We live in a time when anyone can publish their ideas digitally and share them with the world. Amazing!  Imagine how Ben Franklin would feel.

Well Ben, you thought there are so many things going on in your time that needed to be addressed. Welcome to a country and world that is changing so rapidly that there is so much BEGGING to be talked about.

To create a framework for some of the issues I will be talking about I will call this Blog:

CSSJ-USA – COMMON-SENSE-SOUND-JUDGEMENT

Why this name?  In my opinion there is such an absence of these two traits in the so-called leadership in this country. The United States is in decline. There can be no denying it. The country I grew up in is vastly different than the one I now live in. I will focus my energy on this country and only refer to other parts of the world as they relate to the U.S.

The governing body of this country is dysfunctional. There is no question about that. Most discussions of any issue or problem are encased within a political framework.

It’s so clear that labels such as Democrat, Republican, Conservative or Liberal dominate and cloud any reasonable judgement. Eyes and ears on upcoming elections determine decisions.

Polling results affect logical thinking. Can you imagine holding a poll with your children on an issue you are supposed to know more about and as the adult should know how to handle? Popularity seems to be more important than being respected for making tough decisions.

One of the things I’ve learned in the mental health field is when you’ve labeled someone you may lose contact with them as a real, unique person. Once you say someone is schizophrenic they get viewed within that framework with particular expectations.

If you are a member of a particular political party you are expected to think, act and vote a certain way. Regardless of what seems to make sense or is best for the people you represent.  It becomes a contest to win rather than a problem to be solved.

[This is a sample of the style and tone of where this blog can sometimes be headed. Issues such as how lobbying hijacks the government and how ridiculous election campaigns mock democracy are coming up. I welcome any comments below or email me directly don@don-nelson.com.]

[If you'd like to know more about Ben Franklin, click here to read about him on Wikipedia.]

Common-Sense-Sound-Judgement (CSSJ) from Don Nelson

I think for those of us over 50-years-old, passion for something we’re involved with is not only priceless, it’s also ‘ageless.’ This is the real eternal fountain of youth.

Let me give you an example of how a 98-year-old man who I know maintains amazing mental vitality and is my role model for the future.

I’ve been practicing psychotherapy in New York City for the past 30 years, mostly in private practice. That’s a funny word, isn’t it; “practice.” Sometimes I quip that if I practice long enough, eventually I’ll get it right. Or, like the old joke, how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice.

For the past eight years I’ve been participating in a weekly seminar with this 98-year-old-man, who is a senior analyst. Of course for him, ‘senior’ has a double meaning. Usually it refers to experience. In this case it also means he was 90-years-old when I began working with his group.

I have been continuously amazed at this man’s mental acuity. We read articles on psychoanalysis and discuss them. Some of them, he wrote. We present vignettes from difficult cases and get clearer insights into people’s internal struggles. He has the ability to zoom in with his analytic magnifying glass and get to the key issue that’s roadblocking either the patient or the analyst.

One thing that comes across powerfully every single time we meet is that this man loves what he has been doing for what seems like a thousand years. He understands the unconscious process of the human mind and loves to teach us how we can understand it. And that continually fuels and inspires my love for this most difficult and gratifying profession.

Mysteries have always interested me and there is none so complex and intriguing as the human unconscious. Our labyrinth of thoughts, emotions, and motivations keeps me interested and involved during my sessions with patients. And when a session is like that, time suspends. Until of course I utter the infamous words, “We do have to stop now.”

Someone once asked our timeless leader why he hasn’t retired. He said, “What am I going to do, play shuffleboard in Florida?” I submit, had he made that choice, he wouldn’t be alive today. He continues to write articles and make presentations at conferences and I think he’s working on yet another book.

Oh, and yes, he does walk with just a little less bounce in his step than he used to, but the mind is still priceless and ageless.

I remember a Jules Pfeiffer cartoon many years ago in the Village Voice that showed a man of boomer age range looking in the mirror and exclaiming, “But I’m only 18 years old.”

That’s a feeling I’ve had many times myself. And every Monday morning at 10 a.m., the fountain of youth is alive and well and living around the conference table at our priceless, ageless seminar leader’s Manhattan home.

I’d love to hear how young YOU feel? Share your own perspective on your “priceless” and “ageless” way of life.

[This article was originally released on BoomerCafe.com, a lively blog geared to baby boomers. To read the original article and comments (including the 98-year-old's son), go to: http://www.boomercafe.com/2011/05/15/reaching-the-point-where-we-are-priceless-and-ageless/]

Reaching the Point Where We are “Priceless and Ageless” from Don Nelson