother from Poland, and both provided me with massive amounts of unconditional love, something I’ve tried to do with my own children. And last but certainly not least, a strong belief in the Almighty.
By Marvin Fremerman,
Special to The Chronicle
