Hello again, faithful and dependable seniors. It seems we have miraculously made it through another New England winter. Once again Mother Nature let us know that she was in charge, as she was and always will be.

Although our local snows were light this year, the severe cold kept us close to the fires. But we are New Englanders, a tough, resourceful and hardy lot who used our experience and Yankee ingenuity to survive another winter. Now it is April and spring is definitely in the air. When we get past St. Patrick’s Day, there is no turning back for you can sense and smell the greening of the earth and it feels good!

Yes, it's April and old Mother Nature might still have a few tricks up her sleeves, but now we can start to relax for the earth is once again coming alive, the soil is warming for planting, the grass is starting to green up, crocuses and daffodils are cautiously probing up through the winter debris, the temperatures are easing to allow morning and evening strolls and the Red Sox are once again promising us the World Series—will we ever see it?

Hope springs eternal—and seniors are denying and defining the limits of their age. They are self-confident and optimistic, and they plan to beat old age. Baby boomers believe they will be healthy and free from aches and pains well into their 70’s and 80’s. A National survey of 1000 boomers, conducted by the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, found that half of the responders said they will not feel their age until after 80. Your humble servant is getting to that age—and admittedly some days I do feel it. But you can be cynical about all these age and number surveys or go with it. I choose to go with it as it makes life easier and more rewarding. I guess you can call me and many seniors eternal optimists as we make way for Grandma coming down the street—not in her wheelchair, but with leotards, a crash helmet and roller blades—shouting “watch out kiddo!!!

Many younger people think seniors are the great complainers of the world, that all we ever do is talk about the good old days. Yes, we do remember those days with fond memories for it was an easier time, more family oriented with more caring, sharing, and depending on each other. Our generation might just have been lucky in the timing of growing up when we could sit on the front porch, in the cool of the evening, say hello to our neighbors who we knew by name, sip on a cold Narragansett beer or an iced lemonade and listen to the Red Sox—on radio— who were, even then, promising us the pennant for that year!

Some things never change, but the old days were not all hunky-dory and rosy as we remember the great depression and severe hard times. Growing up we even had a drug problem, but this problem gave us the fortitude to become “the greatest generation”, one that would form our country into what it is today. This is how the drug problem worked for us: We were drug to church on Sunday morning, we were drug to church for weddings and funerals, we were drug to family reunions no matter the weather, we were drug to the bus stop to go to school every week day, we were drug by our ears when we were disrespectful to adults and teachers.

We were also drug to the woodshed when we disobeyed our parents. These drugs are still in our veins and they affect our behavior in everything we do, say and think. They
are stronger than cocaine, crack or heroin, and if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, the USA might be a better place. Stay well, and have a good day!

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Prior Columns by Jim Cassidy