Blessings

By William K. Summers, MD
© 2000-William K. Summers, MD

Y2K has now come and gone. After debating which New Year's to celebrate - London, Newfoundland, New York, etc., my wife and I chose New York. It was a tough call. If we chose London, we could have gotten to bed by 4:00 pm New Mexico time. The next morning we checked electronic devices and body parts. We were spared. So it is time to re-focus on the positive. It is time to count blessings. When you reach eighty or older you may have a 25 - 30% chance of having dementia. However, you have a seventy to seventy-five percent chance of having your wits about you. That is a blessing. Three out of four octogenarians are sage elders with a huge fund of knowledge that the youngsters (under eighty) should take the time to tap into. At age sixty-five, the numbers are even more impressive. Ninety per cent of sixty-five-year-olds have normal memory. Sure, there are some fading recollections. But they do not have dementia. They are assets to the community. So, how did the image that "to be over sixty-five meant dementia" get started? It started about one hundred and twenty years ago in Germany. Otto Eduard Bismarck (1815 - 1898), known at "The Iron Chancellor" of the first German Reich, had several enemies among the Prussian Generals who disliked his manipulation of affairs of the German State. In analyzing the situation, he noted that most of his powerful enemies were over 65. Bismarck, in the 1880's, was under pressure from the socialists. In a brilliant maneuver, as clever as a recent United States President or two, Chancellor Bismark passed legislation rewarding Germans over age 65 with a state pension. They were retired from the rigors of employment. Bismarck was credited with great compassion, when he actually was attempting to eliminate his opposition. His reorganization allowed for a strong militaristic Germany, setting the stage for World War I. Bismark's idea was so popular that it was adopted by England and later by the United States. The retirement of our elders subsequently led to the modern day image that seniors are retired BECAUSE of dementia. Some people (mostly the under 30 crowd) actually have the image that on one's 65th birthday you forget how to blow out the candles!! So get out there and spread the word. The vast majority of seniors are a library of knowledge and experience, even the over 85-year-old crowd. They are blessings to us younger people if we will take the time to listen. If you are over 65, fight back. Be active. Talk to youngsters. They need your knowledge.

To your Health and Happy New Millennium!!