August 2015, Vol. 242, No. 8

Editor's Notebook

Getting Older Should Also Mean Getting Wiser

I remember the last time I saw my late father-in-law, Rex Brassfield, who lived the quiet life with his lovely wife Verna in the southwestern Colorado town of Montrose. Rex was in his 80s, wracked by the painful arthritis that crippled his hands and left him in constant discomfort. But Rex never lost his integrity, his interest in world events or his sense of humor. That day he looked at his hands, now shriveled into the shape of unbending claws, shook his head, smiled at me and said, “Jeff, getting old sure isn’t for the weak of heart.” Rex passed away last September and Janet and I miss him terribly. I remember his comment because I’ve been thinking along the same