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An Old Man

     My dad owned an ancient five unit apartment house on 4th Street. Sometime, somehow, during high school it became my job to collect the rents, make repairs, and be responsible for the place.

      In general, I hated the job, but I learned a lot.

    One of the tenants, when I was about 20, was a man who was 103. He was ineligible for Social Security because he retired before Social Security was established in the 1930s.

       He was in pretty good health until he turned 100. But those last two or three years were really rough on him. 

    Sarah says I have a talent for being able to ask uncomfortable questions in a way that doesn't make people uncomfortable. The old man and I were talking, and I asked him what it was like...

What is it like to have your body finally give up, to know the end was in sight?

      "Oh, it's fascinating," he said. "It's all happening so quickly. A year goes by in only about two weeks now."

                      I remember and tell myself this story often.