By Rich Marinucci
Recently there was an obituary for a famous person. Somewhere in it was an old quote that went something like this, “If I had known I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself!” As I age, I am beginning to understand this a little better. Of course, living longer is a good thing. I think it is the aches and pains that go along with it that lead to the tongue-in-cheek quote above. You think back to some of the things you did in your younger years and know that they contribute to various health issues, aches, and pains. Of course, young folks don’t think about it as they don’t believe they can be hurt.
My friend Billy Goldfeder has published a couple of books about passing it on. He has asked many of his friends to contribute. They think about the things that might help the next generation. Someone may have written about it, but I don’t recall anyone trying to convince youngsters to consider the potential physical damage that some of their actions will have later in life. I don’t know if it would have made any difference to me if someone would have tried to convince me that I would pay the price later. But I now wonder if there is more that can be done to explain the dangers to long-term health and wellness that would have a positive impact. Maybe there are some things that can be done, but we may also need to improve policies and procedures so there is a stick that can go with the carrot. As an example, I probably wouldn’t have worn my seatbelt in my younger days if there wasn’t a policy with enforcement included. Sometimes we must protect those who don’t want to do it on their own because we know the outcome.
To carry this a little further, I never thought about being under stress. It was like admitting I couldn’t handle life’s challenges. As I age, I now think there is more to the mental health aspect of dealing with life. I still think I am one of the more fortunate ones but I have found myself doing a few things that were uncharacteristic a few years ago. Perhaps I am beginning to feel the wear and tear a bit more, just as my body has more aches and pains. No matter how good you think you are doing, you should pay attention to the minor issues and not ignore them. They could be like a bucket filling up and at one point you may not be able to add any more. If you would have told me this a few years ago, I would have said you were crazy. Of course, I am not an expert in this, just trying to make some sense. I also would ask that you do a little reflection to see if things have changed. Are you having more little aches and pains mentally and/or emotionally? It could be just the wear and tear of life. But it may not be something you should ignore.
We all know that in order to this job properly, there is a physical commitment. Those who have been in various situations in their career have probably done some things to their body that contribute to health issues later in life. We are learning more about the connection to cancer, heart disease, and a host of other illnesses and injuries. I am guessing we will also see a connection to mental health and wellness. Before we ignore this, we must pay attention to the emerging trends and determine what actions can be taken. Each generation learns a little more and must pass down the lessons to the next one so we can leave it better than we found it.
RICHARD MARINUCCI is the executive director of the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA). He retired as chief of the Farmington Hills (MI) Fire Department in 2008, a position he ha