Today marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. New Year’s is a time of reflection; and, in the past, a time for taking inventory of my life. Up until 2019, I was a practicing physician and taking inventory was a daunting task. Since retirement and the devastation caused by of Parkinson’s Disease, my life’s inventory has shortened considerably.
Sleep, eat, nap, pee, and repeat are the activities that define my life nicely. After years of giving weigh loss counseling to my patients, I’m a massive 250 pounds. Having counseled the elderly on the risk of driving, I no longer drive (yet I still hassle Renee about it). My wife is afraid to leave me alone for fearing an inevitable fall. One thing I hit perfectly on the nose is my description of home health care: there are bad and worse agencies and aides with few exceptions. I could go on forever but, so as not to depress my readers, I’ll quit here.
I have to be careful as when my writing gets too dark, it has a negative effect on my readers. Having completed my physical inventory, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is not much of me left. So, where did I go wrong? I gave good solid advice to my patients. One of my patients took my Wellthy Plan to heart and came in yearly with his inventories and game plan for the new year. He did exceptionally well. I, on the other hand, worked 24/7, ignoring my own advice and am paying for it now.
So, don’t do as I did! Do as I advised in Diets and Other Unnatural Acts. Yes, the book was a monumental failure with few exceptions. The ideas and general advice are solid; unfortunately, it was too simple and therefore not taken seriously. Exercise and diet may delay Parkinson’s significantly. Taking time on a regular basis to enjoy life, family and friends is essential. You never know what tomorrow holds, so don’t put happiness off until you reach your financial goals (or your childrens’). As for spirituality in your life, believe me, the more you invest in it when you’re well, the easier it will be to fight off depression when you are sick.
Diets and Other Unnatural Acts is free on Kindle and still available in print at Amazon.
Here’s your joke for the day:
An elderly couple, who were both widowed, had been going out with each other for a long time. Urged on by their friends, they decided it was finally time to get married. Before the wedding, they went out to dinner and had a long conversation regarding how their marriage might work. They discussed finances, living arrangements, and so on.
Finally, the old gentleman decided it was time to broach the subject of their physical relationship.
“How do you feel about sex?” he asked, rather tentatively.
“I would like it infrequently,” she replied.
The old fellow sat quietly for a moment, leaned over towards her and whispered – “Is that one word, or two?”
