THE AMAZING MONTH OF AUGUST

DEAR GEORGE, The month of August has special significance for our family because of all of the members, past and present, who are named August. My paternal great-grandfather was Carl August Lundgren (1830-1899). My paternal grandfather was Victor August Lundgren Sr. (1875-1959), and my father was Victor August Lundgren Jr. (1908-1993). One of my nephews, Steve and Margie’s second son, is Jason August Lundgren (1975- ). My grandnephews include August Clyde Levinson (2007- ; Vicki and George’s grandson and Jacob and Kazandra’s son) and Oskar August Mason (2006- ; Vicki and George’s grandson and Rhys and Tim’s son). In addition, Katja and I married on Aug. 28 1960. Peter married Faith on Aug. 7, 1968. Jacob married Kazandra on Aug. 13, 2007. Chris married Karrie on Aug. 21, 2010. It’s pretty obvious we are an August family. Here are some other interesting August facts.

AUGUST SYMBOLS: August birthstones: the peridot, sardonyx, and spinet; August birth flowers: the gladiolus, the poppy; August bird of the month: the kingfisher; August colors: orange, red, and light green; August trees: Cypress, Poplar, Cedar, Pine; August zodiac signs: Leo (until Aug. 21) and Virgo (starting Aug. 22).

SIX LITTLE-KNOWN AUGUST HOLIDAYS: Aug. 1, National Mustard Day; Aug. 5, Work Like a Dog Day; Aug. 9., International Lefthanders Day; Aug. 14, Creamsicle Day; Aug. 24, Pluto Demoted Day; Aug. 30, Frankenstein Day.

SIX HISTORICAL EVENTS IN AUGUST: Aug. 24, 79 A.D.: Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying Pompeii, Stabiae, and Herculaneum; Aug. 4, 1914: The First World War began; Aug. 6, 1945: The first Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay; Aug. 28, 1963: Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I have a dream” speech; Aug. 9, 1974: Richard Nixon resigned the presidency as a result of the Watergate scandal; Aug. 16, 1977: Elvis Presley died at age 42 at the Memphis Baptist Hospital; Aug. 31, 1997: Britain’s Princess Diana died at age 36 in a high-speed car crash.

SIX FAMOUS SINGERS WHO WERE BORN IN AUGUST: Tony Bennett, Aug. 3, 1926, New York, NY; Eddie Fisher, Aug. 10, 1928, Philadelphia, PA; Connie Stevens, Aug. 8, 1938, Brooklyn, NY; Madonna, Aug. 16, 1958, Bay City, MI; Michael Jackson, Aug. 29, 1958; Whitney Houston, Aug. 9, 1963, Newark, NJ.

SIX FAMOUS MOVIE STARS WHO DIED IN AUGUST: Bela Lugosi, Aug. 16, 1956; Marilyn Monroe, Aug. 5, 1962; Charles Boyer, Aug. 26, 1978; Victor Mature, Aug. 4, 1999; Charles Bronson, Aug. 30, 2003; Glenn Ford, Aug. 30, 2006; Julie Harris, Aug. 24, 2013.

SIX SONGS WITH AUGUST IN THE TITLE: August (Julia Nunes); August 7, 4:15 (Jon Bon Jovi); August is Over (We the Kings); Cold Wind in August (Van Morrison); First Day in August (Carole King); The 33rd of August (Waylon Jennings).

SIX CELEBRITY CHILDREN NAMED AUGUST: August Anna Brooks (b. 1994), daughter of singer Garth Brooks; Indiana August Affleck (b. 2004), son of actors Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix; August Miklos Friedrich Hermann (b. 2006), son of actors Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann; August Oliver Matthews (b. 2007), son of musician Dave Matthews; August Theron (b. 2015), daughter of actress Charlize Theron; August Zuckerberg (b. 2017), daughter of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.

SIX MOVIES WITH AUGUST IN THE TITLE: Sunday in August (Marcello Mastroianni, 1950); The Teahouse of the August Moon (Marlon Brando, 1956); The Whales of August (Bette Davis, 1987); Rhapsody in August (Richard Gere, 1991); August Rush (Robin Williams, 2007); August: Osage County (Julia Roberts, 2013).

SIX NATURAL DISASTERS IN AUGUST: Arica earthquake in Chile (Aug. 13, 1868; 25,674 deaths); Krakatoa eruption in Indonesia (Aug. 26, 1883; 36,000 to 120,000 deaths); Swatow typhoon in Philipines and China (Aug. 3, 1922; 50,000 to 100,000 deaths); Diexi earthquake in China (Aug. 25, 1933; 7000-9300 deaths); Hanoi and Red River Delta floods in North Vietnam (Aug. 1, 1971; 100,000 deaths) Typhoon Nina in China (Aug. 7, 1975; 229,000 deaths).

SIX OTHER TITILLATING AUGUST FACTS: August is named after Augustus Caesar, first emperor of the Roman Empire; August only had 29 days until Julius Caesar added two days in 46 BC; The Anglo-Saxons called it Weod month, which means Weed month, because it’s the month that weeds grow most rapidly; August is known as the “dog days of summer” because Sirisu (the dog star) rose at sunrise during the month of August in ancient Roman times; In the U.S. August has the highest birth rate of any month; During August the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to Lammas, one of the four Grand Sabbats celebrated each year by Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world. That’s everything I know. LOVE, DAVE

SOURCES: birthdaycelebrations.net, “Traditions from Around the World”; bornglorious.com, “Famous People’s Death Anniversary, U.S.: August”;bornglorious.com, “Famous Singers’ Birthdays, U.S.: August”; express.co.uk, “Top 10 facts about August”; freep.com, “15 reasons August is the best month of summer”; history place.com, “This Month in History: August”; holidappy.com, “Birth Birds by Month”; nameberry.com, Baby girl names: August; name candy.com, “Celebrity babies named August”; popculturemadness.com, “About August”; projectbritain.com, “Facts About the Month of August”; ranker.com, The Best Movies With August in the Title; richmond.com, “August Fun Facts”; thecavanproject.com, 16 Songs About August; timeanddate.com, “Fun Holidays”; whattoexpect.com, “Birth Symbols by Month”; wikipedia.org, “August”; wikipedia.org, “List of natural disasters by death toll”.

Eighty-Four, Can You Believe It?

DEAR GEORGE, Holy Moly. Today is birthday number 84. It’s arrived much sooner than I expected. When I was five years old, it seemed to take forever to turn 6. Now, however, birthdays simply whiz by. I wish I could figure out how to slow time down.

The other day I was crossing Ludlow Avenue in the crosswalk across from Graeters. My hip was bothering me, and I was limping along. An SUV came to a stop in front of the crosswalk, and the driver hollered at me, “Get a move on, old man!” That was a shock. I wanted to tell him that I’m not that old, that I just have bursitis in my hip. But he was gone before I could utter a word. “Old man” is a nasty label because of the negative and often unwarranted stereotypes that it stirs up, e.g., physical and mental deterioration, frailty, incompetence. I told one of my friends about this episode and she pointed out that, in fact, I am an old man. Literally that is true, but I don’t feel any connection to the miserable portrait that follows.

Gerontologists divide old age into three stages: young old (65 to 74), middle old (75 to 84), and old old (85 and above). Young old sounds most favorable, old old sounds worst. My birthday, of course, puts me near the tipping point. Young-olders are healthiest and most independent; middle-olders begin to need some assistance; and old-olders, because of disease and disability, are dependent on caretakers, often in assisted care facilities. These, of course, are abstract categories, designed to describe the average progression of the aging process. At 84 my life and experiences still fit in the young old category, and I plan to hang out there as long as my luck holds out.

Now and then I get anxious about my age, but I think that’s foolish. I’m healthy, have lots of interests, and enjoy many life pleasures, so it’s ridiculous to waste a lot of emotional energy on an imagined future at some unknown time. Because of the pandemic, I’ve lost a lot during the last twelve months and I’m looking forward to a much richer and more enjoyable 85th year. We are starting by going to the Warren County Fair this afternoon in Lebanon. I can’t wait to mingle with the rabbits and the goats. LOVE, DAVE

BATTLING THE SLEEP DEMONS

DEAR GEORGE, Some years ago I was a Grade A sleeper. All the credit goes to my doctor who was happy to refill my Ambien prescription whenever I wanted. Ambien, in my view, is a wonder drug — like oxycodone or the polio vaccine. I would simply take a pill, fall asleep in precisely 30 minutes, sleep soundly for eight hours straight, and wake up refreshed and eager for the new day. Unfortunately that doctor retired and my new doctor was less enthusiastic about drugs. He hinted that one of his patients went out in a stupor and walked in front of a truck. Whatever the case, when I turned eighty he told me that federal guidelines prohibited him from refilling my Ambien prescription. I think that was a fib because my wife’s doctor didn’t seem subject to such guidelines. Nonetheless, my Ambien supply came to an abrupt end. And so did my good sleep. I tried all of the over-the-counter sleep aids, but none of them seemed to work. Now I often take two or three hours to fall asleep or I wake up at 3 a.m. and stay awake till sunrise. Such a drag.

I’ve been asking Google about sleep problems, and there’s a lot of info. One thing I learned is that rich people sleep better than poor people. If the world were just, this should be the reverse, but it’s not. Explanations for low-income insomnia include occupational hazards, off-hour shifts, lack of healthcare services, neighborhood stressors (e.g., noise, pollution), and daily stress. Sleep inequality in turn contributes to decreased cognitive performance, mental health issues, disease (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, stroke), weight gain, and up to a 30% greater risk of death.

Another unpleasant fact is that sleep problems increase with age. Older people often have more trouble falling asleep, sleep less deeply, wake up more often during the night, wake earlier in the morning, and wake up feeling tired. (This sounds familiar to me.) Many different factors enter into these aging-related changes: less production of hormones that promote sleep, more sensitivity to environmental stimuli, medical issues (e.g., arthritis, heart or lung disease), side effects of medications. In addition, low exercise, frequent naps, and drinking more alcohol or caffeine can contribute to sleep difficulties. Older adults with poor nighttime sleep are more likely to be depressed, experience more attention and memory problems, fall more in the night, and have a poorer quality of life. On the other hand, bad sleep is not an inevitable product of aging. Many healthy older adults report few or no sleep problems.

There are many standard sleep tips: don’t use cell phones, iPads, or TV in the bedroom; do aerobic exercise during the day (before 2 p.m.); avoid caffeine, alcohol, sugary foods, exercise, and smoking before bedtime; reduce light and noise in the bedroom; keep the same sleep schedule every day; check side effects of medications; keep a journal, listen to calming music, or read a relaxing book to reduce mental stress. I find that it sometimes helps to go to sleep if I slowly count backwards in my mind from 99 to 0, or progressively relax my muscles from my toes up to my nose, or visualize pleasant landscapes like the Menominee River. When I wake up bright-eyed at 2 or 3 a.m. I often play a game or two of computer solitaire. Winning the game seems to clear my mind and provides closure, such that I go to sleep quickly when returning to bed.

Two things bother me most about my erratic sleep. First, I don’t know why this is happening. My life isn’t that stressful, and I stay up till midnight so I ought to be tired. Second, it’s frustrating that I’m not in control of my own mind and body. I whisper to myself, “Go to sleep…go to sleep…go to sleep” fifty or more times, but my body pays no attention. Getting to sleep is, however, an interesting challenge, and I sort of look forward to it each night. I think I will eventually be successful. LOVE, DAVE

SOURCES: health.clevelandclinic.org, “22 Facts About Sleep That Will Surprise You”; healthline.com, “People with Lower Incomes Have More Sleep Issues…”; helpguide.org, “Sleep Tips for Older Adults”; sbm.org, “Insomnia in Older Adults”;sleepeduction.org, “Sleeping and Growing Older”; tuck.com, “The Inequality of Sleep”

Fourth of July

DEAR GEORGE, When we were kids, birthdays and Christmas were our favorite holidays because they involved the most gifts. Halloween was great because of all the candy, and the Easter bunny brought a lot of sweets too. July Fourth took fifth place, mainly because of the fireworks. The fathers in our group took their oldest kids to nearby Peshtigo, and we got to pick out skyrockets and cherry bombs. After sunset we shot them off on the Green Bay shore, thrilled by the wonder of it all.

We learned in grade school that the Fourth of July is the birthdate of our nation — the day on which delegates from the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring the new country’s independence from Great Britain. Actually the date isn’t fixed in stone. John Adams insisted that July 2nd was Independence Day because that’s when members of the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from British rule. The Declaration of Independence was finalized as a written document on July 4th, 1776, but only John Hancock signed it that day. The official signing by most members of the Continental Congress occurred on August 2nd, and it took several more months to get all 56. (As a sidelight, none of the signees were born in the United States.)

In its most famous line, the Declaration of Independence declared that unalienable rights of all men “are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Thomas Jefferson’s original draft referred to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Property.” Some say that Benjamin Franklin convinced Jefferson to change the wording because “property” was too narrow a notion. In addition, despite his owning more than 200 slaves, Jefferson’s early draft called slavery “a cruel war against human nature” and denounced King George III for “creating and sustaining” the slave trade. Jefferson went on to refer to slavery as “piratical warfare” and an “assemblage of horrors.” Jefferson’s language, however, was deleted from the final version of the Declaration of Independence during debate by members of the Continental Congress. Jefferson later blamed the states of South Carolina and Georgia for the clause’s removal, though he acknowledged the role of northern states as well.

During the nation’s early years Independence Day was celebrated with parades, oratory, and ceremonies that celebrated the new nation. Massachusetts was the first to recognize July Fourth as a state celebration in 1781, the White House had its first Fourth of July party in 1801, and the U.S Congress made the Fourth a paid holiday for federal employees in 1870. Nowadays Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, concerts, picnics, and mall sales. Given a nation torn by economic inequality, racism, sexism, police brutality, voter suppression, and political polarization, the very meaning of the Fourth of July has become problematic. Patriotism in America has been declining in recent decades, dropping most sharply during the Trump years. A recent Pew Research Center Poll (Fall 2020) found that only 39% of U.S. respondents reported feeling proud of their country most of the time, less than citizens in the UK (41%), France (45%), and Germany (53%). Pride in the U.S. is greater on the political right (55%) than on the political left (16%). Focus group questions revealed that sources of pride for U.S. respondents included freedom, the right to vote, opportunity, history, and diversity. Sources of shame included: racism, the opioid epidemic, and Donald Trump. A 2019 Gallup poll found that males (48%) are more proud to be an American than females (43%), persons 65 and over more proud (63%) than those 18-29 (24%), Republicans (76%) more than Democrats (22%), and Conservatives (70%) more than Liberals (21%).

When I wonder why we celebrate the Fourth of July at all, I remind myself that this holiday isn’t about America in 2021. It’s a celebration of the founding of the nation and of the American ideals expressed by its founders in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution — ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity, human rights, and democracy. Our society has always fallen short of these ideals, but they still ring true. Independence Day provides the occasion to reflect upon and clarify American ideals and to contemplate means to better realize them. LOVE, DAVE

SOURCES: (1) blog.acton.org, “Five Facts About Independence Day”; (2) history.com, “Why Thomas Jefferson’s Anti-Slavery Passage Was Removed…”; (3) news.gallup.com, “American Pride Hits New Low: Few Proud of Political System”; (4) news.gallup.com, “U.S.National Pride Falls to Record Low”; (5) pew research.org, “National Pride and Shame”; (6) rd.com, “20 Things You Didn’t Know About Independence Day”; (7) womansday.com, “These 4th of July Facts Will Change the Way You Look at American History”