Medical Metaphors:
Did you ever buy a brand new car? Were you proud to be seen driving it? Did you spend hours washing and waxing it? Were you careful to park it so as to minimize getting a scratch or dent? Did you change the oil regularly and use the right gasoline?
Of course you did! The new car was a symbol of your hard work and success. You showed pride of ownership by properly maintaining it and keeping it shiny and clean.
Now let us fast-forward about 7 years. The car is no longer new. You don’t wash it as often and you can’t remember the last time you waxed it. Since it now has several dents and scratches, you now park it in the first space available.You change the oil about every 9000 miles at this point and you use unleaded gas to save money.
Now let us substitute the human body for the car. When we were young, many of us were as proud of our body as if it was a new car. We exercised, dressed and groomed to showcase it. We took pains to take our body out for a spin in public to be seen. We engaged in athletic contests to show what was under the hood.
The new car and the young body have ego as a common theme. Common sense and logic are not the driving forces when we pay the most attention and give the best care to both the young body and the new car. Let’s face it…young muscles and organs, as well as a tight new car need the least care and maintenance.
With a generation of baby-boomers rounding third base and heading for retirement, logic and common sense are ringing in our ears. In order to get more miles on our aging chassis we need to make proper fuel and maintainance a priority. In order to ride smoothly in our advancing years we must attend to diet and exercise. In order to avoid electrical malfunctions we must develop and maintain a positive outlook, minimize real and imagined stress, and continue to have goals. We cannot afford to be depressed over the things we used to enjoy and can no longer do. We must instead look to the things we have always wanted to do, have not yet done, and are still able to do.
It is never too late to repair and properly maintain the vehicle you are destined to ride in for the rest of your life. Remember, life is meant to be enjoyed not endured.
Nicholas J. Messina III, M.D.
