In February, I turned 69. At 68 1/2 my health problems multiplied and that is what I and I'm guessing most here feel bad about aging. Our own bodies with problems and the loss of our beloved friends and others who are also either struggling with health issues or dead from them.

I think this is the one area that makes aging a bitch, not losing our minds, not losing our looks--most of us have not--but losing simply losing.

Nora Ephron writes books about the necesssity of maintenance but hers are mostly beauty maintenance, hair dye for example which is a necessity for most but not in itself depressing. She does say that she sometimes thinks not worrying about her hair must be the upside of death. Hmmm. I think that stuff is just window dressing.

I have a doctor that I just adore. Nor he, nor his really elder patients say 78-92 seem to be depressed about their ailments. Well, one never knows what casual strangers really feel but according to him i'm the rare person who thinks if next year is even worse well that is not a subject I'd want to dwell upon. Usually, I don't.  

Then there is the must-see Woody Allen documentary of 2011. You can see it in two parts on Amazon.com. I simply loved this summary of his life so far. He is 76, to me looks older, but he has this amazingly cheerful sister who says he's never been happier.

 She is credible given his creativity and family, two new kids, but he himself ends this film with the best line:

"I have achieved everything I ever wanted to. (Here he lists his aims and suceesses).... So why do I still feel I've been screwed by life?!