Vin Brocki: Blogging

The stereotype of being 73 is simply this: you wake up, turn on the television, settle into your favorite chair, and remain there until bedtime—getting up only for meals, an occasional stretch, and increasingly frequent trips to the bathroom. Like retirement is a prison sentence with better snacks, softer furniture, and a remote control instead of a key.

The trouble is chairs have a way of becoming magnets. They don't just support your body—they quietly convince you that you've accomplished enough for one day. At some point, the chair begins to feel less like furniture and more like a very comfortable accomplice in your recline.

But that's a dangerous way to grow older.

Not because there's anything wrong with watching television. There isn't. But if turning it on is the first thing you do in the morning and turning it off is the last thing you do before bed, somewhere along the way you've stopped participating in your own life and started watching everyone else's.

Simply put, we need to be in motion to feel our best. Physical and creative expression must have at least equal time with media consumption. And you don’t need to check your cell phone every 10 minutes for proof that you exist. We can stay connected with the world in other ways.

For me, that includes writing this blog. Other days it's composing a new melody, editing a video, wrestling with my website, or proving that fun still exists in places that don't require a charging cable.

None of these activities guarantee success, but they all require curiosity. And curiosity has a remarkable habit of refusing to retire. So maybe that's the trick: stay curious, have fun, and remain open to discovering something new — including yourself.

Vin Brocki, Erie, PA, USA

October 12, 2026