Finishing Well

 

I'll be 85 in December. So I'm at the half way mark in this fast changing decade. This past week I've heard an uplifting and exciting story about aging by (and for) aging folks.  This is unusual because most books about us octogenarians are   directed toward younger people who are trying to figure out what to do with mom or dad. 

 As if we, in our 80s, have given up on reading about our special needs. 

My friend, Trish, sent me one of Diane Rehm's podcasts. I miss listening to 

Diane on NPR.  But, at age 87, she's still doing her job as a podcaster.

The interview was with Leonard Dowie, the former executive editor of the Washington Post and currently a professor of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University.  And he's 80.  

So you would think that he'd be discussing all of the above with Diane.   But first he  talked about having two scary bad falls and about how he's frightened now of going up or down any stairs without rails.

He also disclosed how he loses words.  He lost one while talking to Diane. (The word was dehydrated and is a word all of us oldies need to keep in mind.)

And, he confessed to falling for a computer scam (remarkably like the one I suffered a while back.)  But, unlike me, he is a well known investigative journalist.  His latest book is titled "80 An Octogenarian's Journal."  

What does it feel like to be in our ninth decade?  It's truly a mixed bag.  Dowie reminded us that many people in their 80s are highly productive.  He mentioned President Biden who is 80, and The Rolling Stones, whose new album came out last week.  Mick Jagger is 80 and Keith Richards will be 80 on my December birthday. 

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Methodist Preachers

 

My friend and outstanding clergy leader, Jim Harnish, shared some exciting news on Facebook yesterday.  The Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has received a $1,249,273 grant to expand the mission of the Institute of Preaching. 

I'm fortunate.  For the 25 or so years I've been attending my church, I have been blessed with excellent preaching, and highly creative worship services.  But that's not the case in every church.  I've heard some doozies in the 60 plus years I've been listening.  My husband, Ken, was an urban minister for the first nine years of his ministry so, during that time we regularly visited different churches. 

Most were great, some were offensive, others just boring (3 points and a poem.)

We were older when we, with our two preschool children, went off to seminary at Candler School of Theology.  Our third and last year there, Ken helped integrate the first United Methodist Church in Atlanta and I worked at Emory University in the development office. 

So, all of the above reminded me of a little trouble Ken got himself into.  Ken was kind of ahead of his time and was in trouble often but he liked to call it "good trouble" like John Lewis.

At Candler, students designed the mid-week worship service in the chapel.  When it was Ken's turn he wanted it to be "real."

That year, 1966, the blockbuster movie Alfie came out.  (It was remade in 2004.)  The earlier version starred British film icon, Sir Micheal Caine.  He played a limo driver who was a wildly promiscuous, selfish womanizer.  And the ending was ambivalent.  If we'd had ratings at that time, Alfie would have received a definite R. 

The movie plot was not part of the service but Ken thought the song, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David was perfect for his fellow seminarians.  However, several of the professors were not amused. 

I think it would have fit right in with Pastor Rachel's sermon last Sunday. 

What's it all about Alfie
Is it just for the moment we live?

 

What's it all about
When you sort it out, Alfie
Are we meant to take more than we give
Or are we meant to be kind?

And if, if only fools are kind, Alfie
Then I guess it is wise to be cruel

And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie
What will you lend on an old golden rule?

As sure as I believe there's a heaven above
Alfie, I know there's something much more
Something even non-believers can believe in

I believe in love, Alfie

Without true love we just exist, Alfie
Until you find the love you've missed
You're nothing, Alfie

When you walk let your heart lead the way

And you'll find love any day Alfie, Alfie

 

Live Like You Were Dying

David Miller, the senior pastor at my church, FUMC Winter Park, began his sermon last Sunday by quoting a few lines from Tim McGraw's hit song from a couple of years ago.

He said “I was in my early 40’s 

With a lot of the life before me

When a moment came that stopped me on a dime

So what would you do if you learned you were a short timer on this planet?  

Yesterday I watched an episode of "Family Feud."  One of the questions was "What would you do if you were given one million dollars and had one week to live?" The answers were outrageous.  Buy a big house or a horse or a luxury car.

Last Sunday David Miller was preaching on the book of James 4:13-17. 

James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

I am old.  I'm aware that I'm a short timer on this planet.  I don't find this upsetting.  There are so many things I can't do but, along with that, I no longer want to do.  I have no interest in sky diving or riding a bull named Fu Man Chu. I have no interest in endless discussions about my health issues (or your health issues.)  But I try to live in a way that provides meaning and purpose to me and others every single day.  It makes me happy.

Tim McGraw continues...

I went sky diving

I went Rocky Mountain climbing

I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu

And I loved deeper

And I spoke sweeter

And I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin

And he said “Some day I hope you get the chance

To live like you were dyin’

Because we all are.  

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Computer Catastrophe

 A week or so ago I started having McAfee pop ups.  McAfee is a computer security company.  Its job was to protect my computer.  I did everything I knew to get rid of the pop ups but nothing worked. 

So I called McAfee.  Again, it's a security company.  A nice lady got on my computer.  It took me 15 minutes or so to realize this was not McAfee.  My computer was being attacked - big time!!

They went to town on it.  I asked them to get off several times, tried to shut it off, etc.  They ignored me.  Toward to end, which was at least an hour, they wanted to charge me $499.99 and this would allow me to use them to "protect" my Mac for the next five years.  Yes, I did know at that point that they were crooks.  

So, it may seem strange but I got out my credit card and paid them.  Yes, it was stupid but I was in such bad shape I would have paid them almost ANYTHING to get them off my computer.

By that time I was having a full blown anxiety attack but I managed to call Vanguard.  They'd already had so many attempts to get into my account that Vanguard had put a lock on it.  I said, great.  Leave it on until I call you back.  Same thing with my bank. 

Then, as one of my favorite stand up comics, Leann Morgan, says, "I had to take to the bed."

But the next morning I was ready for battle.  I called Apple Support.  I wanted them to screen share with me. They had a really tough time getting in but we eventually made it happen.  

By the way, no one should ever be allowed to remotely change things on your computer.  Apple gets in but does not make changes.  They have a little arrow pointing me to where I should click.  We worked together for a couple of hours to get rid of these bad guys and clean up the computer.  The invaders were like the movie "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once."  (By the way, in the Meniere's Disease groups I'm a part of, they warned us patients not to see this movie; that it would bring on an attack.  I haven't seen the movie but, unfortunately had the real life experience.)

 After Apple assured me the villains had been vanished, I changed all my important passwords.  Then called my bank that's associated with my credit card and filed a claim for them to delete the $499.99 charge.  After investigating, they did.  I also requested a new credit card and deactivated the old one.

I then contacted Experian and the other  two credit companies, and had my accounts frozen.  

Yesterday morning I looked at my online bank account and found that these people had re-applied the $499.99 with my card.  So I called the fraud line once more.  It took a couple of hours but I filed another claim.  When we were finishing up on the phone the Fraud person said this was a popular "computer pirate" and they preyed on a particular demographic.  I said "you mean as in little old ladies?"  He laughed. 

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