Mark Stoller moved to Falcon in 2007.†He and his wife, Andra, both U.S. Air Force veterans, enjoy life with their daughters, extended family and adopted rescue dogs in Latigo. Mark savors the privilege of his wife and daughters being his muse for topics, people to meet and places to investigate.
As I write this, we are only nearing the end of February, and I feel as if I have epitomized the old saying, ìHit the ground running,î for 2022. I started the year recovering from COVID, dealt with complications from my parents having COVID, experienced my momís emergency transport to St Francis Hospital, anticipating second and third effects of the Ukraine crisis, the rigor of college classes, and pretty much anything Murphyís Law threw my way.Speaking of my momís trip to St Francis hospital, I offer a shameless shout out and open letter of thanks to the Falcon fire crew for saving my momís life. Around 3:45 a.m. on Jan. 21 my dad called 911 because my mom could not breathe ó no air going in and no air going out. Think about that for a moment. Itís one essential and involuntary part of our life ó and she couldnít do it. For reasons still being investigated, her lungs had filled with fluid to the point of not being able to function.The Falcon Fire Protection District was at the door in no time and immediately worked to stabilize my mom in the house and on the way to the hospital. The icing on the cake: following another run to St Francis ER, Paramedic Beyer popped in to check on my mom and her progress. Such incredible skill, precision and professionalism ó our tax dollars fund an incredible team of fire and emergency personnel who earn that investment every single day.My anatomy and physiology class is held at the PPCC (Pikes Peak Community College) Centennial Campus on the south side of town. This gives me 45 minutes, one-way, to get back into listening to podcasts and audio books. I have discovered an author, Mike Simpson, and his book called, ìHoned ñ Finding Your Edge as a Man Over 40.î Iím 53, so this book definitely applies and appeals to me.Mike Simpson spent his military service as a U.S. Army Ranger, Special Forces Engineer, and then went to medical school to become a Special Forces doctor for the Tier 1 elite teams operating in austere conditions. He opens the book with his mission supporting Rangers in the northern mountains of Afghanistan. He was 48 years old at the time and the rest of the team is about 24. How is it that someone his age can keep up, move through the mountains, be less out of breath, and engage the enemy in a huge firefight the same as these kids? The answers are in his book!Simpson cringes at the idea that anyone in their 40s should live with the forgone conclusion they should be on ibuprofen or stronger pain meds to relieve deteriorated bodies, and then add the stereotypical cholesterol and high blood pressure medications, too. As men who adjusted to and overcame unforeseen obstacles in their everyday work and lives, are we just supposed to accept this shell of ourselves in the 40s-plus life? Oh, hell no!His book, Honed, lays out his level of expertise and experience to offer and proctor advice. This 10-chapter, 200-page book is a quick read and (pun intended) is a prescription for middle-aged men to get themselves out of the chair and actively participating in life once again. The chapters cover aging, sleep, nutrition, fitness, recovery, supplements and health maintenance, among others.Iíll leave you with words from another motivational podcast. When we die, our headstone marks the day we entered and exited life. The dash that separates the two dates is the true essence of our life. What will your dash say about you? What did you do to make a difference? What impact did you make to those who shared your journey?
