Staying Engaged In Life

At 97, he was the oldest person in the neighborhood, and at 96 his wife was a close second. They still lived in their own home, he drove his truck most every day, and in all manners, they took care of themselves.  Born in 1889, he was raised in an apartment above his dad’s livery stable and blacksmith shop. He learned the trade, and by the time he was a teen, he and his dad were partners. 

By 1909, the year he got married, his dad had read the handwriting on the stable and blacksmith shop walls, and made a decision.  If they wanted to stay in business, they had to adapt and change with the times. They contacted Ford Motor Company to inquire about converting their shop and stable into a garage and showroom for the new Model T. Once approved, they opened the first dealership and garage in their region later that same year, and they remained in business.  

In December of ‘09, while helping his dad put a sign of the soon-to-become famous Ford oval logo atop their garage, he fell. The prognoses wasn’t good. Both of the town doctors agreed that the chances of him ever walking again were slim. He and his family were devastated, but not for long. Just as they had done earlier that year, a change came to them, and they were going to adapt. They were going to do so, because they wanted to continue engaging in life, as much as possible, on their terms. 

He viewed his wheelchair as temporary, and so it was. By February he had traded the wheelchair for two canes. Within two weeks, he was down to one cane.  He and his family were thankful, and the doctors were amazed.  By the end of April, with the aid of a small leg brace provided by a physician who specialized in the care of polio patients, he was walking on his own. On the advice of that doctors, he agreed to “take it easy” until he became sure and steady on that leg. 

One of the big news stories during the spring of 1910, was the highly anticipated reappearance of Haley’s Comet. It had last been seen in 1835. In their town, the mayor, who was also the physics teacher at the high school, arranged for a public viewing for Friday night May 20^th, with the 21^st scheduled as a rain date.  Those interested would gather at 9:00, in Veterans Park on a bluff above the river. He asked that everyone walk, so automobile headlights would not interrupt the darkness. He also arranged to have the street lamps turned off during the viewing.

With a little more than a mile walk from their house, he had made up his mind that he was going. That would be the farthest he had walked since his fall. His dad offered to hitch up one of the two horses they still had and take him down in a buggy.  His wife offered to push him in his wheel chair. His response said a lot about him. “Now how would it look for the local car dealer to be riding around in a horse and buggy?  And as for the wheelchair, I’m past that, and I’m not going back, but thanks for the offers.”  He walked, both ways with a smile and without a complaint. As he and his wife watched the comet, he commented that they’d be really old when it came again in 1986. 

Over the next 76 years, the pluck he and his wife showed to see that comet continued. They were undoubtedly a perfect match. Their individual and shared interests kept them active and engaged. They didn’t fear change, and they generally embraced new developments and opportunities.   

Seventy-six years later, he suggested a comet party and she agreed. It was set for Monday, April 7, 1986 with the 8^th as the rain date.  It would be in their back yard which had little or no light pollution. During the party, a young neighbors asked if he had seen the comet the last time. He shared that both he and his wife had, and that they saw it together. Somewhat amazed, she asked how he lived so long. He answered without hesitation.

“Oh, I suppose it’s lots of things. A good gene pool, good medical care, a healthy life-style and attitude, faith, love, and lots of other factors. Personally, being engaged in life and adapting to changing times seems to have long been my recurring ace in the hole.” He paused then said, “And having an engaged partner has been really important too!”

Haley’s Comet will be around again in 2061.

How engaged are you in life?