I am fifty y/o, and have to agree with the folks who say you're only as young as you feel. Now I'm a skinny, hyper type. I wish I could gain some weight. But I've had folks confuse my 25 y/o daughter with being my sister. (I'm really not trying to brag, my lifelong struggle to maintain a good body weight is equally serious as overweight folks face).



My skinniness and blond/brown hair color and hyper nature help hide the facts:

My back hurts

My right shoulder hurts
My left knee hurts at times
False teeth suck, Big Time
I am afraid of ladders, (I fell off of a big one once)
I can't drive drunk as well as when I was a kid on acid



Through it all, there has been the music. Right now is one of the best parts of my life, musically speaking. My daughter, son-in-law, a great lady singer, and myself have been playing locally for about a year. We must be doing something right, we keep getting invitations. All original stuff, with me on bass, my daughter Annie on Flute, my son-in-law David on guitar, and Kris Nayeart, a really stunning singer.


As a registered nurse, I've seen a lot regarding aging. I've seen the folks who with minimal treatment continue long into old age happily. And I've seen others, comatose, suffer for ten years with no quality of life whatsoever. Tube feedings and diaper changes, until some infection is more powerful than IV antibiotics. My family knows what to do in such a case. Does your's?



My biggest fear regarding aging is how I will pay for my future health care, and for my family. I'm working now. and I pay as much for health insurance as I do for my housing. $600 a month for a family of four. And I haven't had to test the insurance, yet. If I have a heart attack, or come down with cancer, you can bet Rocky Mountain HMO will fight to the death to prevent paying a nickel.



IMO, the United States needs a single payer insurance system. To Hell with all the individual insurers, and continuing their profits. The health care of the American people is the greater good. Thanks, BlueJay