The inevitability aging, whether the years are golden or not

Many refer to the older years in life as the Golden Years. But for a good many who have gotten older, the senior years really aren't that golden at all. Many older individuals are beset by sickness and loneliness and end up facing a real financial hardship.

Most everyone I've known growing up has worked well into their senior years. I grew up in a rural environment where raising cattle was the norm. There were a few who lived in town who supplied goods or services to the cattlemen, but most all my friends lived on ranches, raising cattle. Because of the nature of the work, most cattlemen and women continued working well into their 70s, and even 80s. There was no real retirement. Most would slow down, and maybe depend on those who were younger for help, but they didn't stop working and retire.

My dad was born in 1903 in Nebraska, and Mom was born in 1911 in Denmark. Mom's mother, Maria, tried to buy tickets on the Titanic but couldn't because they were all sold. As a result, she bought tickets on another ship that was to sail two weeks later.

Mom moved to town a few years later, where she lived until she passed away. The town mom moved to was Arthur, Nebraska, with a population of, say, 150. The closest doctor was 35 miles south, at Ogallala, which had a population of about 5,000. But there didn't seem to be such an animal as "retirement."

As our society has, generation after generation, become less and less rural and moved into towns and such, retirement has become a real goal for most. Those who work in factories and stores and industry long for the day they can retire, and spend the rest of their lives doing whatever.

These retirement days can then be spent in hunting or fishing or travel or leisure or golf. But the goal is to stop working, and then enjoy the last years of one's life doing whatever.

Some will have laid aside enough reserves to live comfortably, while others will be forced to scrimp or work to make ends meet. Some will be forced to rely on government assistance to make those ends meet.

Some will end up in nursing homes, where they will be cared for the rest of their lives. Some will be able to live at home and be relatively self-reliant. Many will be able to maintain their independence by continuing to drive their automobiles. Others will have to depend on others to get around.

One of the saddest parts of getting old is outliving our friends and neighbors. Little by little, those we call friends and family pass away, and, if we are fortunate to live to an old age, we will inevitably end up alone.

One of the greatest needs of elderly people is being able to visit with someone, family or just friends. Far too often, the family neglects to call or visit. It seems so simple to pick up the phone and make a 10-minute call, yet too often, it isn't done. Today many of us rely on Facebook to keep in contact, but many who are elderly don't have a clue about Facebook. One can touch the heart of someone who needs a friend on the end of the telephone line.

I probably don't reach out as I should to elderly friends and relatives. I try to visit with my brother and sisters at least weekly by telephone. I email some of my cousins at least on a weekly basis. On a daily to weekly basis, I contact a number of friends and family on Facebook.

Call a friend. See if you can't find a long-lost friend on Facebook. Look for an opportunity to make a new friend.

Until next time.