My wife and I are holding a dinner party this coming Sunday. However, one of our invitees is not coming. Her son was in contact with a relative that tested positive for Delta. Her son tested negative, but they are taking no chances, so she's staying home.
This is how deep the paranoia is these days. To be in contact with someone who was in contact with someone that caught the sniffles is sufficient reason for self-isolation. With this level of fragility, I wonder how people will cope when things really turn nasty?
Now is clearly not the time to depend on our fellow men and women to keep us safe. I'd hate to go to a hospital with this nonsense going on. Only vaccinated people are allowed to visit, and they will no doubt treat any unvaccinated patient like scum.
There's also the spectre of a real plague coming our way. The signs are everywhere. We're living in times similar to those leading up to the Black Death. The climate is turning nasty and people are weak and frail. Only the strong and fit survived the great plague, and even they were decimated. Those stuck in crowded places were much worse off than the ones who moved out to the country in time.
Two things are essential for survival through times of pestilence. A healthy buffer of savings, and generally good health. If we don't stay warm and comfortable, our odds of survival go down. If we don't have liquid assets, we're limited in our options, which can be fatal in a time of crisis. However, we don't have to be apocalyptic in our outlook in order to take this advice. Taking care of ourselves and our personal finances make sense under any condition. Nothing is lost in doing this.
I'm 57 years old, and I'm starting to sense the onset of old age. It's right there at the periphery. Little things that never bothered me are starting to wear on me, and I better start taking this seriously. I can't go on ignoring them for ever. They won't go away on their own, and the last thing I want is to find myself forced to go to a hospital.
In some ways, I'm more fit now than I was some 15 years ago, thanks to my wonderful wife who've fattened me up and made me more robust, both physically and mentally. A great spouse is key to a long and healthy life. I'm sure about that. I used to be constantly on edge and nervous. That's all gone. Funny thing about nerves is that they tend to act on our skin. I used to have all sorts of skin problems before I met my wife. That too is gone. However, there are some habits I have to change.
My liver has been talking to me for years now. I've ignored the faint feeling of numbness. But I know perfectly well what it's telling me, so I've cut back on alcohol, and the numbness is already subsiding. I'm no alcoholic, so it doesn't cost me any effort to reduce my alcohol consumption. I just have to get used to drinking water at meal times. It's a little sad compared to wine. But my body seems to appreciate my change in habit, so it's worth it.
Coffee gives me haemorrhoids. That's always been the case with me, and all I need to do to get rid of it is to stop drinking coffee. I like coffee, so it's a bit of a loss. But I better stop now. However, I'm prone to coffee addiction. Unlike alcohol, which I can stop drinking any time without any noticeable reaction, I develop abstinence symptoms when quitting coffee. I get muscle aches and head aches. My lower back can give me some real pain. Since I know this to be the case, I compensate with an aspirin every now and again during the first week of abstinence.
I'm also prone to constipation. I eat too little fibre. My solution to this is oat meal porridge, mixed with cooked apple and honey, cooked fresh every morning. I like this particular dish, and my stomach loves it. I get the dual benefit of a nice meal and a healthy, light feeling. The result of this has been quite remarkable. My belly has become flatter. My belt is now worn one notch tighter, and I'm only a few weeks into this new regime. Apparently, my belly was not fat but bloated. The porridge has done me a lot of good, and I haven't sacrificed anything in the process. But the benefit hasn't come completely without pain.
The relatively rapid change to my digestion has led to a painful itch from my now non-existent haemorrhoids. It's especially bad in the evenings for some reason. But I interpret this as merely a reaction to the changes that I've hoisted onto myself. Our bodies get used to certain things. Me cutting back on alcohol and coffee while piling up on fibres was just too much to handle without some pain. I'm sure the itch will disappear as soon as my new regime has been in place for a little longer. All in all, I feel better, so there's no point in going back just to cure an itch that comes and goes.
Finally, I've decided to deal with a persistent fungus problem I've had on my right foot ever since my late teens. Having initially tried a few pharmaceuticals without any luck, I gave up on it, and I haven't thought much about it until quite recently when it started spreading.
The remedy for the problem may be simple. Inspired by our wax plant which I keep free from pests by physically removing them from the plant, I figure I should do the same with my foot. That which is visibly wrong is treated with whatever is required to make it look better. Dry skin is oiled. Nails are kept tidy. Excess dead skin is cut and removed. This type of strategy works wonders for my wax plant, and it looks like my foot is improving as well. When it comes to this kind of visible problems, fake it till you make it may be the right strategy. If nothing else, my foot looks better.
Growing old will probably require this kind of discipline. I might as well get used to it. And in the end, there's nothing sacrificed. I will still enjoy the odd glass of wine. I'll drink a cup of coffee now and again, and I'll eat my porridge with pleasure. For the rest, I'll stick to the diet my wife has been feeding me ever since we met. Her wonderful cooking will keep me alive for ever.
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| A roast lamb dinner |
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