Sign of a good vacation

I’m headed out on vacation for a couple of weeks so have slipped into lazy mode when it comes to writing more meaty content.  Thus, you are getting my occasional Friday Medical Comedy Relief post on a Monday, so there. I’m sure I’ll post something from the road, but given the context, it will probably need to be read through martini-colored glasses.

In the interim, those of you who follow this blog regularly know I wrote about the upcoming AARP Annual Meeting and associated AARP Health Innovation@50+ LivePitch  event the other day (fyi, you can also get 50% off of the conference by using the code LISA50 on this link -  http://health50.org/register/).  I got a lot of interesting feedback, particularly from people who are building  mobile healthcare technology products that are basically for the young, healthy and, as a result, annoying.

I think it is funny how our own definition of who is old changes as we ourselves get older.  Rather than have some abstract view of what constitutes and old person, each of us begins to define old age as a function of how old we are plus some buffer amount.  I know my daughter thinks anyone over 40 is ancient, which I remember thinking myself once upon a time, lo those many years ago.  Now I think that anyone under 50 is downright young. I am quite confident that when I cross 50 my definition of young will rapidly transmogrify to include anyone under 60.  It’s important to stay out ahead of trends, I always say.

If you consider the fact that the average American life span runs right around 80 or so years on average, 40 is the literal definition of middle-aged.  That’s just not right.  At 40 I hadn’t even yet started fantasizing about owning an inappropriately sporty car or how to get photographed from just the right angle to ensure those annoying neck wrinkles don’t show.  I like the Urban Dictionary’s definition of middle aged, which is, “Something most people will not admit to being.”

In that vein, I thought I’d share a really funny comedy routine from Louis CK about turning 40.  I’m sure all of you who are over 40 will relate.  For those of you who read my blog and are under 40, do me a favor and don’t tell me if you don’t get the jokes.

My favorite part of this video, which is about Louis CK’s visit to the doctor for ankle pain right after he turned 40, is this:

Doctor:  Your ankle’s just worn out.

Louis CK: You mean I injured it?

Doctor:  No, I mean it’s just shitty now.

I think Louis CK is really hilarious.  He also did a routine about getting fat, which is a riot, although don’t watch it if you are not fond of the “F” word.  But for those of us who frequently think and talk about the implications of obesity on the healthcare system (much less on our own social lives) and who aren’t scared off by bad words, this is pretty damn funny.