New Book Looks at Growing Older--Second Wind

Dec. 14, 2000 -- Tom Plummer looks at life with humor, warmth, poignancy, realism, and a sizable dash of whimsy. When he turns to getting older, he speaks everyone’s language. In his latest book, Second Wind: Variations on a Theme of Growing Older (Shadow Mountain, $16.95), the irrepressible Tom Plummer warns baby boomers of the signs that you’re getting older:

Your feet hurt in the morning and you haven't gone anywhere yet.
You can't read the numbers on the remote control, but it doesn't matter because everything on television seems so stupid.
Your doctor says, "Learn to live with it."

As in earlier books, Tom’s wife, author Louise Plummer, writes an introduction. She opens her diary, looking at herself at age 40, when she is the right height and just 10 pounds too heavy for the Miss Universe contest; at age 50, when she has "never been so fat;" at age 55, when she is 30 pounds overweight but free of mood swings; and at age 57, when, getting a physical exam, she is relieved to know she doesn’t have cancer—but still wants another baby.

There are plenty of "up" sides to getting older, Plummer points out. It's finally okay to holler when people annoy you, because there’s no need to impress or climb social ladders. You can become a child again by taking a grandchild for a walk, seeing the world as he sees it, rediscovering the world that you’ve lost. And you can ride the tilt-a-whirl once more, enjoying the endless spinning and discovering yet again the euphoria of being nauseated.

Worries? Tom admits to worries. He fears what might be said at his funeral if he's not there to arrange it and comes up with an idea for running his own funeral.

Part memoir, part lament, Second Wind is a refreshing look at advancing years. Ultimately it is an examination of the faith required to "leap into the void" and a reminder that all life leads to memories:

"We drift into old age, clutching to a basket of posies that make up the memories of our lives. Once in a while we pluck one out, examine it, reminisce, and put it in a vase on the mantel for old time’s sake until we are ready to replace it with another."

About the author:

Tom Plummer is the author of the award-winning Eating Chocolates and Dancing in the Kitchen and of Don't Bite Me, I'm Santa Claus. He holds master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University and is a professor of German literature, film and critical theory. He teaches an honors course in memoir writing with his wife for fun.

Second Wind: Variations on a Theme of Growing Older
By Tom Plummer
Shadow Mountain
ISBN 1-57345-780-9
Price: $16.95

Second Wind and other Shadow Mountain books are available at local bookstores, Internet bookstores, by telephone at 1-800-453-4532, or through the web site: www.shadowmountain.com

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