Jamie’s Corner, Chapter Six

Memo to self: remember to loop back to Mike Tyson.

But first:

Even though it’s not quite the end of the year, today’s holiday provides a natural backdrop for reflection on the many blessings we’ve received at Aging with Dignity in 2024. Once again, we’re on track to distribute nearly two million Five Wishes, furthering a 25-year legacy of helping families plan for uncertainty. We’ve trained thousands of healthcare professionals, and within the next two months we’ll have a new website alongside a new research project called Assisted Suicide Watch (stay tuned for updates). As our inspiration, Mother Teresa, frequently remarked, we are just pencils in God’s hand. He has blessed our work.

I can’t think of anywhere else that has a holiday quite like Thanksgiving. Setting aside a day to acknowledge the privileges of life creates “an attitude of gratitude.”

What better sums up a person aging with dignity than that phrase? Indeed, aging is a blessing, not a curse. As we accumulate years of living, we cultivate an appreciation for life’s many facets – the joyful, the sorrowful, and even the mundane.

Aging isn’t always pretty. Which brings me to Mike Tyson. A couple weeks ago, I stayed up well past my bedtime to watch on Netflix his circus fight against internet-troll-turned-boxing-wannabe Jake Paul. I’m a boxing fan, and I wanted to see if Tyson had any juice left. Alas, I was one of the many victims of Netflix’s marketing, and perhaps my own hubris; the event was a caricature of boxing. Tyson was so hobbled it bordered on elder abuse, although “Iron Mike” can change his nickname to “Golden Mike” since he took home an estimated $20 million for his troubles.

The following day, I couldn’t help but see the fight as more than a money grab by Tyson and self-promotion by Paul. The 58-year-old Tyson wanted to prove that he wasn’t getting old. Some say he was an inspiration to never give up on your dreams, but I didn’t see it that way. I saw another figure in a long line of desperate has-beens. Uncle Rico. Springsteen’s anthem, “Glory Days.” Regina George’s “Cool Mom” in Mean Girls. The lurid spectacle streamed by over 65 million households wasn’t just hard to watch because a legend became a dancing bear; it was hard because he couldn’t let his reputation speak for itself. He needed more.

Of course, Tyson’s not alone – our society is terrified of aging and death. We are awash in “longevity” research with men like Bryan Johnson promoting the delusion that people may never die. Plastic surgery, Botox, guys in their 70s wearing skinny jeans – it’s all a bit much, isn’t it?

Be countercultural this Thanksgiving. Demonstrate your gratitude for the life you’ve lived. Whether you’re 20, 40, or 100, you have had a chance to experience the highs and lows of life on this earth, and the blessings that accrue through time. We all know it’s not always easy to be thankful, but practice makes perfect. You are as young as you are grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Jamie