(Letter to the Editor - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

It was suggested to me that I should write a letter to you about seniors getting their car keys taken from them. I’ve had friends who have had their doctors retire or change insurance coverage and they were left to try to find a new doctor. There is talk about neighborhoods changing. Then there are the too frequent reminders of friends who are listed in the obituaries. These are a few of the less desirable things seniors face. Oh, to be young again.

I understand, it can be devastating to have your car keys taken away. You no longer have the independence to go where you want, when you want. You have to rely on someone else to go anywhere and on their time schedule. It may be an inconvenient situation for them, too. At the same time, I see it is for your safety and the safety of drivers and passengers in the other vehicles. Personally, I limit how much I drive and where I go. I use a pillow to see out of the window. But, I hate to think I never was “allowed” to drive again. I believe sometimes it is for the best. It all depends on the individual, their abilities, vision, response time, etc.

As for keeping a doctor you like, well, we are all at the doctor and insurance company’s mercy. I am lucky. At our last office visit we told our general practitioner, he couldn’t retire until we were gone. He informed us; he loves what he does and does not have plans to retire any time soon.

When my husband and I moved into our home over 50 years ago we were the young family just starting out. I graduated with 5 of my neighbors’ children. Now there is one couple older than us on our block but we have lived here the longest to see all the changes over the years. I am thankful it is still a good neighborhood to live in. In the last 2 days 2 young neighbors have been here for a visit; one to tell me how the new school year was going and play with sidewalk chalk, the other helped bake cookies. We took a few to our newest neighbors welcoming them to the neighborhood.

It’s a fact, the older you get the more people you know pass away. There can be numerous health problems. Like me, some of us continue on after a close call with death. We can’t expect to be totally healthy until we die.

I wouldn’t trade all the problems of getting older to be young again. It’s someone else’s turn to be young, learn from their mistakes, laugh, love, and in time grow old. Hopefully they will have someone beside them to support them through the years like my husband and my family have done for me. Ahh, retirement is great, as long as you look at it as a well-earned gift to yourself. Now what do I want to do tomorrow? Take a nap? Go for a drive? Make something?

Bonita (Bonnie) Eaton

Vienna