A couple of news stories caught my eye this week and got me thinking. One was about 84 year old Ester McCullogh in Texas. She tried to run down a neighbor in her car. She had a record of violence since she assaulted a policeman in 2005 with her cane. A Canadian man was ticketed and had his car impounded for “street racing” at 100 MPH when he passed a cop car. He’s 85 years old, so he beat the record previously held by two 75 year old men who were cited under the same law. What I got to thinking about is social pressure. How much of our tolerance for company, and need for support do we carry into our later years? Canada and rural Texas have a lot of space that is becoming more crowded. Since these two were born in about 1922, what are the population changes?
I like to take my dog to the dog park. I like the one in Sierra Madre best, but since I don’t pay taxes there, I generally go somewhere else. My dog doesn’t seem to have a preference since he tries to sit on my lap the whole time, regardless of where we go. It may sound cute, but he’s a big old Lab and thinks he’s a lap dog. He seems to have social anxiety but I don’t think starting him on Prozac is indicated.
I don’t expect the dog to “begin enjoying the support and company of his peer group.” I do sometimes expect older adults to start going to congregate meals and social functions after being solitary for years or even decades. The unexpected consequences of company may lead to bad driving behavior. And I won’t let the dog drive us home from the park.