The Scenic Route: Life with David and Becky
My wife, Becky and I have learned at least two things since starting our retirement journey four years ago. First, you are never too old to pursue your dreams. Second, getting older does present some challenges. A recent trip we took drove home these two insights for us.
Let us introduce ourselves. Beck is a retired Social Worker for the state of Montana. I am a semi-retired pastor for the United Methodist church, still serving a rural parish close to Billings. We started our marriage almost 55 years ago and our family has grown to include our two sons, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. It is fun to look around the room at our frequent family gatherings and see what two high school sweet hearts were unknowingly starting back in late 60’s.
We love to travel, eat good food and experience new things together. Beck also loves to garden and I love watching good film. We have been invited by Allies in Aging to share some of our adventures and insights with you.
The excursion I am referring to involved a 3 day, 2-night trip to Bynum, MT. Beck loves playing in the dirt (hence her big veggie garden) and being a geologist’s daughter, it was natural that an organization called The Montana Dinosaur Digs should reach out and grab her attention. Situated just north of Choteau on Highway 89, The Montana Dinosaur Center offers opportunities for adults and youths to participate in on-going dinosaur excavations. Playing around in the dirt is not my thing, but we love a good road trip so I decided to go with her.
Rebecca has rheumatoid arthritis, which she manages incredibly well. Her advice, get a good rheumatologist, follow their guidance and KEEP MOVING! I was still a bit concerned about her out in the hot sun, crawling around on rocks. But her enthusiasm was contagious. While she worked with spades and brushes, I stayed in our motel room and worked on up-coming sermons.
Her experience was everything she had hoped for: the chance to engage with paleontologists, sitting in the sunshine and working on an embedded dino bone for several hours - slowly, meticulously removing dirt from around it and visiting with the other amateur diggers who had come from around the world. If you harbor a secret desire to be a paleontologist you can sign up for a chance to do just that at The Montana Dinosaur Center | Real Dinosaur Fossil Digs in Montana online.
I picked her up at the appointed time; she was covered in ancient dust and full of stories. We dined down the road in the little town of Dupuyer MT at a saloon and eatery called Buffalo Joe’s. They serve good ‘ole Montana beef cooked your way. Back in our room, I thought I would check emails one last time. But I must have been less than cautious and did not get my seat firmly planted on the chair. The whole chair flew out behind me as I fell to the floor, hitting the back of my head on the rolling wheels of the chair on the way down.
Beck called the local hospital ER and carefully observed me as advised. We were instructed to head in for an emergency medical evaluation if necessary. I was told not to take my blood thinners and to contact my cardiologist when we got back to Billings. My cardiologists insisted I stay off my medications until I could have a CT scan to be sure there was no brain bleeding. Fortunately, the scan was clear.
What did we learn from this? Rebecca learned that with proper preparation, she could safely engage in an activity she had dreamed of doing for many years. I learned that as we age, simply doing something that should be a “no-brainer” can have unintended consequences if we get careless.
The moral of the story? Do what you love. Live your dreams. Be aware. Pay attention. Look both ways. And enjoy life, because life is good and full and rich!
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