Up The Creek Without A Paddle
How to live longer and better
by Terry Toole

At times like this, I try to read everything that I might do to try and live longer especially since I've already gotten in my three score and 10 written in the Bible, and we've gone back to the Old West in Colquitt.

There is no doubt about it; we all want to live long, healthy lives. If you read the newspapers, books, magazines and email, there are some great pointers on how to keep going strong and living longer.

Here are some of the pointers that will help keep you going better and longer:

•Keeping physically active as you age is a vital ingredient for maintaining health and vigor. Whether you're walking, dancing or gardening, you're promoting feelings of well being and improving your health. Physical exercise also helps keep "the blues" at bay.

•Speaking two (or more) languages -- bilingualism enhances the brain vasculature and neural plasticity. If you don't want to do that, reading and continued learning will do right well.

•Living in the mountains; adapting to altitude helps your body adapt to lower levels of oxygen, and uphill walks provide a more strenuous exercise, which is better for your heart.

•Having a good marriage and a supportive spouse.

•Having a network of good friends.

I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in on most of those points to better living, longer.

Other than sitting in front of this computer too long at a time, my oldest daughter, Tammy, and I get in our walks each morning. Since I'm the only man in this business, I am also the flunky who gets to move the heavy stuff, like loading a ton of newspapers or unloading, loading again, and unloading again. At the age of 71, I've even learned to get loose from a choke hold or be gone when the business is being shot up.

I've been accused of speaking two languages. One is Southern English; the other language I'm still working on is English. If you work with computers, you are constantly learning something new. There is very little that a computer can't do, if you can learn how to tell it to do what you want. They are wonderful if you know, but frustrating if you don't know what you are doing.

We get to go to the mountains once or twice a year. If I moved from here, I wouldn't mind moving to our home in the mountains of Tennessee, except in the winter. I'm not planning on leaving.

•After 51 years of married bliss with a few bumps along the way, we consider ours a great marriage, and although my spouse doesn't agree with everything I do, she is most supportive and one that I can always depend on.

•There is no doubt in my mind that I am one of the most blessed of people with our network of friends. With all my faults and shortcomings, we have more friends than anyone one could deserve to have. Even my enemies have been my friends and from time to time they will be my friends again in spite of me, and them.

In this business of writing the news and writing my opinions, I'm not too sure which one makes the most people happy or hate. I continuously go through our past editions to make sure that there is more good in the Miller County Liberal than there is bad. The bad is always read by more than the good even in the same article. That is human nature, one of our many flaws.

We have made the news recently in ways that everyone involved would have rather it never happened, especially me, but it did. No one enjoys telling of our flaws and sorriness, but by reporting them, maybe it will show us how to better ourselves.

It is true that most people in their lives are not threatened to be killed, shot at or had wild animals placed inbad places. There are many things that we do, we just ought not to do. May we forgive the doers as we hope our Maker forgives our transgressions.

As bad as we are at times, it does not make me want to live or work any other place on this globe. I intend to stay right here and continue to do the best that I can for as long as I can.

P.S. - I was told where the pistol was that shot up this newspaper office and who the gun belonged to, and when and who did the shooting, I was told who placed the armadillo in our news rack. I enjoy fun, but some things aren't fun. Things like this do not make you live longer, or better.