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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