ISSUE #93 - November 8th, 2019

Today's FF5 is going to be a little different, so stick with me for a minute. My grandfather passed away early this week. It was sudden and it was sad and it is certainly a major blow to my family. Full stop. It's been a tough week. But here's the thing... My grandfather lived a long, full, loving, productive life and to top it off, he went out with a day most of us would envy:  He golfed 18 holes in the morning. He had lunch with his buddies. He took a nap. He went to dinner with his girlfriend. Then that night, quickly and painlessly, it was over. Have I mentioned that he was 93?   I'm not a numerologist and I'm not superstitious, but as fate would have it, this is the 93rd issue of Finkel's Fast Five. I'm sure it's just a goofy coincidence (it has to be, right?). My grandfather read all 92 of these up to this point (and literally every single other word I've ever published), so I thought it would be fitting this week to share five important life lessons I learned from him that maybe, just maybe, will add a little joy and longevity to your life.

ONE

LAUGH AT YOURSELF - My grandfather had a phenomenal sense of humor, which is different from saying he was a comedian or the guy who could keep a whole room laughing. He wasn't that guy. He was the guy laughing.   He loved a good joke and what was so special about him was that his favorite jokes were at his own expense. He enjoyed nothing more than me and my brother and my cousins poking fun at him... or my dad or mom or aunt or uncle jabbing him about one of his personality quirks (and he had plenty). I believe that the ability to be able to truly laugh at yourself is one of the greatest traits you can have. It allows you to take life, yourself, and the world just a little less seriously, in both good times and bad. It gives you perspective. It blunts your ego. He never took himself too seriously and neither should you. In fact, here's a great photo of him at the pool with my then 6-year-old daughter...laughing.

TWO

NEVER STOP EXERCISING - As I said earlier, my grandfather golfed 18 holes a few days a week right up until the very end. He also made time a few days a week for a circuit workout on the machines at the gym in the complex he lived in.   Yes, he would wear jeans. Yes, he would wear a golf shirt tucked in. Yes, I went with him a few times and made fun of him for both of those things... However, what was most important was that throughout his 70s and 80s and early 90s, he still did resistance training. He did every machine in the room. Light weights. High reps. Just enough to tire him out and maintain some muscle mass. Look, he was no Jack LaLanne, but he was upright, driving, golfing, traveling and walking totally unassisted right until his last day. You can't tell me strength training regularly didn't help.

THREE

INDULGE - My grandfather ate an ice cream sundae every single night of his life. I repeat, for just about 80 years, my grandfather made himself an ice cream sundae every night.  And I don't mean a few scoops of ice cream with a half-assed drip of chocolate syrup on top. The man's freezer looked like he robbed a Baskin Robbins. He had Moose Tracks and ice creams with swirls and chunks mixed in. He had whipped cream and sprinkles and M&Ms and mini Snickers Bars and maraschino cherries. He made banana splits. He was an ice cream eating, mad-scientist-level sundae making marvel. Every Friday night we have "Friday Night is Sundae Night" at my house and I let my kids make the grossest ice cream sundaes they can think of. We've been doing it for years in his honor. We'd often FaceTime my grandfather so he could oversee the operation. What's the lesson? Well, if you're moderate in most things in your diet, what the hell...Maybe you can go a little crazy with one thing.

FOUR

STAY MENTALLY FIT - My grandfather completed the entire crossword puzzle in the newspaper every single day. In pen. No internet. No cheating.  He was also a voracious reader. In fact, my grandfather was easily one of the biggest influences on me becoming a writer. When I was thirteen or fourteen he suggested I might like books by an author named Robert B. Parker, who wrote about Spencer, a tough guy detective from Boston, with his partner, Hawk. He loaned me one book. I read it in a week. Then he sent me a whole shoebox of Spencer novels and I read all of those. It was the first "adult" book series that I got into and I bet he sent me 30 Robert B. Parker books over the years. He loved mysteries and detective stories and especially Sherlock Holmes. I'm confident this had a lot to do with him being as sharp as he was right up until his last day.

FIVE

MOVIES - My grandfather LOVED movies. Back when HBO was in its infancy, he would tape the new movies that came out on Saturday night on VHS and send them to us. He'd send Star Wars and Oliver Twist and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

He never stopped seeing movies (or as he'd call them, 'pictures') and this kept him involved in pop culture. He saw everything from the first Robinson Crusoe movie to anything with The Rock in it. He'd watch the old and the new Jungle Book with my kids. When we'd catch up on the phone, he'd talk about the newest movies that were out. I always thought this was so cool. At an age where you could easily let culture pass you by, my 93-year-old grandfather had an opinion about who portrayed the Joker the best. He could carry on a conversation with his great grandkids about super heroes. Staying pop culturally relevant for as long as he did was something I always appreciated. I'm sure he did it for himself, but it made him ageless, in a way. One day it could do the same for you.

I have a million more memories of my grandfather that I'll carry with me... But I thought I'd share some of the highlights that are universal with you. If you've gotten this far, I have one request:  If your sweet tooth is acting up this weekend, make yourself a giant ice cream sundae and raise your spoon to my papa. I know he'd appreciate it.  Thank you for reading! - Jon

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