Tom, this is a splendid piece. It resonates deeply with me. I am four years younger than you, and yes, the ending of this strange and beautiful life is somewhere on the horizon. I had my own brush with a demise 7 years ago (nothing as complicated as the dreaded Whipple maneuver), and made it back. It was a transformational experience, with a completely positive resolution.
I have engaged in strength training for the past dozen years, which has helped me to maintain and in some ways, flourish. My weight lifting bible, The Barbell Prescription, compares the binary end of life choices between inactivity and activity, and asks the question, why not just think of death as one last bad workout, rather than a long, slow, spiral around the drain.
I'm a recent subscriber and enjoying your writing very much. When/if you decide to ask for paid subscriptions, I may have to do some financial juggling so I can contribute. Too many damn good writers on substack!
Thanks, Terry. My motto this year is "Stay Alive in Twenty-Five." Has worked so far. The heaviest thing I lift is a ping pong paddle three times a week. Moving it around, side to side, does give me some exercise. Think up a good motto for 2026. tlc
Tom, this is a splendid piece. It resonates deeply with me. I am four years younger than you, and yes, the ending of this strange and beautiful life is somewhere on the horizon. I had my own brush with a demise 7 years ago (nothing as complicated as the dreaded Whipple maneuver), and made it back. It was a transformational experience, with a completely positive resolution.
I have engaged in strength training for the past dozen years, which has helped me to maintain and in some ways, flourish. My weight lifting bible, The Barbell Prescription, compares the binary end of life choices between inactivity and activity, and asks the question, why not just think of death as one last bad workout, rather than a long, slow, spiral around the drain.
I'm a recent subscriber and enjoying your writing very much. When/if you decide to ask for paid subscriptions, I may have to do some financial juggling so I can contribute. Too many damn good writers on substack!
Thanks, Terry. My motto this year is "Stay Alive in Twenty-Five." Has worked so far. The heaviest thing I lift is a ping pong paddle three times a week. Moving it around, side to side, does give me some exercise. Think up a good motto for 2026. tlc