Gains and Losses: Dr. Bob and the Realities of Aging

To the Editor:

Re “Dr. Bob Knows Age’s Toll. He Looks in the Mirror: At 75, He’s Wondering if Biden and Trump Can Say the Same” (front page, April 10), about Dr. Bob Ross, who cares for the residents of Ortonville, Minn.:

Like Dr. Bob, I’m an aging, but still active, physician. I’m older: 83, pushing 84. I fully agree that at 83 I wouldn’t be fit to lead this country. Of course, I also wouldn’t have been fit at 73, 63, 53 or 43.

Some qualities are lost with age, some are gained with age, and some are just intrinsic irrespective of age. When I look at the two candidates, I know the qualities that are important for the role, and age is not the one that will determine my vote.

Sydney Z. Spiesel
New Haven, Conn.
The writer is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the Yale University School of Medicine.

To the Editor:

A beautiful story about an aging doctor who is a marvelous man. One can’t help but admire his dedication, especially as he begins to slow down. Indeed, an uplifting personal story that stands on its own, untainted by the political chaos that drags us down.

Unfortunately, many readers, like me, may also feel confused and sidetracked by the article’s beside-the-point subheadline about President Biden’s and Donald Trump’s age — a political hook that didn’t work.

That also raises a question: Why does The New York Times continue its relentless fixation on the age of our presidential candidates? Maybe it’s time to start singing a different song — and take more politics-free moments to just plain honor the many Dr. Bobs in our world.