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50 and 70. Connection and Age. Spiritual Strength.

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2-legged, cisgender, white man of privilege turning 70 enjoying life with friends of 50+ years. Still kicking-sort of-still enjoying life. Intentional families.

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Episode Notes

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Find FULL TRANSCRIPT at the end of the other show notes or download the printable transcript here

Contents with Time-Stamped Headings

to listen where you want to listen or read where you want to read (heading. time on podcast xx:xx. page # on the transcript)

Old friends, old me 00:37. 1

Podcasting to learn, connect, philosophize 02:40. 2

Please comment and ask questions

Credits

Music by permission from Joey van Leeuwen, Drummer, Composer, Arranger

Web and Social Media Coach Kayla Nelson @lifeoflesion

The views and opinions presented in this podcast and publication are solely my responsibility and do not necessarily represent the views of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute®  (PCORI®), its Board of Governors or Methodology Committee. Danny van Leeuwen (Health Hats)

Sponsored by Abridge

Inspired by and grateful to YOU

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About the Show

Welcome to Health Hats, learning on the journey toward best health. I am Danny van Leeuwen, a two-legged, old, cisgender, white man with privilege, living in a food oasis, who can afford many hats and knows a little about a lot of healthcare and a lot about very little. Most people wear hats one at a time, but I wear them all at once.  I’m the Rosetta Stone of Healthcare. We will listen and learn about what it takes to adjust to life’s realities in the awesome circus of healthcare.  Let’s make some sense of all this.

To subscribe go to https://health-hats.com/

Creative Commons Licensing

The material found on this website created by me is Open Source and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution. Anyone may use the material (written, audio, or video) freely at no charge.  Please cite the source as: ‘From Danny van Leeuwen, Health Hats. (including the link to my website). I welcome edits and improvements.  Please let me know. danny@health-hats.com. The material on this site created by others is theirs and use follows their guidelines.

The Show

Old friends, old me

I took a week off to vacation in wild, wonderful West Virginia. We rented a camper van, drove to our old stomping grounds in Lewis and Braxton Counties and partied with friends we’ve known for 50 years. My wife and I go back 50 years. Aging fascinates me. My grandson sort of thinks I’m old. I told him that the 11-year-old me looks out of these 70-year-old-eyes sometimes. He said he could understand that – sort of —what a guy. A few weeks ago, at a block party gig with Lechuga Fresca, my Latin Band, I watched three 10-11-year-old girls skipping down the street. I thought, but didn’t say out loud, you might be 70 one day.

The perseverance to know people for 50 years also intrigues me. Several smaller groups of this tribe grew up together in widely dispersed locations, Detroit, Buffalo, and Woodridge, NY. The groups connected happenstance – meeting while hitchhiking, at college, at concerts. We cross-pollinated and married across groups. We’ve been present for each other through births, deaths, marriages, breakups, diagnoses, and kids. As expected, we now talk about retirement, accessible travel, aches, pains, bodily functions, and our grandchildren, not so much politics. We know the good, the bad, and the ugly of each other and still stay connected. We challenge each other toward meaningful work and meaningful lives. Our children’s cross friendships help maintain our bonded inertia.

Podcasting to learn, connect, philosophize

Goodness, I’m podcasting again about family: blood family and intentional families. You know my mantra: spiritual health trumps mental health trumps physical health. All my families help to sustain my spirit. Turning 70 (on July 17th) will bring on reflection for a philosophical person like me.

You might also notice that I’ve become more relaxed about my podcasting. While I still have several interviews in the can ready to produce and several more interviews in the works, I’m no longer a reliable weekly podcaster. Now on episode 171, I’m not pushing myself as much. There’s much to do in the rest of my life – consulting, PCORI, music, and reading.  The episodes will come as they come. My readership and listeners continue to increase slowly, just as I like it. I still find that podcasting nurtures me to learn, connect, and philosophize. I’ve never retained information immediately. Read a book and forget it.  Watch a movie and forget it. Interview someone and forget it. Producing the episode shifts the material to a different part of my brain that I can access. Connection needs no explanation. Philosophizing? I’m full of it, and it leaks out.

End of short episode. I’m grateful to you, my readers and listeners, to Kayla Nelson and Joey van Leeuwen and of course, my sponsor Abridge.

Now a word about our sponsor, ABRIDGE.

Use Abridge to record your doctor’s visit. Push the big pink button and record the conversation. Read the transcript or listen to clips when you get home. Check out the app at abridge.com or download it on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Record your health care conversations. Let me know how it went!” 

 

 

 

 

Danny van Leeuwen

Patient/Caregiver activist: learn on the journey toward best health

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