Dad Turns 98

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My father turns 98 today. We are blessed that he is mentally sharp and physically active.

His memory is particularly acute. He remembers the names of kids in his class at Marshall Elementary School and the location of the radio room on the Destroyer he served on in the war.

I credit his physical and mental stamina to the Greatest Generation habit of keeping active and his own commitment to being consistent.

Dad doesn’t rely on life hacks. There are no cold plunges or sound baths or kale-infused protein shakes. He doesn’t meditate or journal. He is unaware of the Huberman Protocol.

But he’s steady and does everything in moderation and that, I think, matters more.

Dad has lived a meat-and-potatoes life, but he limits meals to three times a day and never snacks. Breakfast is cereal with sliced bananas. He rarely goes back for seconds at dinner but doesn’t skip dessert.

He never smoked or drank coffee. Alcohol is limited to a glass of wine on a holiday and an Old Fashioned once a decade.

So much of health comes down to diet and exercise and the most notable part of Dad’s routine — which is little changed over the past few decades — is that he keeps moving.

Exercise isn’t something he does so much as what happens as he goes about the day.

The morning starts with a walk around the park and then he putters in his workshop in the garage or the garden.

The key, it seems, is to always have a project. Right now, one is to water a tree he planted.

When I was a kid, Dad’s “hobby” was refereeing high school soccer. I didn’t appreciate then how fit you need to be to keep up with 18-year-olds sprinting down a field for 80 minutes.

A lot of people these days spend their time on screens. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my father doom scrolling on a smart phone. He limits TV watching to sports at night.

The problem with being sedentary is that once you stop moving, it’s hard to restart.

The worst thing you can do for your health is to get too comfortable.

The best thing, as Dad has taught us, is to keep busy.

BRIEF OBSERVATIONS

BUGGY WHIP MAKERS: Ethan Mollick reminds us that change is constant.

CAR WEIGHT: Justin Wolfers reminds us choices have consequences.

PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY: Transit Guy reminds us that we have options.

WNBA: The Crown reminds us that things change.

LONLINESS: Laila reminds us that some big problems aren’t universal.