Sculpting the Mist

<p>HOW DO WE LIVE in our middle-old years—after age 70 or so when early retirement excitement has waned yet years of living stretch out before us? Middling-old is a developmental stage that comes after young senior and before frail elder. Middling-old requires making shapes from days that are seemingly shapeless.</p><p><br>In 2019 June Underwood age 77 started daily writings—recording stories taken from her immediate space and place. She wrote of neighboring days mewling cats and guys in hot rods smiling at old ladies. She recorded thoughts about gardens music and poetry. Her writing gave her days shape. Life was stable and quiet. </p><p><br>Then Covid the national insurrection and cancer interfered. Art music and kinwork swelled in importance. The reports ended in March 2021. In 2023 Underwood added comments and insights about those earlier jottings. Sculpting the Mist is a record from an aging perspective of some quietly crazy years. Our middling-old age requires appreciating the quotidian in all its bumps and quirks as well as telling the stories that shape our lives.<br> </p>