No one’s ever said that getting old was the best thing they ever did.
The truth is, you do know more – lots more. That’s got potential. If one had the time one has at the start of one’s life with the perspective one’s gained at the end of one’s life, why, there’d no end to the great things one could do in this world. Alas, Life does not work that way.
Few things drive home how mortal we are than looking after an aging parent. For starters, there’s the whole role reversal thing of the former child now looking after their parent because their parent has now arrived at what Shakespeare called “second childhood”. As I just experienced – this is Alan writing here – having just spent two weeks visiting with and looking after an aged parent (while the sibling who usually does it was away) – an aged parent is a preview of an aged self.
That can be disconcerting. Good thing I’ve got a friend like Randy to talk about it with. Dying is one of those clubs we’re all going to join, like it or not. But that commonality is a great starting point for understanding each other. Few things are as heart-poundingly real to us as the end of everything – our everything.
As conversations do, this one goes some unexpected places. In particular, we talk about traveling with cannabis – as I “muled” a couple of heavy duty THC containing edibles and tinctures from California for my mom. I also travel with my own stash – cannabis is an important part of my mental health regime; I mean that sincerely. So, we talk – in very practical terms – about traveling with cannabis.
Enjoy. Just, whatever you do, don’t Bogart that joint.
Or, if you’d prefer to watch –