aging Archives - Author K. Williams

♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦

Topic #284
What’s something you look forward to as you age?
And what do you miss from your youth?

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Youth isn’t something that I found useful to my goals throughout my life. I was never taken seriously, and never had the autonomy needed to pursue those things I found worth my time, until I gained several decades in age. About all I miss from youth is the greater amount of time I to read and that someone else took care of the serious things such as bills. Stress was real, but it mostly revolved around small problems that resolved fairly easily. Of course there were things that couldn’t be resolved but they did not weigh so heavily as they do when you have the burden of all things upon your shoulder in adulthood.

The main thing that I look forward to as I age is retiring in less than a decade, if everything goes as it should. This would go a long way to returning me to reading time and less stress trying to get my to-do-list checked off. There would be time for my art hobbies and other projects, too. Unfortunately, the necessity of a day job is still very real. And, I must continue, especially now that I have a child.

table top with two cups of coffee, cream hearts in the cup, and a tablet on the table that reads: inhale the future, exhale the past. — Photo by Toa Heftiba, Unsplash. 2017

Having all those hours back to myself will be a great boon to my writing career, too. I won’t burden myself with a tougher blog schedule, but I will have more rest time and time enough to let those ideas percolate again. In addition, I’ll be able to get out more to live more life and that always helps with ideas.

Growing wiser is another attribute I hope to gain as I age. There is so much to learn! I don’t miss the ignorance of youth, or the myopia of thinking myself so informed in my thirties. Middle age has caught up to me now, but enjoy the wisdom and understanding of those years, but I know there is a long road of learning ahead. I really do hope that I become wiser.

Baby smooth skin may be gone for the rest of my life, but it’s not something that preys on my mind. Neither do I worry over white hairs. Lines on a face and silver hair are beautiful. They mean a life lived. They mean wisdom. There is so much charm in faces of all ages. They shouldn’t be judged for not having the perfect twenty-something look. That time is so fleeting and far too early to stake all one’s dreams and aspirations into. What truly matters is one’s mind and one’s peace.

Getting to sit in the sunshine and sip my coffee on mornings that are once again on my terms will be so relaxing. Those days where I have responsibilities that take me away won’t be anxiety inducing unless what’s taking me away is a serious appointment about serious things. The fact is, we cannot escape hard times and stress, but not having a job stressing you out on top of it is a bonus! Although this may lead to more isolation, I am the kind of person who does need more alone time than most. I get exhausted by being around others. Sometimes, I wonder if it’s just because I know I have so much to do and I cannot do it in that moment, giving my attention to others. And the longer that things wait, the longer the list gets, and waiting can add additional steps.

The idea that youth or old age are inherently better than the other is based on ideas that there are benefits without a downside. As we age, our health can grow more fragile, but so in youth can health be fragile. I have experienced immune compromised status for as long as I can remember. I’ve been sick a lot! That won’t change. Although my red will fade to silver and my skin gain creases, I know I will still be the loveliest I have ever been, because I am still me. Sure, it is frustrating to get discoloration on your face, and watch your texture change along with pores growing more prominent. However, that’s all based in the idea that others are judging you negatively for these things. Media certainly doesn’t help that notion.

What media ignores, however, is the experiences that years give a person to make them wiser. Not every young person is ignorant not every elder is wiser. That said, you’re more likely to find deep, useful wisdom in an elder. Listen to their stories. Stop regarding their gray hair and wrinkles as something to fear and revile. Youth should last so much longer than it does, but not the learning curve of life. Listen to the young, too. They have some great ideas and insight. Their energy carries us all forward. Try not to get in their way as they move to accomplish goals that will better our world. That’s their job, and they’re quite good at it when allowed to without fearful elders wagging fingers and fighting to keep things as they are.

Certainly not all change is an improvement, but neither is stagnation a benefit to life. Let us grow wiser in this.

We all age. There’s no fighting against it. More than anything, I look forward to my time returned to me, so I can continue to create and maybe regain peace of mind, like I had in my youth.

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Welcome back for another round up for The Environment This Month.

Midsummer often reminds folks of the changes to the climate. They notice how humid, or hot and dry the days have gotten, and little recall such similar weather. This is especially true as we come into storm season. The Central United States will face devastating damage. Right now, families prepare around the world for what is to come. Can we ever be prepared? Time is running out while those in power play games.

How much longer can the aware just sit aside, preaching? Let’s get down to business…

The Farm Bill is something those who care about the environment and, you know, things like eating, have been paying attention to. So it’s good news that the bill dropped the riders. Riders are like ticks, and they suck the life out of otherwise good efforts by lawmakers.

This afternoon, the U.S. Senate passed a Farm Bill free of several anti-environmental provisions included in the House version by a vote of 86 to 11. Bart Johnsen-Harris, Clean Water Advocate for Environment America, issued the following statement:

“We cannot grow healthy food without clean water and proper stewardship of our land. Today, the Senate recognized that fact by passing a Farm Bill free of attacks on core environmental protections, such as the Clean Water Rule. We congratulate Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) for their hard work to keep this Farm Bill clean.

Senate Passes Farm Bill Clean of Anti-Environmental Riders | Environment America

I find it quite interesting, this next bit of news, considering this nation’s drive to clean up the environment. It was listed as top priority.

The New York Times thinks it’s found the culprit of one of the strangest scientific whodunits in recent memory: the reappearance of illegal, ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere. According to the Times, the surge in dangerous CFC-11 reported in May might be largely or entirely the result of foam-producing factories in the town of Xingfu, China, that operate with little oversight.

The New York Times May Have Solved the Biggest Environmental Mystery in Decades

It’s really pathetic of humanity to just let another species go extinct. For all the ingenuity and morality we claim to have, this proves otherwise. Extinction is the habit of a parasite, something that disregards it’s mortality for an immediate fix.

My question about the efforts of the researchers, how does a hybrid really preserve anything? All it does is create a new subspecies. preserving the DNA would require cryopreservation. Hybridization is not preservation…

An international team of zoologists and reproduction researchers is on the way to producing a hybrid rhino to preserve the genes of the northern white rhino, after it became functionally extinct earlier this year.

Saving The Northern White Rhino’s Genes Is Impressive But Also May Be Pointless.

The next piece should have you asking about the impacts of human longevity on the environment. With age, just longer life in general, comes the use of more resources. With a planet already pushed to the edge, should we extend our lifespans? Ethical questions will forever haunt this question.

On the day that one becomes an octogenarian, nature bestows a mathematical birthday gift: a gradual reprieve from the relentlessly increasing likelihood that he or she will die in the coming year.

That gift may come as small comfort against the growing creakiness of joints and the still-mounting probability that the end is nigh. But an analysis of close to 4,000 very long-lived Italians suggests that the rise in the risk of imminent death continues to slow until the age of 105. After that, researchers estimate, the chance of making it to see another birthday holds steady at roughly 50-50.

Can humans reach even older age? We haven’t maxed out yet, some scientists say

When legislation passes and will take years to implement, I’m always confounded, especially when the matter is so grave as the destruction of the coral reef. Why not right now? I suppose we should be reasonable, but does the coral just hang on a minute while we get our act together?

Hawaii’s governor, David Ige, signed a bill banning certain types of sunscreen in the state, starting in 2021.

Hawaii Governor Signs Bill Banning Certain Sunscreens | TravelPulse

Being vigilant in times of great turmoil is a necessary act of a citizen. We must all be vigilant and act. We have to keep an eye on the bedrock of environmental legislation, because moneyed interests will stop at nothing to remove any bars to them earning even more. The best thing a citizen can do is become aware of the slant, the bias, that people have when they are trying to tell a story or sway your opinion. Implicit in that is finding the facts, if not the truth.

A linchpin environmental law is now being scrutinized by the Trump administration and could be targeted for reforms. The National Environmental Policy Act, commonly referred to as NEPA, dictates the environmental planning process for federal agencies. Any changes to the NEPA process could have far-reaching impacts on the vast public lands and infrastructure of the West.

Feds eye changes to a bedrock environmental law — High Country News

This next piece, I’m sure you have already read about, but it deserves a repeat, because it is actually good news. It shows the ability of people to affect change by applying constant pressure and keeping that vigilance I mentioned earlier. Let’s gander at this again, friends…

Scott Pruitt has resigned as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, amid a slew of scandals involving everything from luxury travels to rampant conflicts of interest. Second-in-command Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, will become acting director of the EPA come Monday, according to President Donald Trump.

Scott Pruitt out as head of the Environmental Protection Agency – The Verge

This next piece is controversial. On the surface it seems a no-brainer. Dig a bit deeper and you realize that this impacts a segment of society who goes ignored quite often: the disabled. Many forget that people with disabilities may be unable to drink from a standard cup or mug. Without straws at restaurants, they would need to bring their own, or their own tumbler. Certainly that sounds easy enough, but pretty soon they’re going to need to haul luggage around for all the items they need to get through the day (in many cases daily conveniences are life savers for others). I keep asking the question: what about biodegradable plastics from plants? Paper straws would work for the average person, but they simply don’t work for everyone. Besides, where is the paper sourced from? That could be a great hemp side industry, including plastics from hemp.

Single use plastic straws are a small thing that’s stirred up a big controversy, mainly because of its impact on the environment. It’s prompted a growing number of major companies to abandon something that’s almost iconic in American dining culture. . . And just last week, Starbucks announced they’d eliminate all plastic straws by 2020. Other companies, like hotel chains Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt, to air carriers such as American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, are also planning to phase out disposable straws.