Jim Hicks is throwing hay bales at 91. Chuck Brown is making deals in his 90s. Del McOmie is holding court at 90. And best of all, Joan Barron is still writing columns at the ripe old age of 97.
These folks are my heroes. Still going strong while most of their contemporaries are pushing up daisies or in nursing homes.
They inspire me and they make me write the following about reaching advanced age.
Ripe Old Age
I hope with all my heart that all of you reading this are able to reach a ripe old age.
My age, for example.
Having just turned 80, I can no longer duck the truth. I have officially arrived at geezerhood - a full-fledged codger. The jury is still out on whether I am a doddering old fool.
All my life, when thinking about someone who was 80, there was only one reaction: They were old.
Not just old—really old. The kind of old that made you shake your head and wonder how they even got there. And now, it has happened to me.
The surprising part? Most of the time, a person just doesn’t feel that old.
Time flies by so fast at this age. Where does the time go? And yet, oddly, every activity in the middle of it all seems to move slower. Not a little slower. A lot. We oldsters live a “slow motion” lifestyle.
My friend Dan Whetstone says he’s going to put a bumper sticker on his pickup that reads: “I’m retired. Go around!”
People my age feel in their brains they are still teenagers - full of ideas, plans, and optimism - but their bodies feel like they fought in the Civil War.
I go to the pool twice a week and call it swimming. My wife calls it “bobbing.” It’s technically water jogging. You move along in a lane, buoyed up so your joints don’t complain quite so much.
All around me are these smooth, graceful swimmers cutting through the water like they belong in a magazine. Meanwhile, I am upright, bouncing along like a fishing bobber in a windstorm.
The other day there was a really old guy in the pool, bobbing worse than me. He said he was 94. I rest my case.
Ah, Those Motorized Carts
Even shopping has slowed down, unless, of course, you climb aboard one of those motorized carts.
I had a hip issue for a while and could barely get around. Next thing you knew, I was zipping through the aisles like a teenager with a driver’s license and no supervision.
Still, everywhere I look, I see people my age, and older, who are getting after life in a way that makes me shake my head.
Chuck Brown is in his 90s and still making deals in Wheatland.
Here in Lander, former mayor and legislator 90-year-old Del McOmie is as busy as ever, and just as talkative. At the Fox News All-Stars coffee group, we’ve discussed putting him on a word meter. When he hits his limit, we threaten to cut him off. So far, it’s all talk.
Up in Buffalo, Jim Hicks is still running his ranch, worrying about water and hay like he always has. He’s in his 90s.
Joan (pronounced Jo-Ann) Barron, one of the best newspaper people I’ve ever known, is still writing sharp, thoughtful columns every Sunday for Cowboy State Daily. She is 97!
My friend Mike Wilmer, at 83, is still out chasing pronghorn with gusto. He takes his grandsons with him and they always score impressive kills.
Cowboy State Daily recently wrote about Dave Reetz, 80, still hustling business for Powell and for Wyoming like the Energizer Bunny of economic development. Tucker Fagan turns 81 on the 19th and is always helping Wyoming grow.
Judy and Don Legerski, both in their 80s, travel the world on a schedule that would wear out people half their age. Former Lander mayor Mick Wolfe is going strong at 82, and my retired attorney buddy Gary Barney is right there at 81.
Two of my good friends, Andy Gramlich and Charlie Krebs, both from Lander, turn 80 this year. I’m saving them seats.
Long-time Wyoming tourism promoter Gene Bryan is in his mid-80s and still plays pickleball. Two Greybull natives, Pat Schmidt now of Cheyenne and Diana Schutte Dowling of Bozeman are staying busy.
In Riverton, my brother-in-law Dan Kinneman is still hunting and fishing almost every day at age 85.
Even in Texas
When I’m down in Texas, Rotary supplies another batch of inspiration: Mike Williams and Steve Allen, both 84; Dave Whitten and Jimmy Stewart, both 83; E.T. Boon at 85; Hank Fox at 88; and Bob Hana at 90. Ernie Knirk is the kid of the group at 82.
These guys are not slowing down. They are my heroes.
Now, I would be stretching things if I said getting old is easy.
My older brother Tom, 83, has been dealing with some health issues lately down in Columbia, S. C. But knowing him, I would not bet against him finding a way through it.
A month ago, we were in Las Vegas with Dan Whetstone, 81, and still staying busy. He and his wife Cindy call themselves “DanCin,” and they still go dancing. While in Vegas, they took us to the Sphere, the Stratosphere, Fremont Street, and even a Wayne Newton concert!
Dave Crum, 82, of Casper, and Ray Hunkins, 87, of Cheyenne, are still sharp, still engaged, and still keeping me on my toes.
So maybe age really is just a number. A number that comes with a few creaks, a slower pace, and the occasional motorized cart - but also a lot of perspective.
And if you’re lucky, a lot of friends are still making the ride worthwhile.
Happy trails to all you fellow codgers.
Bill can be reached at bill@cowboystatedaily.com
