A guide to a healthy life, an old barn

Young people should be looking for ways to improve their health for the long term. They should look to their elders and evaluate the quality of elder life and the lifestyle that got them there. The traditional medical texts of Traditional Chinese Medicine often utilized metaphor and stories to explain various concepts. A useful metaphor for many people is that old people are like old barns.

Common throughout the Wisconsin countryside (and elsewhere) there are old barns. Some look almost new because of the care that they have received, some are obviously in disrepair and are ready to fall down. The ones of concern are the ones that look just a little bit shabby. It is obvious they are still in use, they look straight and solid.The wood looks worn and there are little signs of wear in various spots. This type of barn looks to be in good shape but can in fact be weak and fragile. There was nothing wrong in the care of the barn, however there has been very little extra done to help the barn either. The barn is weak everywhere. The danger is that if one board breaks the rest of the structure is not strong enough to compensate. This often happens where one board breaks in the wind and the whole barn rapidly collapses.

Many seniors are like this too. While they have not done any thing wrong about their health, some have done little in the way of extra to prepare for the weakening that comes with age. What often happens is that they are in “great health” and then one thing goes wrong-- a fall, a bad infection, and all of a sudden that is one thing too many. What should have been a simple problem becomes the first in a long string of issues as the patient collapses into poor health.

Look to your elders for a guide on how to live a quality life. Pay close attention to those that seem to bounce back well from minor health issues. They are the ones who have been doing the right things in life. Identify and watch the old barns in your life. They have much to teach in why you should do more to improve and maintain your health.