Or the winter of Our Content — The Literary Version

“I only want to Live Till the Age of 75”

I’m a hop, skip, and jump from 75 so when I saw this article by Donnette Anglin I needed to take a look.

Captivated by the topic, I googled “wanting to die at 75” and found Ezekiel J. Emanuel’s “Why I Hope to Die at 75.”

Donnette is 52. Ezekiel was 57 in 2014 when his essay was published.

Both authors described the feared and real challenges of the last quarter or the winter of our lives.

I fear them as well.

All of this was on my mind four days ago when I attended an Emeriti Colloquium at Luther College where I taught for three decades and retired from in 2018.

Over 75

The speaker was Harland and he is the fellow in bib overalls in the first picture.

Harland taught English and his talk was about growing up on a farm in northwest Minnesota.

He’s in costume and still teaching.

Harland is 96.

That’s Harland in dark glasses at 18 sitting next to his father.

When asked what he was looking at, he answered “I suppose life beyond the farm.”

Will was making a point.

Like his friend Harland, he grew up in the rural upper midwest in the 1930s and 1940s.

He was describing how threshing rings (groups of families) planned card parties and other social gatherings that helped build community.

Will taught Religion and is 90.

Larry was explaining how a 1940s thresher machine worked.

He is a biologist and 88.

Ruth is intense, even in repose.

She taught French and Italian and is my co-teacher in a Life Long Learning course we will teach this fall on The 1619 Project.

Ruth is 78.

I don’t remember the point Dave, another biologist, was making.

Maybe that’s because 20 years ago, as a college Vice President, he gently chided me for a snarky remark I made about the college’s poo-bahs.

I hope to lose my snark, when I turn 75.

Dave is 85. Thank goodness former administrators never fade away.

That’s me in the red cap looking and listening.

I’m going to be 73 and my photo-happy partner Rebecca is 71.

Most of those at Harland’s talk were over 75

The Last Quarter is where the game is won

Anglin and Emmanuel are right about the challenges of growing older.

There’s lots to fear.

But name a time in life when that was not so.

Raise your hand if you want to be 16 again.

No one understands the difficulties of life in the last quarter better than those who are still playing.

As I looked at Harland’s crowd, there was evidence everywhere.

Wheel chairs, walkers, canes, drooping heads, and at least one napper–sorry Harland.

Yet

They were all there.

Sill vital.

Sharing wisdom, experience and stories.

And Presence.

Because no one lives in the moment better than perennials.

Afterword

The phone holder below was carved by Jim, biologist # 3, who started these colloquia eight years ago.

Jim is a hop, skip, & jump beyond 80.