By Dr. Sidney Trubowitz
PROMPT — Ask Me.
What it’s like to be almost 100.
At this point in my life, I have a tendency to fixate on the physical—my trouble swallowing, a periodic sore back. The morning starts with a rush to the bathroom and my return to bed in an effort to find a comfortable position.
Another day begins with a visit to the doctor's office for my wife to receive a shot to prevent the accumulation of cholesterol. I search for time to inscribe my thoughts. I am not organized. I ask myself, what do I want to do in the years ahead—take walks, touch my wife, love my grandchildren and children?
My wife and I go to a bench at the end of the block where we live and we sit there. We note the different people who walk by—tall, short, Asian, Hispanic, Black, White—and I imagine the lives that they lead.
I watch the birds as they are fed by my son. In the park, I watch a raccoon enter the nest that she has carved out from the trunk of a tree. A call to the bathroom comes and we walk up a block surrounded by beautiful houses on our way home.
Later in the week, I take a walk with my physical therapist. He yells out to a doorman, “He’s 98.” The doorman replies, “God bless.” We cross streets with care to avoid traffic and enter the quiet environs of the park. We sit on a bench in a green enclave and my therapist guides me in doing physical exercise. We note couples caressing and birds flying.
There are highlights to my continuing existence. I am a witness to how my children and grandchildren are growing up.
My daughter reads me statistics:
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2023, 0.01% of the male population in the United States was 98 or older.
According to the Pew Research Center, in 30 years time, the population of people living to 100 is projected to quadruple.
I remind myself that despite my advanced age, I still feel the need to express myself, to sit down and write. I realize my head is a capsule trying to capture the things that keep me alive. I realize I need to take walks, to reach out, to speak with friends. I realize I want to avoid sequestering myself indoors and the narrowness of inner thoughts. I want to reach out and experience the world.
I look forward to a walk free of discomfort. I value the part of my life in which I remain active.
At times I think I will live forever. Photo Credit: Lara Trubowitz
Sources:
Census Bureau. [http://www.census.gov; accessed Aug. 4, 2024]
Schaeffer, Katherine, “U.S. Centenarian Population is Projected to Quadruple Over the Next 30 Years,” January 9, 2024. [http://pewresearch.org; accessed Aug. 4, 2024]
Dr. Sidney Trubowitz is a professor emeritus of education from Queens College of the City University of New York and a former elementary school teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal, high school English teacher, Professor of education, and Associate Dean and Director of the Queens College Center for the Improvement of Education. He is the author of The Good Teacher Mentor: Setting the Standard for Support and Success (Teachers College Press, 2003). His most recent pieces include "Busboy at the Borscht Belt," "Running," and "Lessons in Obedience—and Resistance." Sidney lives in New York City with his wife and continues to share stories with his two children and three grandchildren.