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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1437803-Can-we-talk/day/6-20-2014
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Rated: 13+ · Book · Cultural · #1437803
I've maxed out. Closed this blog.
This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by.
June 20, 2014 at 11:54pm
June 20, 2014 at 11:54pm
#820387
         I was looking at a long list of American folk heroes and noted that one column included cause of death. A few listed "old age". What does that mean? Is that supposed to be some disease or an accident? Do you just fade away like a TV show turns into static? And when does "old age" set in. When can you tell it's killing you?

         I then made a guess that the true cause of death should be "unknown". One of the people on the list died at age 101 from being thrown off a horse. Doesn't sound like she suffered from "old age" any. People died of heart attacks, TB, cancer, kidney failure, stroke, accident, gunshot wounds, and many other reasons on the list. Those sound reasonable ways to go. If old age kills, then why do some die at 70, and others at 95, or 105?

         As writers, we need to stop giving old age a bad name. As a culture, we need to make it a little less scary. Old age could just be a stage for trying something new, like Grandma Moses painting. Paul Newman at 94 was still handsome and sexy and racing go-carts in a studio and parking lot. He didn't die of old age; he was still living strong. Old age doesn't kill. And it's not an excuse to just wait for death.


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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1437803-Can-we-talk/day/6-20-2014