There are times when lack of knowledge about a subject spills from your lips. Embarrassment may follow being corrected, especially by someone younger.
We were once visiting my daughter who was attending law school. At lunch, a young person cautioned me about the stability of my chair. “Oh”, said I, “something like a three legged stool.”
The response was that his mother had owned three legged dining chairs for years!
Who knew?
I thought about this as I was waking up today. I frequently remember events where I have realized even Univac does not know all. A quick search online produced many versions (see links.) I no longer remember the particular designer of the vintage chairs but the concept can be applied to aging:
Three legs of aging may be:
1. Cancer, the symbol of all problematic health issues.
2. Alzheimer, the symbol of all loss of cognition.
3. Social Security, the symbol of financial insecurity.
Health among young men and women has become an epidemic of worry. While cancer patients can now speak of their disease, it is a family issue. We want to be strong. We want to go about our lives. We are frightened, even before becoming ill, of an illness and its costs. Drug addiction has made parents of grandparents.
The fear of not being aware of ourselves and our history came to my attention in the 1970s. How do you say and spell this crippling disease that can attack at any age? You, your parents or your child may suffer from a version of Alzheimer or autism.
Aging, as a generic term, can become a concern at any period in one’s life. In my early working life, retirement and pension plans were not the reasons for taking a job. Benefits either were not available or diminished in importance to a young family’s needs.
And with longer lives, financial concerns can be depressing. It has been a struggle for most people to balance living a good life while preparing for the ‘what ifs.’
The three legged chair evolved from the three legged stool. Both require careful balance. Designers have incorporated utility and beauty with a measure of the unknown.
Some days, when you wake up, take a break from worry, perch carefully in your chair and enjoy the day.
Links:
http://blogof.francescomugnai.com/2012/11/22-of-the-coolest-chair-designs-ever-made/
LE ARTISTE BOOTS 