57, and all its Different Varieties

When I was in high school, I was certain that I would be dead before the age of 30. No specific reason, just a certainty. After reaching 30, then 40, then 50 I decided it would be kinda cool to live to be 80 -- to see how the world changes in my lifetime.

Then, the subtractions started:

When I found out I needed surgery to correct a heart defect, I was all for it. My father died (lung cancer) when he was 71 and I was determined to live until at least 72.

Then I found out I had a type of cancer that could not be cured and for which the average life expectancy after diagnosis was only 5 years. So, I became determined to live to be at least 61.

Today I turn 57 and I’m pretty happy to have made it this far. Although my cancer treatment is going well, there is always the possibility things may take a turn for the worst, or that I will get hit by a car, or shot by one of those “good” people with a gun.

But then, the additions started:

Tuesday, I had a visit with my cancer doctor. I’ve been doing a “maintenance” chemo regimen that has contributed to my numbers getting even better each month. My doctor said “If I were a teacher handing out grades, I would give you ‘A’s right across the board.” He even smiled when he said this. :-) I asked him frankly about the 5-year average and he said I could pretty much forget about that, that he would feel confident giving me at least another 10 years, by which time there would be new and hopefully better treatments. (Out of the blue he said “I can’t guarantee you’ll make it to 80” -- which I thought was an interesting coincidence.)

So, I guess it’s true to say that -- for me, anyway -- life begins at 57!

Ten is the Loneliest Number

I just watched the movie “The Imitation Game” and gave it my personal rating of 10 stars out of 10. I’m really stingy with 10-star ratings, so I wondered how many films I have given that elusive rating.

I’ve been tracking all the films I’ve seen since November 1994 (when I met the man who would become my spouse). In that period, I’ve seen 2552 movies. Out of those, I’ve given only 39 movies a rating of 10 stars (that’s .015%). 

The oldest film is from 1927; the most recent is from 2014. There are some from other countries (England has four; Germany has two), some are animated, and many are in black and white -- with a couple silent films thrown in. Many of the films are from the old Hollywood movie-studio system, but some are from outside the studio system. (“Citizen Kane” is absent from this list because, even though I have seen the film many times, I have not seen in since I started tracking my films. I’ll have to address that.)

Here is the list (in alphabetical order):

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)                   

All About Eve (1950)                                  

All the President's Men (1976)                     

Argo (2012)                                             

Bambi (1942)                                           

Capote (2005)                                          

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)             

Double Indemnity (1944)                            

Drive (2011)                                            

The English Patient (1996)                          

Fa yeung nin wa (In the Mood for Love, from Hong Kong) (2000)        

Fail Safe (1964)                                       

The Imitation Game (England) (2014)           

Inception (2010)                                       

Iris (England) (2001)                                 

Jaws (1975)                                             

L.A. Confidential (1997)                             

The Last Emperor (1987)                           

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)                         

Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others, from Germany) (2006)   

Man with the Movie Camera (Soviet Union) (1929)   

Mildred Pierce (1945)                                 

Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke, from Japan) (1997)         

Network (1976)                                        

Olympia 1. Teil - Fest der Völker (Festival of the Nations, from Germany) (1938)      

Ordinary People (1980)                              

Original Cast Album - Company (the making of the cast album) (1970) 

Le Peuple Migrateur (Winged Migration, from France) (2001)     

Rebecca (1940)                                        

Singin' in the Rain (1952)                           

Sunset Boulevard (1950)                            

Temple Grandin (2010)                              

Toy Story (1995)                                      

Vera Drake (England) (2004)                      

Wallace and Gromit Curse of the WereRabbit (England) (2005)

Wall-E (2008)                                           

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)          

Wings (1927)                                           

Wo hu cang long (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, from Taiwan) (2000)

Books I’m Reading

Am reading this (again).

Just finished reading this.

My Right Foot

In 6th grade, I was a crosswalk guard during lunch recess. One day, a car filled with teenagers cruised by and someone threw out what I thought was a cigarette. Being a conscientious budding environmentalist, I walked over to stomp it out. As my foot was about six inches above the “cigarette” it exploded. It was a firecracker. I don’t know what kind it was, but the explosion was loud enough to deafen me for a couple hours. Right after it happened I went to a teacher and told her. She didn’t seem to care that I was now deaf, or that I almost lost my foot. No, she just kept telling me to get back to the crosswalk. After hearing what happened to that young man in New York this weekend (who stepped on some kind of homemade fireworks), I tried to imagine how my life would have been had I actually stepped on the “cigarette” as it exploded. I’ve used my feet a lot in my life. Things would have sure been different.