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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services Medford MLK Jr. celebration: "Progress is not inevitable" Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Effort underway to find photos of those who died in Vietnam, including 35 from Jackson County Restaurant Inspections Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Emergency Services Former youth pastor arrested on burglary, privacy invasion Emergency services Attorney general's decision would limit federal sharing of asset forfeitures Politics and Elections Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Education Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Local elementary and middle school students qualify for state chess championships Unfair labor complaint against Medford School District resolved Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary Not as ready as they should be Environment Grant will help restore "legacy" oak habitat south of Ashland New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources State News Oregon lawmakers start drafting pot bills 12 injured in massive I-84 crash in eastern Oregon Oregon man reveled in Cuba trip Dancers: Strip club owes us wages 'Wild' author wows overflow crowd Nation - World Obituaries Harold Ray Fisher Louise K. 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Talent Elementary students learn to tinker ... Our View: Oregon students need job skills training ... Medford MLK Jr. celebration: "Progress is not inevitable" ... Talent Elementary students learn to tinker ... Our View: Oregon students need job skills training ... SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL Southern Oregon Journal: Birthdays are for Celebrating Comment By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News “I just want to celebrate another year of living. I just want to celebrate another year of life.” —Rare Earth (1971) This week I’m singing these words, despite another set-to, if you will, with my lower back. I’m minding my own business, about to celebrate another birthday while not feeling a day over 12 mentally, and the infernal bod is trying to shove me into hard physical reality. Never mind that this is my final year of frolicking in a particular decade, which shall go unnamed. Nonetheless, I’m determined to do what I can to placate the whiney spine and show my gratitude for one more candle ablaze. It can be challenging to figure out what’s left to me without the ability to sit or stand for more than a few minutes or lie in certain positions. As I type this, I’ve got myself in a sort of half-nelson, making it tough to see the keys and drink, um, tea without dribbling. Scoliosis is the nemesis and has been on my tail since my early 20s. I can’t really blame it on age, we’ve celebrated the years in tandem, inseparable, though with time it could begin to gain the upper hand if I don’t stay vigilant with proper exercise and so forth. Because my aging frame wants to duke it out, I’ll counter with something healthy. If a soft answer turns away wrath, maybe a positive punch will send the pain packing. Dear ones have made loving and helpful suggestions, all of which sound preferable to rolling myself into a ball of pity. One idea involves lolling around the room draped over an exercise ball, and the aforementioned juvenile within likes the sound of it. The object is on the list of birthday presents to buy for myself. My daughter, Emily, suggested giving yoga a shot. Because yoga helps builds strong core muscles, it’s something I’ve played around with and wanted to check out more seriously, I’ll add it to the birthday pile with a ribbon. So what if I topple over while attempting a downward dog. There will be others there to sigh and push me back up. It’s likely to be a future article topic. Another item found in the suggestion box was acupuncture. I intend to give it a whirl because I’ve heard good things, and what could it hurt other than the doc forgetting a needle and me finding it when I get in the car. And, doggone it, I guess I’ll have to suffer through a massage, because Holly’s firm reprimand will discourage the most stubborn muscle spasm and possibly keep it at bay long enough for me to plan my next offensive. One bright and reoccurring notion is that when Friday arrives, and I strap on my party hat, I can still manage the cake no matter what pretzel-like position I may be relegated to, festooned in crumbs like confetti at the finish. So be it. With each birthday, I can look back through a kaleidoscope of years and see some that stand bright beside the darker times with tough challenges. It may be my inherited sense of the ridiculous funny bone that saw me through, though not without help. It can be hard to laugh when you’re hurting. My grandma, Goby, celebrated 104 happy birthdays and rarely griped about her mounting physical challenges. At 104, they had to be there, but she was too busy deciding how many tricks to bid in our weekly Crazy Bridge game to allow them to dominate. We are a wonder, you and I. Celebrate your birthday, laugh and smile at the passing parade of small and great sustaining joys. I’m heading out to buy myself an inflatable ball. Peggy Dover is a freelance writer who works from a 1900 farmhouse in Eagle Point. Reach her at [email protected].   By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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