Page 3 - October 2020 Voices

Thoughts on Aging

Phyllis Harmon, DTM

I was reminded the other day that I am getting on in my years.
Long of tooth, old geezer, out of touch with today’s modern world. I
guess turning 72 in a couple of weeks does put me into the realm of
geezerhood.
Here’s how the reminders started . . . A couple of young whippersnappers (18-year-old
women to be exact) joined our behind-the-scenes crew at the office. With earbuds firmly
affixed and watching their favorite daytime shows on Iphones, their fingers fly across the
keyboards as they do data entry. Both seem overly comfortable with minimal instruction
and have a “let’s-get-on-with-it!!!” attitude. And to round out the picture, their work is almost
error free and they don’t need no-stinkin’ help, thank you very much!
It’s lunchtime. Being unfamiliar with the area, one asks where to find the drive-thrus
as she searches for them on her phone. While I am thinking about her question and
formulating an answer, she has located them on that same phone and is out the door. Was
the question rhetorical? Or a test?
The other one can’t relate to anything historical . . . like the Beetles, the Vietnam years,
or President Reagan. Really? Didn’t those time-altering events happen and people exist
just a couple of years ago? EDITORIAL
And then there is the data entry itself. I am again reminded of my longevity while typing
the birth year of today’s workers. I have to stop and think when typing 10/10/99 . . . that’s
October 10, 1999! I rememer what I was doing that year, and it certainly wasn’t birthing
babies! Y2K was fast approaching, and we were busily converting computer systems so
that the world didn’t go dark in two months. AAAAARGH!
Another birthday is fast approaching. My task is to make sure old age doesn’t catch me
napping. I have people to meet, new projects to undertake, and life to live. And, I still have
time to undetake another Pathway, work on my next DTM,
and think about how I can help the world become a better
place for those young whippersnappers.
As Spock often said with forked fingers “Live Long and
Prosper.” I plan to do just that.

Volume 7 Issue 3 October 2020 Monthly Columnists 2020-21 Officers Administrative Manager
Publisher B. Lee Coyne, ATMS District Director Phyllis Harmon, DTM
Phyllis Harmon, DTM Eldred Brown, DTM PJ Kleffner, DTM
Emilie Taylor, DTM Public Relations Manager
Associate Publisher Harvey Schowe, DTM Program Quality Director Neal Iversen
Chris Angelopoulos James Wantz, DTM Eldred Brown, DTM
Senior Editor Leanna Lindquist, DTM Club Growth Director Voices! is published monthly by District 7
Phyllis Harmon, DTM Lorri Andersen, DTM Lorrie Andersen, DTM Toastmasters. First issue published August
Michelle Alba-Lim, DTM 2014. Submit articles or contact us at
Associate Editor Paul Fanning, DTM Finance Manager voices@d7toastmasters.org
Leanna Lindquist, DTM PJ Kleffner, DTM Jamie Gould, CC
Sudhir Gautam, DL4

VOICES! | OCTOBER 2020 3