Now I find that I can go to bed sober & still wake up with a hangover. Ain't aging grand!?!
“What a drag it is getting old.” (Mother's Little Helper The Rolling Stones.)
My ears are starting to fail, as The Adorable One (my wife) often reminds me. Too many years of loud Rock'n'Roll, I imagine. There are consolations, however. I find that my ears live in a much more interesting world than I actually live in. Fer instance: I'm buying my groceries at the Food Co-op this morning when I “hear” the bagger ask the checker “What's your favorite kind of tumult?” I thought “What a great question!” Turns out it was “donut” not “tumult”.
Timeline:
1969 I drew #3 in the draft lottery for the Vietnam Police Action. I petitioned for & was granted Conscientious Objector status. I was assigned to two years of alternative service.
1970-74 I worked in many positions (sometimes literally) at Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Denver. I enjoyed the work so much that I stayed an extra two years.
1974-78 I moved to Sandy Ego with Chris, a C6 quadriplegic who I met at Craig. I was his attendant while he attended San Diego State. Chris & our other roommates moved back to Denver & I moved...
1978-2005 ...to Sacredtomato, CA, & went to work in the PT department at UC Davis Med Center, which is the teaching hospital for the Uni down the road in Davis. The bulk of my years are spent in Rehab working with spinal cord injuries, head trauma, strokes, burns & neuromuscular diseases. In 1982, I challenged & passed the state licensure exam & became a PT Assistant. I “retired” in June of 2005.
2005-08 I've been working about 30 hours a week at an itty-bitty out-patient clinic 3 miles from home & work occasionally for a registry at various facilities around town.
In 1992, while taking an international folk dance class, I noticed this delightful woman with mischievous pixilated eyes & an infectious laugh. In 2002, Myra Levin agreed to be my wife. She has maintained her own last name because, after all, Ham isn't kosher. We were both 52 & neither of us had ever been married. She has made me very happy & driven me crazier than I already was.
I'm still a devourer of books & a collector of music. Ramones to Romania, Hank Williams to Howlin Wolf, Coltrane to Klezmer, with a special affection for brass band music. I've been part of a folk dance performance group & have organized the Code Blues Med Station for several annual festivals. I still occasionally take classes as the spirit moves me. I took Astronomy when Haley's Comet came through, because I knew they had a big telescope, & I took Pre-Algebra & Algebra a couple of years ago just to test the ol' brain cells.
I'm looking forward to seeing & visiting with people, hearing about life journeys, passions & families. Curious about how we're holding up as we creep into Geezerdom. Don't be surprised if I ask you about your favorite kind of tumult.