Silver Fox Living.

Last Saturday we held the third edition of the silver fox event at Karen Country Club. Silver fox generally means an attractive middle-aged man having mostly grey or white hair. I can assure you we were in fine company. As the moderator, I approach these events with both anxiety and excitement. Anxiety because I’m in the company of great men and it can be a little intimidating. Great because in my view they have made a series of good conscious decisions (and maybe a bit of luck) that have elevated them in life. Spending time with folks better than us makes us better. As a moderator, I speak and they give me their attention and that’s when my imposter syndrome threatens to kick in. It’s a continuous battle but only through practice will we be victorious so ni sawa.

The excitement I feel is because I know speaking is my gift and I’m working it. I’m practicing my purpose and the feeling is awesome. Folks, when we are doing what we are supposed to be doing it’s very reassuring even when obstacles show up. Only when we start moving does the universe make way for us to live our best lives.

The topic last Saturday was men’s wellness, both mind, and body. Again a good number of chaps showed up. Maybe it was for the premium blue-label whiskey or the fact that we try to make this a safe space for men to open up, which is rare. Or maybe it was both hehe. We had a great panel. Three doctors shared their insights, wealth of knowledge, and experience with us in a practical way that we could relate.

Our senior, Dr Mogere shot from the hip on the issue of plumbing. He is a top urologist and is quite humorous. His age has shed off all shyness so he served it to us raw. Men have to get over this silence that is often fatal. We all know of a man who is not with us today because he got sick but didn’t tell anyone or seek help. We are wired to be strong and our biological makeup hardly requires us to visit the doctor as often as our ladies do.

We have to start processing a different set of data and accept that going for checkups is paramount, just the same way we take our cars for service without fail. We have to do it for ourselves and our loved ones. That’s the only way a threat can be caught early and treated. Dr. Mogere challenged us to die peacefully in our sleep at the ripe age of 95. And the only way is to take care of our health through lifestyle and regular checkups. The burden of disease and the stress it comes with can be avoided only if men will take their health seriously and act on it.

Dr. Gitahi Githinji was our other panelist. He’s somewhat of a celeb on matters of public health and was quite refreshing to listen to. Many of us remember him during covid when he would give us regular updates on the pandemic and how to manage that treacherous period. Thanks to him and many others, Kenya handled the pandemic quite well I believe.

I liked Dr. Githinjis’s simple and practical approach to the discussion. He even came with a blood pressure machine for anyone who needed to check their pressure. That one action alone can save a man’s life. Knowing your blood pressure. He also reminded us of the value of sleep. At this wababa age, we need to be sleeping 7 to 8 hours every day. Sleeping a few hours so that we can work longer is a fallacy. The quality of long work will be poor when we do it tired and with fatigue from lack of sleep. So guys please go to bed early as much as possible.

We had a few other sidebars with Dr Githinji about parenting in this modern age and how it is healthy for parents to detach themselves from their children’s decisions especially as they grow into adulthood. Remain eyes on but hands off. Allow our kids to find their place in the world but assure them that the door of unconditional love and acceptance remains open should they return for our guidance. That right there could easily make for a good topic in a mixed silver fox (and foxens) event.

Our third panellist was Dr Martin Mwangi who is an oncologist. Did you know there are over 200 types of cancer? Now you know. Dr. Mwangi has a cool demeanor and is soft-spoken. The only thing loud about him was his height. He is 6ft 4 inches. Now that’s a doctor who can see disease from far hehe. He enlightened us about the common cancers that afflict men. Prostrate and oesophagus cancer top the list. As men grow older we need to be checked more frequently. Our annual medical checkup is a good start then we can seek an expert to interpret our blood work. Any abnormalities there could indicate iko shida that requires deeper intervention. If cancer is detected early then one’s life and a lot of their money can be saved.

Dr. Mwangi ended our session practically by challenging us to keep physically fit. He made us jog on the spot for one minute and most chaps were panting at the end. The point was to prioritize our health amidst our busy lives. It was an evening of men building one another. Guys, target to die at 95 peacefully in your sleep. That’s how a silver fox should exit the stage. As a white old (and fulfilled) fox.