Making Changes

In my previous writing I wrote about cramping our style. What we have to do unfortunately is make changes in our lives the older we get. It is not the easiest thing to do because so many things we have done for so many years. It is why I said cramping our style; however, the changes do need to happen.

What I find the biggest issue that has happened is the way things have changed over the years. At least in most of the good old USA; here in Gig Harbor, Washington the town has grown so much though it is still considered a small town, and it will always be because there is not a whole lot more growth. Growing up in Gig Harbor there was very few places that someone or a family could eat out. We had only a few restaurants in town maybe two or three so our family did not east out often. I am not sure we would have anyway; however, you would have to go into Tacoma to have a really nice meal if you did not want to eat at the local restaurants. In those days Gig Harbor had no fast food restaurants either; now almost every chain of fast food restaurants is in the harbor. It does not count the coffee shops that are in town. There is several coffee shops on ever block so these days easy to stop every day for something to drink or eat. Our family did not drink a lot of soda either while now it is a staple for every teenager or younger.

There are other changes that have happened in Gig Harbor besides having more restaurants. When I was growing up we had one stop light where now there are quite a few at least for a small town anyway. In those days we had a couple shopping centers primarily to buy groceries while now there are at least having a half dozen or more. I have to think about how many we actually have but I am sure it is close to ten of them. In about year another shopping center will be here. The thing about these shopping centers now they have a lot more than groceries; it is not all bad because you can buy clothes, and shoes. When I was growing up you had to go into Tacoma to buy those things. Actually it has only been in the last ten years or so these things became available.

These are only the beginning of change in our lives. We all know about computers and smart phones that have become so much of each of our lives. Our children and grandchildren have no idea what our lives were like without all the technology. I am sure our lives would have been different if those things were around in those days; however, I had a really good time growing up without them.

For all of us growing older we have to look at changes in another way as well. For those who have parents still alive they are now moving into nursing homes, assistant living, or we are taking care of them like I am with my mother. Most of them have downsized from a large home to a smaller one or an apartment/condo; however, their health does not let them move around as much. Of course, those changes affect our lives as well as theirs. The older we get us to have to make changes of downsizing, and likely into senior housing down the road.

None of this change is easy on any of us. For one thing most of us do not like change at all especially the older we get; however, the change unfortunately like I said before really does cramp our style but is necessary especially if we want to live for a long time.

I look at myself and I am taking prescriptions now like my mother has been doing for a while. I have to take them for my heart, blood pressure, blood clots, and kidney stones. What a way of life now. LOL. I have to change my diet whether I want to or not. Somethings have been easier to change in my diet than other things. It is difficult to do; however, I know it is a must if I plan to be around for another thirty years or so. Some of those who have died in my age group is they either did not look out for their health and make the added changes or they had bad luck. Some health issues like cancer or brain tumors there is not much to prevent them from happening. I am not a doctor or say I have any expertize in the medical profession so those things can’t be prevented. The best you can do is eating healthy, exercise, and hope for the best. Let’s make the changes no matter how much it cramps our style. Have a great weekend and great health. We can hope that we are all around for many years to come. Just laugh at those cream pies why we walk right past them.