Amongst the Radio Active
For those long in the tooth and experiencing all the foibles that their advanced age can offer – Conventional wisdom will tell you that a grave danger to the elderly is social isolation.
A Facebook friend of mine recently posted a piece about how important it is for the elderly to remain involved in social activities when they’ve got more doctors than you can count using both fingers and toes; when their “dance card” is filled with the shuffle from medical appointment to medical appointment; and when they take more pills on a daily basis than Heinz has got pickles.
Here was my response to the post:
“I am very fortunate in that I have a circle of friends that I can count on for support, encouragement, advice, and general camaraderie. They are a diverse group. Some are young, many are old. They’re from different backgrounds, and have many different skills and interests.
“A lot of us chat on an almost daily basis, and some of us often share a lunch or an activity together. Many of them live near me, some of them are from around the world. I’ve never met many of them, and there are a few that I’ve never even heard the sound of their voice. But I sure don’t know what I’d do without them. They’ve enriched my life so much!
“They are my fellow ham radio operators. And they’re not just good friends, but they are also pretty cool folks.”
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that amateur radio is fantastic medicine for those that are aging, ill, or home-bound. And it breaks my heart to know that most old-timers who are forced into the medical industrial complex (nursing homes, care centers, health facilities, etc) are stripped of their radio privileges.
Wouldn’t it be great if the medical community understood and supported our oldster hams? Just askin’.
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I have been saying this for years as well. Amateur radio is so many things but one of its most extraordinary rewards is the connective tissue it forms. By the way, this applies to both on-air and in person connections. That’s what I love about amateur radio, is that we can connect while sitting at home (long before Zoom was more than a variable focal length lens), but also in person through our clubs. This is also, btw, why I encourage clubs that can afford it to have a shack or meeting hall; it is one of the best investments they will ever make. I know that as I grow older, I realize that amateur radio is what will keep me connected right until the end. Indeed, one of our dear local friends passed away while on the air. We, obviously, wish he had not passed that day, but he did so while virtually surrounded by friends.
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