An Insightful Joke

I recently picked a new primary care physician. After two visits and exhaustive lab tests, he said I was doing "fairly well" for my age. A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, "Do you think I'll live to be 80?" He asked, "Do you smoke tobacco or drink beer/wine?" "Oh no," I replied. "I'm not doing either." Then he asked, "Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?" I said, "No, my other Doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!" "Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, sailing, hiking, or bicycling?" "No, I don't," I said. He asked, "Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lot of sex?" "No," I said. "I don't do any of those things." He looked at me and said, "Then why do you give a shit if you live to be 80?"

A Poem by My Sister

Inside My Mind at Ninety-Nine

I hope to see, inside my mind,

When I am ninety-nine,

The story of my life,

A daughter, woman, Mom and wife,

All the experiences flooding through,

My life I will live again in review,

How bittersweet some memories may be,

Others happy,loving, laughing and free,

My children's birth or my wedding day,

Once again my heart will sway,

The outside world may not exist,

I may not know what I have missed,
Inside my mind at ninety-nine.

Written by Lisa Arakawa 08/07/05