A friend of mine and I bought tickets to a Polo match, not so much for the “Sport of Kings” but rather to see Bruce Hornsby perform after the competition.  Like a couple of fashion divas, we must have joked about what we were going to wear for weeks in advance of the show.  The dress guidelines were clear:  no jeans, no shorts, and preferably no tennis shoes.  Sport coats were an option, but the temperatures were going to be in the 80’s.  Besides, my sport coat doesn’t have the family crest embroidered on the pocket!  We were going to have to stray away from our traditional retirement uniforms (See Post #150).

Since it’s Portland where we live, we knew that we would see the non-conformists in the crowd wearing jeans, shorts, and tennis shoes.  We also knew we would probably see tuxes, ascots, and flashy suits, so we planned for the middle-of-the-road.  However, my friend still his sport coat ready, just in case I showed up in one.  I wore nice slacks, a short-sleeved Polo shirt, and tied the whole thing together with fancy Italian loafers and a matching belt.  I hadn’t worn either of these accessories for years, and quite frankly they should have been donated to Goodwill!  (See Post #74).   Maybe, I’ll take them this week, along with some more suits that I know I will never wear again.  He wore nice slacks, shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt that looked like it might be too hot in the sun.  When I mentioned it, he logically explained that he got the shirt at REI and it was designed to adapt to the temperature for comfortable outdoor wear.  I am not much of an Outdoors-man, but was definitely intrigued with the material.  Also, my wife’s daughters had bought me some Columbia running shirts that were engineered to wick-away moisture from your body, so I was somewhat familiar with the concept. During our discussion, my friend then gave me the quote of the year: “The older you get, the more more technology you need!”  Amen!

I’ve been thinking about how technology keeps us alive and comfortable, as our bodies begin to wear down.  I thought of pace-makers, laser-surgery, body sculpting, knee & hip replacements, and cosmetic surgery.   I went to brush my teeth and realized that I had recently bought both a Waterpik and an electric toothbrush, after my dental hygienist pointed out that my gums were getting soft.  He said that flossing was like “exercise for your gums,” and that in order to keep my teeth, I needed to firm up my gums.  Technology to the rescue!  I also recently got new inserts for my shoes, with foot-massaging technology built-in.  Maybe they’ll get me through this Hood to Coast challenge!  Technology helps us sleep more comfortably by giving us a “Sleep Number,” and makes us stronger with the help of a treadmill.  Our eyeglasses and contact lenses feature technological improvements to help us see better, and there’s always the option for laser surgery on our eyes.  Not to mention, modern developments in medication keep our blood pressure lower, control sugar levels, and fight cholesterol, just to mention a few of the more common uses.  I’m still waiting for that anti-aging pill!

There are too many senior citizens that refuse to keep-up with technology.  I hope that I never become one of these stubborn resistors!  I discovered a “geezer-like” tendency in me the other night by not recognizing the loop-petal skills in Ed Sheeran’s music (see Post #199).  I can also remember the disappointed reaction I gave when gifted my first Palm Pilot, thinking I would never learn to use a PDA to organize my life.  Similarly, my Mother-In-Law just turned 96-years young today, and she’s been fighting technology for years, refusing to learn to use a computer or smart phone.  Since she has difficulty hearing, either of these devices would be helpful in trying to communicate with her on a regular basis.  The best we’ve been able to do is provide a closed-captioning service for her phone.  Imagine how much better her life would be if we could e-mail, text, and send her photographs?

“The older you get the more technology you need,” are words to live by.  Embrace technology and make life easier for yourself and those around you.