Preparing for the big 8.0.! (Part Two)

Most 80‑year‑olds I have observed or spoken to describe reaching that milestone as a mixed physical and psychological transition — not a sudden cliff, but a shift in identity, priorities, and bodily realities. And yes, there is solid research on how people typically think and feel at 80. What follows is a clear, structured summary of what I found, grounded in my observations and in studies from gerontology, psychology, and aging research. 

Turning 80 tends to sharpen awareness of physical limits, deepen emotional resilience, and shift priorities toward meaning, relationships, and simplicity. Research consistently shows that many 80‑year‑olds are mentally stronger than stereotypes suggest, even as physical decline becomes more noticeable. 

Typically, what 80‑year‑olds commonly think and feel are thoughts like “My body is changing faster now” and they mention slower mobility, reduced strength, sometimes more fatigue and more time spent on making and keeping medical appointments. There’s also the fear of falls, the subtle awareness of cognitive slowing (but not necessarily dementia) that’s not usually framed as panic, but more as acceptance mixed with frustration. 

Other will say: “I’m still me — just older”, that psychologists call identity continuity. Even with some physical decline, many 80‑year‑olds feel mentally intact, stable, and emotionally mature. When it comes to time, “It feels more precious” as the octogenarians shift their focus toward the present‑moment, appreciating small pleasures with less interest in long-term planning but more focus on legacy, family, and meaning. 

The good news is that older people “Don’t worry about the same things anymore” as there’s less anxiety, less social comparison, more emotional stability, gratitude and far less tolerance for superficial relationships. It’s also true that most 80‑year‑olds think about death more often, but their fear decreases as their acceptance increases and what really counts becomes dignity, autonomy, and relationships. 

In fact, many octogenarians experience a psychological renaissance with less pressure, more authenticity, more emotional stability, and a clearer sense of what matters. This is perhaps one of the most consistent findings in aging research — and it contradicts cultural stereotypes, so please, keep smiling!

Preparing for the big 8.0.! (Part One)

In a little over one year, god willing, I’ll be reaching the ripe old age of 80 and like many people my age, I see this as a significant milestone in my life. 

Finally getting there brings mixed thoughts about our own physical decline, mental reflection, and daily limits. From what I’ve been able to see from folks I know, I am liable to experience accelerated change in my physical body, mental outlook, and social ties. Maybe small things initially when everything else is fine like feeling slower, having less energy, and dealing with joint pain or weak muscles. 

Then there will be all the unavoidable health care developments with simple things like managing more daily medicines and frequent doctor visits to stay reassured, safe and healthy. Mobility issues might also rear their not-so-kind heads, like having to use much more prudence when walking on snow or slippery ground, or down the road resorting to the use of canes or walkers, and worrying about falling down. 

On the mental and emotional side of the valley of being 80 something, there will be plenty of opportunities to review a lifetime of past choices, including career high points and struggles, as well as family milestones with hopefully deep pride and satisfaction. At the same time, acceptance will become a welcome quantity when we’re forced to find peace with aging while facing the loss of close friends or family members. 

The key is to value each present day and moment while focusing more on peaceful views and good news than over future worries. Tomorrow we’ll explore ways to support a soon to be 80-year-old’s mental health with plenty of tips for safe physical activity and keeping an optimistic outlook past that monumental milestone!

A special graduation

This past Friday, our grandson Finn graduated from high school and for us it was the third time we attended such an event following our two children’s in the late 80s and early 90s. For people coming from Europe, like us, the event was unique because it combines medieval academic rituals with modern cultural celebration, turning a school milestone into a major public rite of passage. 

Unlike what doesn’t happen in most countries, a high school graduation is treated as a large-scale community event with distinctive symbols, music, and personal expression. It’s often held in large venues (stadiums, auditoriums) with hundreds or even thousands of attendees and treated like a once-in-a-lifetime public ceremony, not just an administrative step. 

Students wear caps and gowns (mortarboards and robes), a tradition borrowed from medieval European universities but rarely used for secondary school in other countries. The tassel turning (right to left) and cap tossing are iconic rituals symbolizing the transition from student to graduate. The processional is often accompanied by “Pomp and Circumstance”, a piece that became a uniquely American graduation anthem after Yale adopted it in 1905. 

At that point, diplomas are handed out individually on stage, with each student’s name announced — emphasizing personal recognition. Finally there are the speeches delivered by valedictorians, salutatorians, principals, and guest speakers. These addresses are generally inspirational, often touching on broader social issues (justice, climate, identity). This transforms the graduation into a platform for civic dialogue, not just a school event. 

After the ceremony, families often host graduation parties, or like we did enjoy a good meal at the graduate’s favorite restaurant. sometimes with cultural themes, food, and music. By contrast, in much of Europe, finishing secondary school is acknowledged with exam results or certificates, but no formal ceremony. 

The North American model elevates graduation into a cultural milestone, blending academic tradition, civic ritual, and personal celebration in a way that is rare elsewhere.

Another Holiday Video…

For years, we’ve been producing a short video clip in lieu of sending a traditional Christmas or holiday card. If you had asked me, I would have guessed we began this tradition about twelve years ago. 

But after checking my records, I discovered that we actually started in 2010—making this year’s edition our sixteenth Holiday video. In the early days, our messages—like so many others—were mostly a rundown of our accomplishments from the previous twelve months: sports activities, trips, and similar highlights. 

Fortunately, the format has evolved into something more reflective, offering a broader sense of how we felt about yet another year. It’s far more enjoyable to watch, sparing viewers the boasting about everything we achieved and conveniently skipping the less glamorous moments. 

These days, our clips run just a couple of minutes and are produced in two versions: English and French. Below is the 2025 edition. Regardless of its quality, each video represents a significant amount of work. In the beginning, it might have taken me more than 50 hours to write, produce, and send. 

With experience, I’ve managed to cut that down to about 25 hours—still no small investment of time. How long will this yearly effort continue? As the saying goes, and without any pun intended: We’ll see... 

Annual Halloween stats

 

In spite of our best marketing efforts (front door decoration, freshly supplied candy and a special word addressing each and every visiting group) we failed to break records. 

For a while we began self-flagellation and promised to do much better next year, like me (the door opener and distributor) dressing with cool clothes, donning a hair-piece with long dreadlocks, wearing a short-sleeve shirt showing a full tattooed arm, you name it… 

That’s when I suddenly realized that the reason for this dreadful showing was the total absence of Latina families with their small kids, all held hostage by the fear of Trump’s ICE and his goons. 

Well, another three “dry” years ahead!

The ever changing Halloween

Over the years, the way folks in Park City decorate the front of their houses has changed an awful lot. 

From the only few ordinary pumpkins adorning the front door area to a raggedy straw doll and later on to inflatable black cats and seasonal monsters, it’s now time for a full display of human skeletons of all sizes. 

These items, while not really cheap (count to spend about $70 for a 5’6” tall skeleton) and probably made in China, are teaching kids and adults about basic bone knowledge and are helping them tell the difference between a tibia and a fibula as well as visualizing rib cages and the precise location of our floating ones. 

One downside about these skeletons is how, and where does one store them from year to year, especially if there’s a herd of them, as taking each one apart would represent a nightmarish job. 

No matter what though, this is a fantastic step towards building a Nation of intelligent individuals that may not vote for Trump if this man was still delusional enough to seeking re-election... 

Happy Halloween!

The 50 year knot!

It’s hard to believe that Evelyne and I tied the knot half a century ago today. I guess heartfelt congratulations are “de rigueur” especially when we did it in my hometown back in France! 

In retrospective it doesn’t seem like a long time ago, but the sense of duration also falls victim of inflation, especially as we reach an advanced stage in life. 

At that moment, I didn’t have a clear path in my mind as to how my life would unfold, except that the next day, in lieu of a honeymoon, we both would be driving to Nevers, smack in the middle of France, where I had been promoted to a brand new job at Look bindings. 

So instead of a well-defined plan, we were thrown into another adventure in the unknown! This said, Evelyne was instrumental in grounding me and giving me a healthy dose of common sense that, over these many years, helped me cement the kind of judgment that would serve me so well. So, here we are 50 years later. 

Beside our sheer longevity, what would make our union last, while many often dissolved over time? It’s hard to make a hard list, so perhaps it’s the quiet accumulation of grace, those many moments when one chooses patience over pride, kindness over correctness, and presence over distraction. 

It’s not just shared joys, but weathered storms, the ability to forgive without forgetting, and to grow without growing apart. Resilience in a marriage isn’t built on grand gestures, but on the daily decision to keep showing up, to keep listening, and to keep loving—even when love looks less like fireworks and more like doing domestic chores together in silence. 

After fifty years, I’ve come to believe that what lasts isn’t perfection—it’s commitment, curiosity, and the gentle art of staying interested in each other’s unfolding story. It’s also a melding of views about about life, the world, neighbors friends and family, but not so tight that there isn’t any breathing and wiggle room left between the two… 

Happy Anniversary to both of us!

Finally free from the Holidays!

The Holiday Season brings lots of joy and afford all of us to get together with family and friends, both physically and through all possible means of communications, but it also compels us to build these events in a variety of ways that are always time and resource consuming, require adjustments to make everyone comfortable and plenty of creativity along the way, if we want them to be memorable and successful.

This ends up costing plenty of energy no matter how good, strong and young we are, and I would add, the best at this recurrent routine it we are, the easiest it seems to flow and get where we want it to go. So when the lights are being turned off and the curtain closes, it’s always a welcome sight of relief, until of course next Holiday Season!

A few days in the desert…

For Thanksgiving our small family, six of us, reunited in St. George a small town of southern Utah, to spend the entire weekend together, into something that has become a yearly tradition. 

Our daughter flew from from Washington while our son, his family plus my wife and I drove from the north in separate car an on very busy roads. 

We all made it okay and were blessed with a beautiful blue skies for the entire time, with the caveat that the temperatures were very low for that southern location ranging from 30 in the morning to 55 in the afternoon. 

Much better than Park City, but still colder than what we would have expected! 

This desert location is always beautiful, framed by red rocks all over and even some fresh snow on the higher elevations! 

We’ve stayed in St. George a few time and on these occasion we explored some areas known for their Anasazi petroglyphs, including some in a spectacular slot canyon and only accessible through some scrambling in a tortuous and very rugged terrain!

Risky Holiday lights!

As the end of year’s Holidays are around the corner, the fashionable thing to do, nowadays, is to transform trees into large, illuminated objects and while we thought for a while that too many lights wrapped around trees might hurt them, the advent of LED bulbs has minimized that risk a great deal. 

If we factor the low consumption of these new lights along with the use of a timer, tree illuminations shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. 

There are of course safety issues to take into consideration. Like the type of wiring used, a weatherproof light box and, obviously, how the lights get attached to the tree, which leads me to a seasonal observation of Latino workers literally taking their lives into their frail, poorly secured 48 feet ladders in ways that would make OSHA scream. 

This is the scene we witnessed the other night, ten unsecured workers scrambling to attache strings of light on a barren aspen tree!

No Halloween in Park City!

Even though we got some snow on the ground this year, we couldn’t stay home for Halloween and distribute the goodies we had stocked up for the occasion. 

So there won’t be any stats to review! My nephew, his wife and daughter were visiting and we all had dinner at night at our son’s home near Salt Lake City. 

We sure didn’t totally missed out on the festivities, as we took a stroll in my son’s neighboring streets where we saw Halloween creativity and action in full display. 

Celebrating in Park City has been rescheduled for next year!

 

Another National Celebration…

Just 47 years ago, we switched countries and, in the process, gained July 4th, a new National Celebration but lost Bastille Day that served us well for most of the years before. 

For about two decades, from the time I was a little kid and my parents opened up their restaurant at Les Lindarets, in the French Alps, July 14th, was work, work work, and we just hoped was that the weather would hold so we could capitalize on other folks’ day off and make a good income on that special day. 

True, in addition to these working days, I also missed two of these French Holidays when I was working in Australia, but I didn’t even notice it, as my mind was too busy doing things I enjoyed. 

These days, all the way in America, we never ignore this special day and even if we don’t fly the French flag in front of our house, it’s felt somewhere, deep in our hearts to a faint sound of “La Marseillaise”, the French national anthem… 

Less plastics on Earth Day…

Today is Earth Day, and it’s one of the year’s most important celebrations to me. I love and appreciate the planet upon which I stand, and I feel that it deserves all the tender love and care we can give her. I wish political leaders of all stripes would begin paying more attention to protecting her, but they won’t. They are too short-term oriented as their time horizon is, in most cases, limited to their next mandate.

This year, the theme is all about plastics, their meteoric spread and the dangers they bring. I’ve always been in love with plastic, but the present day is proving me dead wrong. The question is, what can sustainably replace the plethora of plastics humanity is now using? Possibly more plastic-like materials derived from renewable biomass sources like corn starch or sugarcane? 

While those aren’t perfect, (they still need processing and won’t biodegrade in all environments), they could be composted in industrial facilities under specific conditions. Polylactic Acid (PLA) is one of them, made from corn starch, used for packaging, utensils, and even 3D printing filaments. There are also cellulose-based materials derived from wood pulp or other plant sources that can be molded into packaging trays, cups, and various items. 

Finally there are mushroom based solutions, with the fiber network fungi grows, it could be used to create packaging materials, even leather alternatives. These solutions aren’t widespread yet and in the meantime we should focus on reusable and refillable solutions (containers, bottles, bags), reduce plastic materials whenever possible, design easy disassembly and improve recycling technology. 

In terms of future research, we must get inspiration from nature (spider silk, seashells, etc.) or devise entirely new materials. Let’s wish that we can get rid of that pesky plastic and Happy Earth Day 2024 to all!

As another Holiday Season ends…

The Christmas and New Year period is something we usually look forward to, but that quickly takes its toll on the most resilient of us. When it’s over, I tend to breathe more freely and reconnect with my precious routine and gladly return to our regular way of living. 

I think that when the Holiday Season is over, and when it involves being hosted, hosting and traveling, it gets the best out of us, leaving us exhausted and depleted. It’s now time to rest and recharge by beginning to take a mental vacation at least of the whole whirlwind of events. 

So, over the next few days, I’ll try to do just that by slowly easing back into my daily routine, without being too harsh about it. I’m now looking forward to the new snow in the forecast to resume skiing in good winter conditions, unlike the one we had to face until now with bad snow and huge crowds. 

One thing for sure is that I will eat and drink much less and that’s welcome news. I will also gently integrate my goals for the new year in taking my time to fine-tune them and make sure they fit well in my normal life. I can appreciate that it's normal to feel a bit down after the holidays, and I plan to be patient with myself and allow my body and mind enough time to recover. 

Hopefully this will work and if it doesn’t, I’ll ask you for further help!

Right way to begin the year?

Before we dive head first into a new year, willy-nilly, let’s begin by being grateful to be able to do so! Then, it might be helpful to ask ourselves the question, “how to make it a good year?” or better yet “a very good year…” 

Since I don’t consider myself an expert in this particular field, I’ve done some research in an effort to help us all discover the perfect answer for a magic formula, if there’s one. Experts say to begin by reviewing the past year, including victories, challenges, and lessons learned. in an effort to understand what has worked well for us. 

After doing it, we should be ready to set some meaningful goals after defining what "good" means to us and making sure whichever objective we choose to pursue, they align with our values and aspirations. We should make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. I could add more advice, but let’s keep this light and simple to just get us thinking, if not going hard and fast into 2024. 

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, really?

Merry and Christmas are two words joined at the hip and can’t sound well if they’re separated. Yet, with what’s going on in today’s world, it’s hard to say “Merry Christmas” with keeping a straight face and believing that we mean what we say.

The world, in fact, is a state of chaos and disarray with wars raging in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine and people being torn apart because of demented heads of state. We, the rest of the world, seem to be - for the most part, at least - reasonably well-behaved while a handful of crazies are advancing insane agendas that wreak havoc on the planet. 

So how can the world population tolerate that when a majority of nations are part of the so-called democratic community? We may have lost the sense of outrage or revolt and are now ready to accept the unacceptable for the sake of our own comfort and tranquility. 

Unless we get more interested about what goes on with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Sounds pretty pathetic to me! So in spite of our own numbness and lack of resolve, I wish all of my reaéders a Merry Christmas, at least within the confines of their homes, family and friends. 

We’ll have to forget the suffering of the rest of the world, because we seem and we are in fact, incapable of doing better than that!

Halloween’s unexpected rebound

In recent years and mostly because of the pandemic, our visitation by treat-or-trickers had been dismal and even got down, and after we’d moved into a new home, failed to rise to the level it enjoyed until 2013 (see table). 

So it’s with a huge surprise that two nights ago, we witnessed a huge rebound in the numbers of kids coming to our home on Halloween night. In fact, we broke the record for our new home with an increase over 140%! 

We were elated and attributed that success to factors that had absolutely nothing to do with my marketing genius of yesteryear. First, it takes time for a new venue (our home was completed in 2014) as it does for a fledgling restaurant or place of business to get traction and attract a steady flow of accustomed visitors. 

Then, with so many newcomers to Park City, there are more kids and the town is getting a healthy second-wind with a fresh new generation of kids. All great news in a very sad world that doesn’t seem to know how to make us smile anymore...

Happy Halloween!

Ever since we’ve added the Park City cemetery to our daily walking itinerary, we have become experts in this entire place. We know the marmots, ground squirrels and magpies that inhabit the place and what goes on inside on a seasonal basis. 

This obviously includes all the flowers and decorations that adorn each grave for Memorial Day weekend and a few noteworthy efforts that are also made for Halloween. American cemeteries come in sharp contrast to French ones that are only decorated and visited once a year on November 1st, also known as All Saints Day. 

The most original and cleverly decorated grave in the entire space is that of Rich Martinez, Park City’s last silver miner who passed away in 2017 at age 82. His grave is marked by an old ore cart and is seasonally decorated by his family. The practice of decorating tombs for Halloween finds its origins in Celtic traditions. 

The Celts believed that on the night of Samhain, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thin, and that spirits could cross over into our world. To protect themselves from these spirits, the Celts would build bonfires, dress up in scary costumes, and leave food and drink offerings at their homes and in cemeteries. 

Beyond this origin, cemeteries are seen as places of mystery and intrigue, their dark and somber atmosphere lending itself well to the Halloween celebration. Sure, not everyone agrees with the practice of decorating cemeteries for Halloween. 

Some believe that it is disrespectful to the dead, while others find it to be in poor taste, as for us, we just like it that way and enjoy to seeing people’s creativity at work to remember and honor their dead.

From “burning” to “stuck in mud”

From what I’ve heard, climate change hasn’t been good to humanity this summer. 

That set of bad surprises seem to have extended to the participants of the national “Burning Man” festival, west of us in a desert spot, not far from Reno, Nevada, where thousands of attendees remained stranded this past weekend, flooding from storms swept through the Nevada desert (the usual number of attendees is in the 75,000).

The event that began in 1986 has seen precipitations before; rain was reported on August 30, 1997, on August 25, 2014 and on September 1, 2017, so the festivities aren’t as always dry and dusty as some might think. 

At this event, festival organizers have been asking participants to remain calm and turn a challenge into something to measure up against. Buses have also been organized to take attendees to Reno from the nearby small town of Gerlach, some five miles from the site. 

Let’s hope things dry up a bit so the huge effigy can burn to the satisfaction of the mud-clad participants!

High-number anniversaries

For my wife and I, yesterday was a big day as it was our 48th wedding anniversary! As we are inching closer to the big “50” celebration in two years from now, God willing, of course, we look at the road we’ve traveled over the years. 

It began with our immigration to the US in 1977, less than two years after we tied the knot, the hardship for my spouse of having to learn English, adapt to a totally different culture and put up with my frequent professional travels. 

These circumstances didn’t make things easy and comfortable for her, from the get go. Not only have we stayed married so far (which is not necessarily a given), but we were also very lucky to raise two wonderful kids that have brought us so much pride and satisfaction. From that viewpoint alone, the earlier sacrifices were well worth it. 

For the most part, we’ve also stayed very healthy, remained active and enjoyed a wonderful quality of life. We also spend a lot of time together and do so many things we like in each other’s company.

We can only hope that our health will continue to be good to help us seize the bull (the bison in that case) by the horns, enabling us to enjoy our retirement years and in 24 months, breeze through our Golden Anniversary and beyond!