Ms Polack - I loved your piece—I don't know what else to call it, so don't take my error personally.

I'm 81 years old, and I share some of your problems, but as a man, I am much less concerned about my appearance.

My wife asked me if I ever looked in the mirror above my vanity. I told her I thought someone had stolen it.

All my life, I have taken care of Mrs. Hackett's little boy, but after an auto accident when I was rear-ended, I now walk with a cane and sometimes with a walker. I now need to accept help from people, and I can't tell you how hard this is for me. The fragile male ego and all that.

In a few weeks, they will insert a computer chip in my leg to try to control the pain. I won't be the 6 Million Dollar Man (if you remember that show, "We can rebuild him, we can make him better.) But I may have a 6 thousand dollar leg.

I was taught to remember the difference between stalagmites and stalatites is by saying that mites grow up from the bottom like a mountain.

Our friends from a small island in the Mediterranean say, "Long life is the best revenge."

My wife is a few years younger than I am, and she has more illnesses than the American Medical Assoc. has words to describe. So we, too, have a calendar marked with the dates of doctor's appointments.

Many years ago, in the 1960s or early 1970s, I knew Marty Pollack. He sold mutual funds for my partner and me. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and if I had been smarter, I would have kept in touch with him.

This post is unusual because I usually write about politics and economics. Not that I know anything,sttry to inject some thoughts into the void, hoping to get a few people to think about their positions and why they believe as they do.

I would like to correspond with you—how do you like that old-time expression? If you are interested, my email address is ewhackett@gmail.com. When I was younger, people wrote letters to each other, but now, all the letters I get are from medical groups and funeral directors.

Sincerely - Edward Hackett - my nickname is Ned, so please use that name in the subject line so I don't put your email in the pile with the ads for cremation.