Wednesday, June 17, 2026
-Bill Crane-
I have often heard from my parents, and even aging peers, that among the many joys of aging is the increasingly long list of items that you are told, “You can’t DO THAT anymore.”
My daily Tai Chi practice, two to three yoga sessions a week, and 10-15 miles of walking on a convenient 22-mile trail which runs through my backyard are my means of extending the ‘can do’ years, but gravity is also having its way.
The Good –
Flextime/Telecommuting – Post-pandemic, the combination of lower office rental rates as well as the need for significantly less central office space, with overall productivity rates not apparently harmed by a majority of employees working from home caused employers large and small to embrace and expand teleworking and flex-time schedules post-pandemic. The Atlanta commute is NOT as jammed up as it used to be.
Telemedicine – Bad news for everyone who enjoys reading six-month-old issues of People magazine or obscure medical trade publications, but the office part of an ‘office visit’ to your doctor now has a much easier substitute. Telemedicine visits take less time for both you and the doctor, particularly for routine visits, prescription renewals, and less urgent needs. Now let’s zero out that co-pay.
Appreciation of Family – Though a few new divorces may follow the post-pandemic Baby Boom, the increased family time also allowed for greater multi-generational family bonding and appreciation. This was facilitated by board games, long walks/talks and dinners where most family members actually sat around the same table—occasionally even with the kids putting their phones away.
The Bad –
Fewer handshakes, less hugging – Admittedly, I will have trouble saying goodbye to both of these. Those who refused handshakes in years past were always suspect to me. The limp handshake without eye contact of many Generation Z and even a few Millennials has long caused me pause. There is really no excuse for bad manners, other than poor parenting.
Seemingly fewer large public events & gatherings – Making potentially everything virtual and/or pay-per-view is not a realistic long-term solution. Nor is replacing real actors and athletes with AI. Thankfully in addition to the current North American based FIFA World Cup, and with fall football just around the corner, tailgating and gathering with 50-90,000 of your closest friends will be back in style again. Go Dawgs!
The Impossible –
Kids being kids – I am a fan of limiting access to mobile phones and electronic devices used as learning crutches in the classroom. I am also skeptical about how much we can educate or instruct kids not to be kids. Touching each other, eating off each other’s plates and the positive qualities of ‘sharing’ have in the past been a deeply ingrained habit when around peers and other children. We must reverse this declining cognition, literacy and academic performance spreading througout our American schools. Perhaps a good dose of Vitamin D (sunshine) is in order. Bring back recess and more school events, including class OUTSIDE. And again frankly, ask these students to lift up their chins and fix their gaze on other people, not just the device in their palm that has become their closest friend.
As I accept certain aspects of my own aging, I occasionally smile through gritted teeth. I’ve learned that happiness is a choice, and very little in life is impossible if you approach things with the right attitude, and at least a touch of gratitude. And I am reminded, while also smiling, of a late career duet and dance performance by entertainment giants Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, who shared in verse that you can’t do THAT anymore. And then, they did JUST that…and more.
At the time this TV special was taped, Mr. Sinatra was 58, and Mr. Kelly was 61. At 65 I attempted a few of these moves, and pulled off most of them, but I paid for it the next few days.
