A Chin-Up book for those who have run Smack-Dab into the hard place)..
At age 86, "the man" and "bestfrienddog", the leading characters in this saga, traveled fifteen thousand miles in a half ton van with a cargo trailer converted to serve as kitchen and computer center. Their two month journey began in North Carolina, ended in Newfoundland, with an adventure-laden detour in between. Last October, just before "the man" and "bestfrienddog" reached ages ninety and ten, respectively, they completed a 6700 mile tour in the same rig, to the southern and northern outer reaches of the St. Lawrence River.
In the book, Wildegeest! A Search for Last Places, the narrator is identified only as "the man," frequently called to task by his imaginary friend, Ed, because of his "olde farte" meandering style. He is also critiqued by the spirit of Jonathan Swift, that wonderful teller of tall tales and satirist, who wrote Gulliver's Travels in a similar genre.
The man seeks to overcome loneliness by recalling past events that link with the present, and by creating imaginary tales which swirl in every direction. The book is a wild trip through time and space, loaded with meanings which challenge the reader at every twist and turn.
The book insists that joy of living is within reach of every normal, healthy person, regardless of age, and should not be regarded as the sole possession of the young. On the contrary, a properly motivated oldster is likely to find it the most rewarding part of his or her life - a time to think, a time to enjoy, a time to do, and a time to fully mature.
This is the story of one old man who refused the rocking chair, dodged the nets that Society deploys for the elderly, and set out on an odyssey that has so far given him eleven active, meaningful years. Each morning and evening he takes Theodore for walks on the beach to view the sunrise and sunset. He insists that "sunset should be as memorable as sunrise."
WILDEGEEST!
As used herein, is meant to be a synonym for
EXCELSIOR!, Alley-Oop!, Onward and Upward!, Upsey-Daisy!
The shades of night were falling fast! A banner with a strange device. EXCELSIOR! Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Wildegeest! is a made-up name meaning upward and onward - life is not to be wasted - never give up. It is suggested as a battle cry for the "UNSEEN MAJORITY," persons in that segment of our society who have butted into the hard place - death of a partner, or other traumatic event - that suddenly destroys an established lifestyle, and leaves the person stranded like a beached whale.
Younger segments of our hard-edged society try not to see these rejects, a mind-set similar to discrimination, xenophobia, and prejudice, called "AGEISM."
Still, the author insists it is the comfortably entrenched "middle-aged group" who are most likely to need a contingency plan for dealing with terrifying, inevitable events that can suddenly isolate one of them from the rest of the uncaring world.
This book was written to show victims of AGEISM there remains a wonderful alternate universe for them to seek and explore. But the person must decide it is evil to waste a single moment of remaining years and must then undertake to build an even better life.
The author's "traumatic event" occurred when he was seventy-six. At first he depended heavily upon canine companionship and travel, but gradually realized that reliance on scenery can be unproductive. Instead, human contacts, nutrition, exercise, and writing were some of the elements that so far have added thirteen productive years to his life.
He credits Dora and Theodore for their active role in helping him survive the hard lonely places, and suggests that dogs who perform this special support role for elderly people be called, "bestfrienddogs." Much space is devoted to the importance and meaning of this special HUMAN/CANINE relationship.
