Last month, our prolific and much admired Contributing Editor for Travel, the witty and lovely Pam Mandel, offered an opposing view in her comment to a blog post where I got all jiggy in extolling the virtues and benefits of aging. I crowed: "...let go of your irrational fears of aging." And, reminded readers of the obvious: "...aging is far superior and definitely preferable to its grim and final alternative." Pam responded with her typical candor: Having embarked upon the annual exams and suffered the requisite indignities, I vote no to aging...The brain works FINE, thank you very much, but the body? At the crest of the hill, she doth protest too much. I ain't saying there's not plenty of good living to be had, but oy, my back, knees, etc. amen.