By David Magallanes/ Guest contributor
The Fourth of July was a glorious summer day in Ventura, as are many summer days in our coastal county region. But the Fourth was particularly joyful for me because I was able to spend the afternoon with my daughter, her husband and my two grandsons at Ventura’s annual Fourth of July Street Fair. As we meandered amongst the many vendors and entertainment stages, the cool breeze of the bright blue ocean, visible in the distance down California Street, wafted over us and kept us cool. This is indeed “God’s Country,” as I describe my environs to family and friends who deal with considerably more heat, humidity, insects and plain discomfort than we in this Shangri-La normally have to contend with in the summertime.
As my daughter and I walked and shared observatioåns and opinions with each other, we came upon a stand that was selling “Old Guys Rule” T-shirts. She joked (or should I say “threatened”?) that someday she was going to buy me one. Bless her little considerate heart! I laughed and surmised that someday I would look good in it. “Someday?” she giggled. I looked over and saw that evil little smile on her face.
It’s hard for me to imagine myself becoming “old,” though I don’t suppose I’m entirely exempt from the laws of nature and the universe. After all, chronological age is a one-way street.
My father used to tell me that aging wasn’t for sissies. He’s had twenty-seven more years of experience in this regard than I have, but his implicit warning is always on my mind. Sometimes I find myself bracing for “the inevitable.” But is it? Is it possible to — if not entirely “dodge the aging bullet” — delay the inescapable as we proceed inexorably on life’s timeline?
I was encouraged by an article, “Brainstorming For Baby Boomers,” posted on the Ventura County Star web site, written by Kim Lamb Gregory, April 1, 2011. She was referring to Dr. Bob Gonzalez, who was about to start his job as director of the Ventura County Health Care Agency. Ms. Gregory wrote: “When he was in practice, Gonzalez said, he treated 100-year-old patients with almost no health problems. The common denominator, he said, was that they felt a sense of meaning in their lives.”
So there it was, I thought. We don’t normally associate “centenarians” with “no health problems.” I felt that I’d found the key to successful and productive aging.
“When I retire,” Dr. Gonzalez continued, “my ideal situation would be to be able to work some but be flexible and travel.”
Bingo! Then I had made a good decision three years ago to retire from full-time work and continue to “work some,” have considerable more flexibility in my life and feel that I was continuing to contribute to society.
Retiring successfully and meaningfully takes years, not only of planning, but also investing. And I don’t necessarily mean “investing” only in the financial sense. We also have to be willing to invest in our health and emotional well-being. That takes both time and money. Actually, lots of time and considerable money. When I listen to seniors not that much older than me talk about their serious physical and emotional challenges, I always ask myself if I’m doing what’s necessary to avoid their circumstances. And I often console myself with the knowledge that I am, though at other times I perceive a cautionary tale in their experiences, and I try to take heed.
Knowledge is power, and the truth does set us free by empowering us to pursue a long life of adventure, wonder and contentment to the extent that we make up our minds to achieve it.
Reference: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/apr/01/envisioning-a-new-community-for-the-rising-tide/
— David Magallanes is the creator of his own enterprise, Real World Projects, a business primarily dedicated to building distribution outlets for highly reputable products that offer a healthier life and a more vibrant lifestyle. An emerging branch of Real World Projects is Edifiquemos, a Spanish language enterprise dedicated to teaching the Spanish-speaking how to create a profitable international (U.S./Mexico) enterprise with low investment and high earning potential. David may be available for speaking opportunities. To contact him and for more information, you are invited to visit and explore his web sites at www.realworldprojects.info and at www.edifiquemos.com Be sure to check out a product that could help slow the aging process — one that I take — here