by Angela Blair

Created on: October 16, 2009   Last Updated: October 20, 2009

There's a rather amusing interest exhibited by those under 70 years old as to the thoughts, feelings and general well being of those having reached the 70-year-mark. The interest of the younger is usually presented to the older as though that person has suddenly traipsed off into the Land of Oz and a full report is needed for future reference.

Before the age of 70 no one ever asked me if I'd eaten properly that day. In fact, not one human being found it necessary to make really personal inquiries as to my well being and thought processes, either. Truthfully, I find most of these probing inquiries amusing although they do take up an inordinate amount of time to answer and are irritating and boring after a certain point.

Being over 70 years old is closely akin to any other age and it's not true that practice makes perfect. If perfect was possible 70 years should have been adequate proving ground and it hasn't worked that way for me at all. I can screw up the proverbial crowbar in the desert but it's not age related. It's always been that way.

Perhaps the aged diet nuts offer the most amusing anecdotal information on reaching one's 70th year. We're often regaled with tales of eating nuts, berries and any food that strongly relates to hay and usually tastes like it. Lots of gas and stomach problems run rampant among them and Beano is a staple in their medicine cabinets. They are, however, convinced diet is the answer to longevity. They leave this world just like everyone else but they're usually really skinny old people.

Running a close second are the eternal exercise machines they stretch, run, run and stretch and often wind up requiring surgery for blown knees and bad feet (rotor cuffs are big in that group, too). Did they do these things all their lives or just begin the fight in later years? Whatever the answer to that question; they rarely live any longer than the slugs among us old dears.

One can no longer insist middle age is a matter of opinion after 70; one is chronologically old which is in and of itself not a bad thing. Health is the catalyst that decides whether one enjoys old age or just exists day-to-day and part of that is genetic over which one has no control whatsoever. You just cope with the hand age deals you and go on!

Seventy was a milestone for me. Even with life's little boggles I enjoyed all the years before that age and am certainly enjoying the ones following it. I can finally sleep late, basically do as I please, and most of my mistakes,

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