It is hard to believe but I’m almost 80 years of age. Where did the years ago? You may ask the question, but I tell you honestly that I haven’t got a sweet clue. So much for the wisdom of the ages. A friend of mine recently said that I look surprisingly good. I said to her; “You should be in here looking out.”

I am an incredibly lucky boy to even be here really. I always joke that mostly everyone I know is dead. It certainly is some kind of minor miracle that I never really paid attention to my health, but I must have done something right. Of the people in the newsroom in radio where I started half a century ago all but one are “passed” as they say.

Some years ago, I wrote in The Herald about my theory of balancing poisons. While I obviously am not a health nut, I seem to have lucked into something. I have to tell you the truth and say I am a bit overweight, and I do still occasionally have a piece of salt beef on Sunday. I also have bacon for breakfast two or three times a week and, while I am not arguing in favour of my diet, it is presented here as a kind of evidence of something to do with the concept of “luck of the draw”. I also present for your consideration the fact that a few years ago I was good friends with someone who regularly did two laps around Quidi Vidi Lake twice a week. He dropped dead and while I am not silly enough to argue against walking I do notice the passing of my friend with a bit of a raised eyebrow. I do walk a bit myself, but it is just a bit. Moderation in all things INCLUDING moderation.

Now I believe without any proof whatsoever that there is a secret theory of balance at work. It works like this. If you don’t get quite enough sleep every night and you eat a bit too much and perhaps have a few beers too many over the Health Canada guidelines that it somehow all evens out.

On the plus side I shovel my own snow, and I never got a snow blower until I was over 70. I also played hockey until I was well into my late 60s which was long after my doctor told me earnestly to “knock it off.” In all I had three doctors – one of whom has himself now “gone to glory.”

What is my point? It isn’t that you can do what you want and it doesn’t matter. I do however point a finger in the direction of the large random nature of the whole universe. To be sure nearly all the people I know from the hard drinking and hard smoking days of news in print and radio are gone. Yes, it might be largely a function of the calendar, but it is hard NOT to suggest some kind of causal connection.

Has my position changed over the years? Yes, absolutely. Perhaps I am getting wiser after all. I do still get out with my family to the “all you can eat” buffet occasionally and I still have a taste for Irish whiskey but I really have started to look after myself. Hooray for me.

You can contact Jim Furlong at jfurlong@ntv.ca