Solid work old man and yes, your are spot on. It seems in the culture for which we boomers were boomed into that discarding of the oldest among us is the new sort of conformist mentality. Since we as you say are dancing to your own drummer its best to shuffle us off to another institution than manage the likes of us on the local street corner.

But hold on you say. We are gangsters. Not the sort that takes from the rich and spends it like drunken sailors but the likes of those who take from life what we deem is rightfully ours, our dignity. And genuine affections and those other moments only a life well lived can embrace. For hell yes, and for heavens sake we are not going into the good night for we are the light. And to us, the oldest among us, the only ones who can say and say as they please, we are here for the long haul sans what the culture wishes but what we among you and its others, could only wish to imagine.

Stay the course Gary. We need voices like yours. Clear of mind. Sound of voice. And bold as hell. While kind as can be.

Eric