This past week I received two publications from AARP, The Magazine and The Bulletin. It seems that I have received such publications for many years and being a lousy record keeper, I have seldom paid attention to how far into the future I may have subscribed.

So I glanced at the mailing labels and found that I am paid through to May of 2026 — if I am still alive at that time!

I maybe should pay more attention to some of the notices I get from them and from other magazines and periodicals to which I have subscribed. To that extended subscription time, I guess I have to say, “Oh, Fiddlesticks!” and not renew the next time I get a mailing.

Coincidentally I have seen an advertisement on TV for AARP that has been a little disturbing. It consists of a person sitting on a comfortable sofa at the end of a short speech, she reaches over and pulls up a huge brandy-snifter that obviously contains at least a full bottle of what appears to be a dark red wine.

What was the message?

I am not really sure, but it looked to be promoting excessive drinking.

Don’t get me wrong — I also have great respect for much that AARP has done and continues to do. For about 10 years or more, I taught and supervised the Driver Safety Course to classes throughout southwest Minnesota and in a few of my later years doing that I also helped instruct a course designed by AARP that introduced and demonstrated safety devices for older drivers who may be working with a new vehicle.

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To back up a little, credit is given to at least two persons for the development of AARP. Ethel Percy Andrus, a teacher, had worked for the National Retired Teachers in 1947 and opened the organization to anyone over 50. Leonard Davis, a founder of the Colonial Penn Group insurance programs worked with AARP developing affiliated insurance options.

Though initially, AARP stood for American Association of Retired Persons, as of late, the organization is merely known as AARP (1999.) Recently, USA Today reports that it continues to rebrand itself and become the “go-to”address for feeling good about aging. A recent estimate of members is about 33 million.

Incidentally the two publications mentioned (Magazne and Bulletin) are the two largest circulation publications in the U.S.

jtr

The lead article in the November 2021 AARP Bulletin is a 50-year Report Card On the War on Cancer. Somewhat surprisingly, the War on Cancer was a declaration of one of our “disgraced” presidents which to me merely indicates that generally, every leader has some good results and some bad ones. Maybe the most famous such war was the War on Poverty and of course LBJ had both good and bad days.

It was Richard Nixon, who in December of 1971 started the war with what now seems such a tiny first battle. He called for just $100 million to help in curing this dreaded disease of cancer. Vincent DeVita Jr., M.D. was the medical branch chief of the National Cancer Institute at the time and was a bit skeptical, but eventually came to conclude that, “Money does buy ideas when you put brilliant scientists to work.”

He headed the National Cancer Institute from 1980 to 1988 and today, 50 years and $500 billion later he believes, “we are not only winning the war on cancer, but the death of cancer is inevitable.”

That all sounds very positive, but neverthless, they report that cancer is the number one killer of everyone ages 60 to 80.

Now what if you are like me and over 80?

Again, it is time to say, “Oh, Fiddlesticks!” and to continue for hope that treatments will be developed. Invasive cancer for such men is 1 in 2, for women it is 1 in 3.

jtr

If you aren’t too depressed by reading this report at this point, you might want to reference the original article in the AARP Bulletin that also provides some possible battles for an individual to take on their own. I close with some of their suggestions:

Quit smoking: One of those habits that not only helps on the cancer side, but on general well-being. Exercise is generally a good idea. Less alcohol is recommended. I did like the suggestion that you should drink your milk and in particular, maintain good levels of vitamin D. Coffee also (a cup a day) seems to have a beneficial effect as does green tea.

And sleep?

Get in at least six hours a night, preferably 7 to 9 hours.

Until next time: Oh, Fiddlesticks!