The advantage of growing old.

I’m trying to learn how to grow old. Gracefully. Ain’t easy. But I’m making progress. When I was 65, I was able to climb on a treadmill and run a 7-minute mile. Wouldn’t do that today. Wouldn’t even try. I have more sense. I just turned 74 in September. And I generally walk 6 to 10 miles a day. Including 14-minute miles. Some weeks I go 70 miles. Doubt that I’ll be as adept and agile if I reach my 80s. But hey, I’ll figure out something in an attempt to stay physically active. Sure, I wish I had a younger body. In prime condition. But I have to accept the fact of aging. I can’t do everything as well as I used to. But in some respects, I’m better at 74 than I was at 34 or 44. For instance, I have a better command of the English language. And more life experience. I suspect that makes me more expressive. More knowledgeable. Maybe even more human. By the time my dear wife Jeanne reached 74, she was trying to cope with Alzheimer’s. She died almost three years ago. So far, I’ve been lucky. And I hope to continue that way. I’m in love. I travel to Italy. And Scotland. I’m a retired writer, sort of. No longer writing for newspapers. But I still write. Daily. A blog. And love letters. Really, all sorts of things. Keeps my mind as active as my body. Oh, I suppose I do dread a little bit losing my health, my physical and mental being. But I don’t dwell on it. I live one day at a time. And try to make the most and best of it. Savoring life. I suppose that’s the advantage of growing old. Gives one more time to learn. And savor. –Jim Broede

Let's march off to Washington.

I hear lots of disenchantment with Washington. With the federal government. Especially from political conservatives. Opposed to big government. They want the private sector to run just about everything. Well, as a liberal, I tend to like government involvement. Because the private sector is out to make big profits. Off health care, for instance. Little wonder that polls generally show that two-thirds to three-fourths of Americans favor a public option. But we may not get it. Because the same federal government that conservatives rail against will stop it. Will deny what most Americans want. That ain't my kind of democracy. It's giving the minority what they want. And they'll get it. Because the majority of us just sit on our hands. When we should be taking to the streets. And marching off to Washington. To seize control. --Jim Broede

With the Cubs, I live and die.

I've lived in Minnesota since 1965. Yes, a long time. But still, I'm no ardent fan of Minnesota's professional sports teams, such as the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings. Odd as it may seem, often I am pulling for them to lose. That's because I was brought up as a Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears fan. I remain loyal to them. The Twins are in a pennant race in the last week of the baseball season. If they had beat Detroit last night, they would have tied for first place. With 5 games to play. The fact that the Twins lost doesn't bother me. Now, if the Cubs were in that situation, I would have been distraught. Oh, it'd be nice if the Twins won and got into World Series. But with the Twins, I can take 'em or leave 'em. With the Cubs, however, I live and die. --Jim Broede

I'm an obliging fella.

I'm assuming that people treat me essentially the same way they want to be treated. In other words, if they treat me badly -- well, then they are pleading with me to treat them in similar manner. For instance, a woman writes to me and calls me odd names and makes up derogatory presuppositions. So I try to do her one better. I find even odder names and even more negative fibs. Call it a Broede interpretation of the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you'd want to be treated. Now, I don't want to be treated like this particular woman treats me. But seems to me she's asking to be treated rudely. And I'm an obliging fella. So I grant her wish. --Jim Broede

I'm afraid Durocher was right.

Leo Durocher, who was a very feisty major league baseball manager, including a stint with my Chicago Cubs, summed up his philosophy this way: "Nice guys finish last." Durocher encouraged his players to play hard, and dirty, if necessary. To not be too nice to the opposition. That was the way to win. Well, in the world of politics, Barack Obama is a nice guy. And we'll see what happens. Maybe he'll finish at the bottom of the heap. Because he's up against some dirty and hateful politicians, namely Republicans. Yes, the kinds of guys and gals that would make Durocher happy -- that is, if they were ballplayers. They would even lie and cheat. Just for the sake of winning. You'd think that Obama and the heavily Democratic Congress could easily get their way. They have the power. But by golly, Obama has insisted so far in being a nice guy. Very accommodating. Even to Republicans who seek to undermine him at every turn. Seems to me that Obama is trying to prove Durocher wrong about nice guys. That's laudable. But I'm afraid Durocher was right. Especially when one plays in the political realm. --Jim Broede

Enraptured. By the moment.

Amazing. How nature changes. Two days of high winds. White caps on the lake. But tonight. The water. Smooth as glass. Full of orange and pink color. The reflected sunset. Trees. Silhouetted against the sky. Oh, so quiet. Not even a whisper. As if time has stopped. No motion. I sit. Transfixed. Enraptured. By the moment. --Jim Broede

Yes, funny, funny, funny.

Life is funny. And maybe that's the saving grace. One can always choose to laugh. Even over sad situations. Because much of life is absurd. No apparent rhyme or reason. Such as continuous warfare. And people shouting at each other. And that's what we choose to highlight. In the media. The freaks. And the controversy. Doesn't matter which TV channel I turn on. Much sooner than later, I'll see and hear something outlandish. Especially on the newscasts. It really isn't news. But meant to be entertaining. Yes, people want to be entertained. And told everything they need to know in 30 seconds. Otherwise, it's a waste of time. Because we have better things to do than become knowledgeable on complex issues. Yes, funny, funny, funny. --Jim Broede