Getting Old in the US of A

 Getting old in inevitable.  Youth does not seem to last very long.  As soon as females get married and have children their figures are all but destroyed.  As soon as males get married, they have a tendency to eat and drink more than they should, and before long they are walking around with a nice beer belly twice their size.

The US of A is not the place in which you want to grow older because you are exposed to more temptations than you would find in most other countries.

Our fast foods are the worst enemy of the aging process, but our grocery stores and restaurants are all full of FAT BUILDING foods.  Many of our restaurants have ALL YOU CAN EAT menus and without thinking about the per person prices, these restaurants are always full.

Now I am sure these foods in some shape or form are available also throughout Europe, but the people who live in those European countries seem to be more active than the people who live in the US of A.

What amazes me is that when I am watching television, one commercial talks about how much you can eat but not how unhealthy the food is, and the next commercial talks about what you can do to lose weight.   Both sides of the fence are multi-million-dollar industries.

Most of the time when I join my wife on shopping trips to the mall, I usually find a seat or bench in the middle of the mall and sit there after getting a Starbuck's Vanilla Cappuccino and watch the people while she shops.  I am always amazed when I do this because more obese people pass by me than slim people.

And, the obesity is not limited to males or females, it applies to both and the age does not seem to make any difference...  although, you would not expect to see so many fat young people because they should be active outside playing.

The other issue I have discovered is that fat people try to wear the same clothes that are designed for thin people and the results are sometimes hilarious, and I know I should not laugh because I am a few pounds overweight as well...  but I am 75 years old. I am 212 and I should be 200 I believe.  But, I did not have any fat on me until age 60 when I began treatments for cancer and was given steroids.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, the US of A is the preferred place to grow old because of all the accommodations made for old people.  The same accommodations that have been made for the handicapped, benefit old people as well, even though they are not in wheelchairs.

I also believe that healthcare is better in the US of A than elsewhere in the world, even though it may cost a little more.

However, I cannot imagine getting old and still living inside a large city with all the traffic, crime and violence taking place there.  Instead of driving places, people who live in the city, take taxis.  In the long run, spending money on taxis is cheaper that buying and maintaining a motor vehicle.

Where we are living, if I cannot rely on myself or my wife, then I must rely on the kindness of a neighbor.  We have no problems with neighbors where we live.  While we help each other out, we don't necessarily invite neighbors to share a meal with us.

The best way to avoid old age is not to get old.