“Old men are known for having few if any friends, so if their spouses die and they can’t remarry, according to conventional graduate-school wisdom, they wither and die.” -Orren Onken

Kicking off this week’s edition of the Crow’s Feet Digest, Orrin Onken takes us inside the male Circle of Wisdom that he’s been privy to ever since the early days when admission was gained with a keg of beer. It’s still functioning, maybe even growing, in retirement.

We then tackle the big issues — death and dying, staying healthy — and the small ones, like getting rid of old baggy sweatpants. So snuggle up, get out your reading glasses, and enjoy!

Older & Wiser?

I am an Old Guy and I Don’t Have Friends. But I have something better. By Orrin Onken

I Survived. And so did you. By Ann Litts

On Facing the Autumn of Your Life. Musings from United Airlines, Flight 1978, Seat 1A. By Julia E Hubbel

Learning How to Play Again. I have been a serious, responsible grown-up for long enough. By Beth Bruno

Home is Inside. In More Ways Than One. What is home? Beth Bruno writes her version. I share mine.By Julia E Hubbel

Why Respecting Your Elders Is the Clearest Path To Wisdom. What is lost when generational growth is discounted. By jesscio

The Readers Who Inspire Me. And I hope they do the same for you. By Julia E Hubbel

Signposts. Marking time past 60. By Judah Leblang

We Spend Half Our Lives Being Over 50. And other tales we tell ourselves. By Michele Coleman

On Death & Dying

Many of My Friends Are Dying. And a small part of me goes with them… By Mary McGrath

Last Night I Dreamt I Died. What dreams may tell. By Mary Lou Heater

Our Death-defying Mythology. Denial is not just a river in Egypt. By David Martin

Imagine Your Life Ending At 27. A discussion on death and life. By Destiny S. Harris

Rants & Realities

I’m On the Train! The Wonderful World of Phone Blather. By Roz Warren

At My Age, I Tried to Be An Angry Asshole But Failed Miserably.So I became a micro asshole on demand and still failed. By Lee J. Bentch

How Google and Facebook View Me. Take a look at the advertisements you receive. By Carol Price

Humor

I Substitute One Meal a Day with Gummies. Age requires I eat less, so vitamins are important to stay healthy. By Brenda Mahler

Retired Gentlemen’s Quarterly. How to put together one snazzy retirement uniform. By David Martin

The Humor of Aging. Getting old ain’t for the young. By Tim Dibble

Keeping Your Mind Active As You Age. Walt & Stan. By Mark Starlin

Back In the Day

The Day I Saw the Future. I couldn’t believe it. How could I somehow benefit from being able to look into the future? By Brian Dickens Barrabee

Our Family Lived in a Tiny House Before They Became Popular. Lots of people in our neighborhood in the 1950s were minimalists by necessity. By Jean Anne Feldeisen

They Just Don’t Make Television Shows Like They Used Too! It’s a shame! By Ruby Lee

Things Have Things Changed Since I Was Young(er). Some of it is good, and some things are not so good. By Ruby Lee

The Genius of the Little Golden Books. The series has added books on Star Wars and Dolly Parton, and it’s still a terrific value. By Janice Harayda

Back to the Beginning. Sometimes we want to go back in time. By Jackie Madden Haugh

Retirement

Retirees, Take Control of Time. Don’t worry, this has nothing to do with productivity. By The Recovering Educator

I’m Not Sure If I Want To Come Out of Retirement. Why? Because I don’t want to have to wear pants. By Ruby Lee

Retired and Loving It. Do What You Know You Should Do. By Ralph M Davis

Embracing Retirement-How to Get Started and Enjoy Fall Birdwatching. By Dan Pfeifer

Embracing Retirement. Writing Keeps Your Mind Sharp. By Dan Pfeifer

Easing Into and Through Retirement with Contentment. By Richard Armstrong

Hey, Retirees, how would you answer my granddaughter’s questions? By Richard Armstrong

The Best of the Rest

Chasing the Ghosts in My Family Tree. Detective, seeker, mystic: joyous roles of the aged researcher. By Susan Barrett Price

Prostate Improved Using Chocolate. Easy, readily available & no major risks, unlike most home remedies. By Bill Myers

Glorious Fall. Every day I’m shufflin.’ By Robin James

Fun at the Fair and a First for Me. There are always new things to try. By Carol Price

He Understands More Than You Think. Then why does he pretend he doesn’t understand things that he should? By Brian Dickens Barrabee

Get more Crow’s Feet wisdom on our companion site www.CrowsFeet.life.

And if you’d like to brighten a friend’s day, order them a copy of the Crow’s Feet book, a compilation of 35 essays.