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Growing Old Gracefully
Posted on 2024-04-24
Growing Old Gracefully
Staff notes april 16
“I just want to grow old gracefully,” who came up with this as a worthwhile way to spend their days? Somehow I can't imagine any of the guys I know saying anything about growing old in this manner. It's not impossible but I'm betting it's a woman thing.
That being said I wonder if those women who express this desire picture themselves pirouetting through their 80s in a tutu. This is not how I expect old age to play out. In fact it perplexes me that this should be anyone's goal and yet so many reportedly hope to reach old age in this fashion. I will probably stumble my way through old age just as I did my youth.
I searched the web to find the source of this ideology, but though many were credited with expressing the desire, no one person stood out as the purveyor of this method as the best one for aging.
After considering the whole growing old gracefully concept I decided to be fair and admit maybe I just didn't understand what aging has to do with being graceful. I thought I had a pretty good idea about age so I looked up the definition of graceful to learn how the two words relate to each other.
.
The first definition of graceful, according to Webster, is to move in a smooth and attractive way. Not feeling enlightened I confess I didn't see much hope for this to be the route that would carry a woman with two left feet through the aging process.
The second definition of graceful is a smooth and pleasing shape. Nowhere did it say anything about wrinkles and sagging body parts?
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Posted on 2024-04-24
Growing Old Gracefully
Staff notes april 16
“I just want to grow old gracefully,” who came up with this as a worthwhile way to spend their days? Somehow I can't imagine any of the guys I know saying anything about growing old in this manner. It's not impossible but I'm betting it's a woman thing.
That being said I wonder if those women who express this desire picture themselves pirouetting through their 80s in a tutu. This is not how I expect old age to play out. In fact it perplexes me that this should be anyone's goal and yet so many reportedly hope to reach old age in this fashion. I will probably stumble my way through old age just as I did my youth.
I searched the web to find the source of this ideology, but though many were credited with expressing the desire, no one person stood out as the purveyor of this method as the best one for aging.
After considering the whole growing old gracefully concept I decided to be fair and admit maybe I just didn't understand what aging has to do with being graceful. I thought I had a pretty good idea about age so I looked up the definition of graceful to learn how the two words relate to each other.
.
The first definition of graceful, according to Webster, is to move in a smooth and attractive way. Not feeling enlightened I confess I didn't see much hope for this to be the route that would carry a woman with two left feet through the aging process.
The second definition of graceful is a smooth and pleasing shape. Nowhere did it say anything about wrinkles and sagging body parts?
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by Vivian Heyl 1950-2024
Vivian Running Sound At Blues Fest
Vivian was editor at Delta Boogie since we started the site in 1996. She wrote almost all of our Delta Musicians section, the most popular area on Delta Boogie. She also wrote anything else on Delta Boogie that doesn't have a byline.
She also worked for the Times Dispatch in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, where she contributed many features and some reporting. Her work at the Times Dispatch regularly won awards from the Arkansas Press Association.
Writing was her passion. She wrote for her whole life. Much of it we still have in computer files. I am posting her work here as I find it.
by Larry Heyl
Links
Delta Boogie
Gamer+
Related To Geeks
Gretchen says:
Today we celebrate Vivian Heyl. Mom, Grandma, Viv. Whatever name you knew her by, I'm sure at some point in time she used her gift of nurturing on you. She was indeed a nurturer - of the mind, body and spirit. Her words of encouragement could only be outdone by her quick wit and, when needed, sharp tongue. She loved unconditionally, but she had no problem calling you on your crap. She welcomed ALL to her family - and about the only thing that would get you unwelcome was making someone else feel that way. Today we celebrate the life she lived, the example she set and the love she shared.
Many have asked what they can do for the family or in memory of Mom - I offer these suggestions:
Play a game with your family. There is nothing that would be a better gift than to share joy with your family and in memory of Mom.
Read a book (it can have pictures). Mom loved to go on adventures in books and she led us kids down the same path.
Encourage a kid (preferably one who no else even seems to notice). I promise that is the one Mom would spot first and immediately bring into the fold.
We would also love to hear your stories about Mom. We would love anyone who would like to share stories or memories to do so in the comment thread. Maybe you have a story where you realized, possibly even years later, that you had been molded by a momma's love in the form of Vivian Heyl.
If you would like to make a memorial gift, please consider the children and youth fund at Brookland UMC or the friends of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, the Lawrence County Library or your local library.
Lastly, just keep loving us! We are sad, but we are blessed.
Add your words to the comments thread:
Words and Comments
Delta Boogie Newsletter/Gamer+ News - May 2024 - This One's For Vivian
https://gamerplus.org/@hairylarry/pages/1714661546292
My wife Vivian was the editor of Delta Boogie and a regular contributor to Gamer+. She helped me with everything I did including Blues Fest for 25 years, The Bandshell Project, Jonesboro Computer Services, The Jonesboro User Group, and so much more. I don't know what I'll do without her.
On April 18, 2024, Vivian passed on.
She was a writer all her life and I am collecting her writings here.
https://deltaboogie.net/words
She worked at The Times Dispatch in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, for years. Her features regularly won Awards from the Arkansas Press Association.
She wrote almost all of Delta Musicians, the most popular section on Delta Boogie, where she provided Delta Bluesmen with a place on the internet back in the nineties. She also wrote all of the articles on Delta Boogie that do not have a byline.
She played and ran fantasy RPGs with dice and miniatures at ASU Beebe in the early seventies before D&D was published.
We home schooled our children and she saw their love of D&D as an educational opportunity for reading, writing, history, the arts, and, of course, math.
She loved music and games and she raised a family of musicians and gamers.
We have five children and seven grandchildren. I had two boys before we married and she loved them like her own.
She saved my life and she gave me a good life. I love her still and always.
For her, I thank you all, for your continued support of Delta Boogie, Gamer+, Delta music, NEA gaming and whatever else it is that you do to make the world a little bit better.
Please take a minute and say a prayer.
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
https://gamerplus.org/@hairylarry
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com
Comment thread here.