LOUD VOICES

Health

  • When in Doubt, Reboot

    There’s a favorite bit of advice in our household that was first delivered by our son at a young age. He always advised us to reboot whenever we had an issue with our computer, phones, or television. “When in doubt,… Continue reading

    When in Doubt, Reboot

  • Fat

    I was inspired by “My body is a cage of my own making” by Roxane Gay. This essay is about me and no one else. There was no disputing the blood test results. I am more than pre-diabetic. I’m on… Continue reading

    Fat

  • The Luckiest Person Alive

    Luck > Noun [mass noun] success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own action. Oxford English Dictionary. Not to diminish all the hard work I’ve put in over the years to succeed and fail—sometimes it feels… Continue reading

    The Luckiest Person Alive

  • 76

    Sunday, December 8, 2024, the age meter will advance one more year to 76. Yay, I made it. “He who hesitates is a damned fool.” ― Mae West I don’t know why I keep trying to hide the fact that I… Continue reading

    76

  • 75, a Lifetime of Experience, and a College Degree: What’s Next?

    Reflecting on my life journey, I have concluded that achieving your dreams is possible at any age. It took me nearly fifty-eight years from my high school graduation in 1966 to graduate from college this past May with a BA… Continue reading

    75, a Lifetime of Experience, and a College Degree: What’s Next?

  • I Ain’t No Superman

    “The heart is an organ about the size of your fist that pumps blood through your body. It is made up of multiple layers of tissue….Your heart’s electrical system controls the rate and rhythm of your heartbeat.” National Institute of… Continue reading

    I Ain’t No Superman

  • Being 75: The Bucket List

    December 8, 1948-2023 The day of 75 has arrived, and damn it, nothing happened. I didn’t emerge from a time machine so I could change all the dumb sh*t I’ve done in my life. Nope, I guess I will have… Continue reading

  • Becoming 75: Part Three 1999-2023

    On December 8, 2023, I will become 75 years (despite every effort in my life not to make that happen). I’m not going to lie. The last twenty-five years were probably crazier than the fifty years before them. Aside from… Continue reading

  • CR.A.A.P.

    I’ve recently been diagnosed with a pernicious disease, Creeping Aging Anxiety Phenomenon (CR.A.A.P.), primarily affecting aging Boomers. The “Don’t trust anyone over 30” generation finds themselves trapped in a cycle of denial with their best years behind them and the… Continue reading

  • COUGH.

    “You get medical insurance so that when you need it, the insurance company can determine that you can’t use it for what ails you because…well, they’re the insurance company.” Paraphrasing words of wisdom from my son, Antonio Nelson Ruiz, who… Continue reading