Archive | Growing Old is Not for Sissies

Not as fast as I once was

It was a sad day when, for the first time in our lives, my nephew, Frank, Jr., beat me in a foot race. I was always a very fast runner, usually beating boys and girls of all ages in races. I enjoyed accepting all challengers and I enjoyed winning because running fast was about the […]

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Melissa’s post started focusing on a physical speed issue, and I guess we all experience some level of being defeated by someone faster or better at something. But, as they say, with age comes wisdom. The “they” in this case was Oscar Wilde and full quote is, per the ever wonderful internet, “With age comes […]

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Dodged Bullets

We’ve all heard the expression, “I dodged that bullet” to indicate that one missed something that, in hindsight, would have been bad, or at least, less than positive. I was recently reflecting of at least 3 bullets that I have, or Melissa and I have, dodged. Two of these involved the beginnings of Magnus, way […]

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As John Lennon famously wrote in the lyrics of his song, “Beautiful Boy,” “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” It is interesting to see where our lives take us, including when it takes us in directions different from those we had planned. David and I founded Magnus in 1993 with big […]

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Facing Aging

If you are wondering what this topic of Facing Aging has to do with our trial consulting world, I’ll state right off the bat, not much. Except that, when we’re living with these issues among family and friends, it does impact our lives. It hits very close to home! And, some of the issues impact […]

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My friends and I have reached the age when we are facing many maladies, both physical and mental. When various friends of mine lament about their ailments, I remind them that we either get older or we don’t. There are only two alternatives and one is death. With the other, getting older, there exists the […]

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It’s later than you think

My late mother used to say, “Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.” Many years ago, Magnus used to have a restroom in our office on which we wrote graffiti. We had colored markers and we invited people to write positive, uplifting messages on the bathroom walls whenever they had a creative urge. On one […]

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I think another way this concept is captured in a phrase is “you only live once” – YOLO. Whether YOLO or going with Leola’s phrase, the point is to live life while the living is fun. There are those who save for retirement, or some target age, and may not be in good enough health […]

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Growing Old is not for Sissies…

The title of this post, Growing Old is not for Sissies, was a favorite saying of my grandmother, whom we called Olie (see https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/2015/02/olie/). Bette Davis is pegged as the source of this insight, sometimes reported with a variation from this exact language. But, the bottom line is clear. And, it is clear that with […]

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David and I have reached the age when we, as well as most of our friends, have succumbed to many of life’s maladies. I recently had a get together with some long time friends who regaled our group about the various ailments from which they suffered. I sat by quietly, until I could no longer […]

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Get Help for Mental Health Issues

David and I recently wrote about people with mental health issues who don’t act “normally.” This, related, post is about getting help for mental health issues. Because mental health issues are not as well understood as more observable physical maladies, there is often a reluctance for people who suffer from mental health problems to obtain […]

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It is too late to “do something” after the harm is done. Red flags are called that for a reason – they are the signs that something isn’t right and that the person is likely to “go off the deep end” and hurt himself or herself, or worse, others. There are too many tragic examples […]

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People with Mental Health Issues Don’t Act “Normally”

Mental health, and the absence of mental health, are largely misunderstood by the general public. In that mental health concerns, including the rapidly increasing rate of age related dementia, are common within our society, it is time for people to come to terms with the variety of signs and symptoms of cognitive crises. There are […]

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As a psychologist, Melissa is acutely aware of mental health issues. However, in the last 10 or so years, the personal nature of her, and my, observations of mental health issues has grown, sadly, exponentially. This has included dementia related health issues of family and friends, as well as other mental health problems of family […]

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Life and Work – Have Fun When You Can

This concept presents itself in many ways. The saying “life is short, eat dessert first” is one way. But, aside from that, building fun into “the plan” is one benefit of operating a small business. While we’ve written things along these lines in the past, recent discussions with family and friends are reminders of the […]

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I can’t begin to count the number of times David’s mother, Carole, said, “Have fun!” when David and I were leaving her house to meet with a prospective client (the opposite of having fun, in my opinion); conducting mock jury research (very stressful and hard work, involving long hours); selecting a jury (the ultimate stressful […]

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Herman/Dad

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 19, 2018

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work

Dad, aka Herman, was a road warrior throughout his career, even before that term existed! And, all of his career was spent trying to keep other road warriors safe. His first job, post college, was with the now extinct Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) – a Federal agency tasked with transportation law and safety. Dad recently […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 19, 2018

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work

David’s dad is David’s dad, but to me, he is “MY Herman.” I am as fond of my father-in-law, Herman, as I am of my mother-in-law, Carole. This being said, My Herman and I have always had a special relationship. I share Herman’s love of barbeque, particularly ribs, and I have always appreciated his knowledge […]

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Carole/Mom

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 12, 2018

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work

The focus of this post is a brief reflection on my mother, Carole’s, well lived life, following a realization that it is important to consider who she really was throughout most of her life. (Her recent condition can taint those memories; see “Chicken Salad” post.) Born in Atlanta, mom moved to Jacksonville after my parents […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 12, 2018

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Growing Old is Not for Sissies, Life Outside of Work

As I have mentioned in several previous posts, David’s mother, Carole, was never just my mother-in-law. A mother-in-law, in my opinion, is merely the person who happens to be the mother of one’s spouse. When marrying someone, one gains a mother-in-law, as long as one’s spouse has a mother. Mothers-in-law come in all shapes and […]

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