Vital Energy

I enjoyed Martha Farnsworth Riche’s “Old Age Certainly Isn’t What It Used to Be” (Commentary, Jan 7). When I was born in 1923 the life expectancy was in the 50-year-old age group. I retired when I was 65 but could have worked longer. I try to avoid doctors, and I’m sure others are using up my Medicare money. I’ve had a pacemaker for over 10 years, and modern medicine has me living a normal life.

I worked at the post office for the last 10 years of my work life. It seems the post office hired a bunch of old ladies in their 50s in 1978. I wanted more physical labor than in my old office job. The boss often said we beat out the younger workers in production. We reminisced about our World War II jobs--one lady was all over Europe with the Red Cross and I was the first lady welder at the Pullman shipyard in Chicago. We all knew hard work and did our jobs!

Mary Thomas

Garden Grove