It's The Pills

When I was at Frank’s apartment he mentioned to me that he was only still alive because of his pills. He couldn’t think of any other reason why he managed to live this long. I was confused about his age and when I asked him to clarify, he told me he was 89. I learned later that his 89th birthday was actually less than a week away.

Frank showed me all the things he did around his apartment. He literally built most of his furniture, and probably anything else that is made out of wood. He was a cabinetmaker for a living and he hates that he doesn’t have the strength to continue to build things the way he used to. When the coat rack in my house fell out of the wall, Frank walked me through how to repair the holes, brace the screws into two different types of material, and hang the sturdiest item I’ve ever put on a wall. If we’re unlucky enough to have a bad earthquake, everything I’ve hung on my walls are flying off… but not this coat rack.

I’ve decided to film Frank more and more these days. It’s Frank who sparked the idea of “Life Advice from Old People” and why not get as much advice I can from the “old person” with whom I’ve grown most close? I don’t know what’s keeping Frank alive so long; but I do know that the closer I get to Frank the more I hope whatever it is that’s keeping him alive, keeps on working.