11 www.loubar.org July 2025 BOOK RECOMMENDATION JULY 2025 AWARENESS CALENDAR H H EE AA LL TT H H && W W EE LL LL N N EE SS SS CC O O RR N N EE RR Practicing just 15 minutes of self-care a day has been linked to significantly lower stress levels and improved overall well-being." Only about one in three Black adults who need mental health care receive it — and among Latinx adults, that number drops to one in five." BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month UV Safety Awareness Month Social Wellness Month ARTICLE RECOMMENDATION July 24 – International Self-Care Day Self-care isn’t indulgent — it’s essential. PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE Disappearing As We Age Dorothy Chambers I recently finished submitting my required CLE credits, squeaking by virtue of a free CLE zoom hour offered by the LBA. But, being a bit insecure, I went back the next day to double check that all the credits were there, only to discover my CLE status now showed “Honorary Lifetime Exemption.” Who knew that getting to 74 1/2 years old paid a dividend? Was this a good thing? Or did it mean I no longer needed to show up for CLE? Or anything? More on that later. While pondering this serious question I stumbled into our sunroom, coffee cup in hand, and proceeded to skim the AARP magazine. There I found a list of things that should be “going” as one reaches one’s 70s. Well, as I’ve already established, I’m squarely within my 70s. So, I read, hoping to find I was still holding on to some of the things that should be going. Eyesight. The article talked about macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts. Well, I’m two out of three. Cataracts, check, but I’ve had them removed. Macular degeneration, check, but I’ve had the injec- tions and the wet macular degeneration at present has stopped advancing. Hearing. I’ve been doing what I’m sup- posed to be doing. Protecting my ears at loud concerts. Yes, people in their 70s still go to rock concerts. I’ve had my hearing tested by an audiologist for free at Costco. He said I have mild to moderate hearing loss. And then he tried to sell me hearing aids. For the most part, I’m not having serious trouble with hearing, except in noisy restaurants and with friends who mumble. Both situations seem to be happening more frequently. Then I woke up one morning with a loud ringing—or more like the sound of standing next to a very loud vacuum cleaner. In only one ear. Were the cleaning people here? Had I lost track of the days or dates? No. It was just my ear that had lost track. I managed to get in to see an ear, nose and throat doctor. That took about three weeks. By then, luckily, the ringing had long ago stopped. I brought along my audiologist report. The ENT said to come back if the ringing occurred again and “pffted” at any need for hearing aids at this point. He said my hearing loss was mild. I’m counting that as a win. And I like that doctor. The AARP article also included some other sections about diminishing senses and abilities in aging people. But I’m forgetting what they were. Maybe it was memory? The last category I recall was about feeling. I’m actually feeling pretty good. But this was about the sense of touch. How old people supposedly get “clumsier.” The article suggested that is because their fingers lose sensitivity. Or they tend to trip because their feet are not as sensitive. I’m batting .500 there. I don’t think I have dropped too many things, but I certainly have a tendency to trip if I’m not careful. But that also is probably because I have bursitis in my knee and hammer toes on the same foot. I didn’t see either of those things mentioned in the article. I did notice loss of sensitivity in my fingers today when trying to use an app on my phone. This actually was one of the losses mentioned in the article. As if the touch of our fingers would gradually become invisible to our phones. A moment of dread. Was this yet another sign of my disappearing as I age? I kept tapping my finger on the little arrow on the screen, but the video would not play. So, I took it to my husband who is a year older than I. It wouldn’t work for him either. I concluded it was because we are both in our mid-70s and are both disappearing. He concluded the phone app is defective. I went back and took another look at the app and realized a third possibility. I had yet to fill out some more screens on the app before the video would play. I guess they need to add another category to the declining abilities of seniors. Something about failing to read the directions on cell phone apps. Maybe when next my grand- daughter visits, she can add a shortcut for me. That is why God created grandchildren, isn’t it? One final thought. I’m still going to show up for things, especially CLE, because I enjoy learning new information. If I were actively practicing law, those CLE ses- sions would be especially important for oldsters like me. There seem to be as many new wrinkles in the law as there are on our faces. Dorothy J. Chambers, traveler, free-lance writer and grandma, is a member of the LBA Communication Committee. n “ If I were actively practicing law, those CLE sessions would be especially important for oldsters like me. There seem to be as many new wrinkles in the law as there are on our faces. LBA Section and Committee Meetings AI/IP/Privacy Law Section: Wednesday, July 2 at 11 a.m. via Zoom Diversity & Inclusion Committee: Wednesday, July 9 at 4 p.m. via Zoom Health & Wellness Committee: Thursday, July 17 at noon via Zoom If you are interested in joining any of these committees, please contact Lisa Anspach, [email protected]. n MEETING MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS Association of Legal Administrators The monthly chapter meeting of the Kentucky Association of Legal Admin- istrators will be held in person and via Zoom on Thursday, July 10, beginning at noon at the office of Frost Brown Todd in Louisville (400 W. Market St., Ste. 3200) and Lexington (250 W. Main St., Ste. 2800). Please RSVP by register- ing online at www.ky-ala.org. Any questions, please contact Deana Lively, [email protected]. n
