Forgive me for all the “S’s” but I couldn’t resist-and they all really do fit together in this narrative. This is not a list of New Year’s resolutions even though it is published today. New Year’s always hits me differently mainly because it is also my birthday, so give me a break-ok.

Smoking. At 68 years-old, many (if not most) in my generation smoked some form of tobacco at one time or another. The lucky (smart) ones got over it quick enough, but I was neither and kept it up far too long. Cannabis is another story, and it didn’t have an “S” anyway. Initially I didn’t like cigarettes and didn’t touch them until after graduating from high school. I was active in sports so smoking was counterproductive and was an expense I couldn’t afford even if I wanted. It was also technically illegal since I was not nineteen. At some point near graduation, I don’t recall the specifics, I was introduced to blueberry flavored cigars. They sound terrible and in hindsight they probably were, but they smelled magical in there individual cellophane wrapper. They came in a package of five and each one had a plastic tip that I could bite down on and manipulate in my mouth in an upward or downward motion which I liked for some reason. In retrospect I think I chose them for two reasons: I thought they were cool, and most importantly, I wasn’t lying when I told my mom I didn’t smoke cigarettes when I came home reeking of smoke. We had issues but I didn’t want to lie to her. She did figured it out eventually… The night of graduation, a group of six of us loaded up two cars with food, a change of clothes, sleeping bags and cigars and headed for Idaho Falls. Yeah, I know, Idaho-we had talked about California for months; all the things we do and see, the beach, the girls… but as the time got closer we realized we had neither the time, money or resources to pull that off. One friend had a relative in Idaho Falls that said we could crash there, so Idaho it was. I don’t recall how many packs of cigars we bought but it was a lot. Yes, we were newly graduated and only 18 but one friend was nineteen (started kindergarten late) and could legally buy tobacco. It was late when we left the city so we spent the first night sleeping on the beach at Bear Lake before heading to Idaho Falls. I can only imagine how bad we smelled when we arrived at the relatives house. Might be why we all slept outside. As the years continued, the cigars made way soon enough for cigarettes and it was a habit I kept far too long. I quit once for 3-years in my late twenties and then started up again. Not sure why but probably because of time spent in clubs and later because of a lot of time on the road. Both activities could be pretty boring without a cigarette.

Sugar was never a huge problem for me in the past. I liked chocolate and sweets in moderation but over consumption was never a big deal. I even gave up soda 10 years ago, and my normal lunch was a salad so keeping a reasonable weight wasn’t a conscious decision. Fast forward to when I made the conscious decision to stop smoking. Most people didn’t even know I smoked (including my kids.) I never smoked inside my home and when I smoked in the car, the window was open enough so there was minimal fumes because I hated the smell on my clothes. For the last 10-years I smoked, I was a “closet” smoker. I wasn’t the one standing outside while people walked by or left a function to sneak a smoke, but I did grab a smoke when the time and situation allowed. I also hated the smell of tobacco on my breath so for most of the habit I chewed so much gum I got Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) and had to switch to mints. I had watched the popularity of vaping skyrocket and thought it might be a possible alternative for me. It also intrigued me because unlike smoking cigarettes, if you were clever, you could hide the fact you were doing it, even in public places. I tried various brands and settled on the style with the small replaceable cartridge. It was no bigger than a cigarette, was rechargeable and easily hidden, so I could sit in meetings, on a plane, just about anywhere, and get away with vaping. My version didn’t put out the cloud of smoke like the big units did so I was set. This worked for 3-years. In October 2019, I had pericarditis and landed in the ER. It was attributable in part to receiving a seasonal flu shot but it was scary enough to cause a reevaluation of my life. During my second day in the hospital I decided to be done with nicotine in any form and gave up vaping. Within a week after getting home I noticed a growing urge to munch-a lot. I had not fully appreciated what a phenomenal appetite suppressant smoking/vaping had been in my life until I stopped. Healthy alternatives slowly gave way to more and more sugar and fatty choices so when Covid hit, I was hooked. Most people I knew slid into bad food choices so no harm, no foul, or so they say. 180 lbs “blossomed” into 220+ lbs. It could be worse I know, but my conscious is telling me I am mortal and besides, I refuse to end up living in sweatpants and losing my breath walking to my car. It was time for the next change.

Steiner. When I turned 65 and signed up for Medicare, I looked into exercise options that were now available for little or no cost. I signed up for Silver & Fit which offered a n/c membership to county fitness centers. I toured one that was only blocks away-twice-but never went. I am an excellent planner and enjoy investigating health improvement options. Diet, yoga, and exercise are examples of research I enthusiastically study, knowing it will never come to fruition but I feel better because at least I watched the videos. As I have whined countless times, our pending elevator replacement will give us no other option but to walk the stairs so maybe its time to embrace that fact. We have another county fitness center that is quite close, not as close as the one I don’t visit, but literally minutes away. It is fantastic and lacks nothing and as I found out later, it too is n/c to me. This is great I know but my ultimate motivation came during our visit of that facility several days ago when I saw our neighbor on a rowing machine. This guy is 98 (no typo here, ninety-eight) and was in a car accident two days before that and totaled his car. Here he was on a rowing machine and not the slightest bit winded. It gets better. At about my current age, he decided to start running marathons because he felt “sluggish”. He now has a room dedicated to all the trophies and awards he has won. Without him even knowing, his presence on that rowing machine today made as much impact on me as pericarditis did to giving up nicotine.

Senior. If you are reading this and are a boomer this might strike a chord. If not, maybe you have a friend or family member that is. I realize you cannot force someone to change or create a new healthy habit if they do not want to. I see my life choices in the mirror every day just like they do and until they want somebody else smiling back, just be supportive and encourage them when the time is right. Not everyone can be 98-hell, not everyone wants to be 98, but I want to stay as active as I can for as long as I am here.

Happy New Year!