What Now?

Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis

The title of an article in a fashion magazine struck me: “What Now?” The blog was addressing the newest fashion trends. Oh, brother, if you’ve lived long enough, you’ve seen it all. What goes around comes around. Tight leggings vs. bell bottoms, short vs. long, big and baggy vs. form-fitting, stilettos vs. flats, big hair vs. shiny and sleek. There is nothing new; it’s just re-fashioned and usually more expensive. My granddaughter recently grabbed an old duster-type jean jacket of mine because it was cool---who knew? I thought it was ready for the Salvation Army! It was not fashion that stirred my thinking when I saw the title, “What Now?” It was the lifelong question many of us ask as we age: What happens next?

I recall a radio interview I heard recently with Norman Lear, the American television writer. He has produced dozens of sitcoms, including All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons and Maude. He was asked how he managed to be so creative and productive well into his 90’s. His answer was simple. When he finished one project, he would always say, “What’s next?” The key to successful aging is always to have the next project. What’s next for you? Sitting around waiting for something to happen is deadly. To have purpose every day that you wake up, something to do, and someone to see is good medicine for the body and the soul. Lear said, “I like to get up in the morning, but I like it best when I have something to do.” Maybe that’s why at 97, the title of his newest HBO movie is, “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast.”

"Life is made up of small pleasures. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all these tiny ones, the big ones don't really mean anything." Norman Lear