The vital things that make life spectacular

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

This is our 100th episode of Brief But Spectacular. I'm Steve Goldbloom.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM, Grandfather of Steve Goldbloom: And I'm Steve's favorite grandfather, Richard Goldbloom.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

It's very fitting that you are the 100th guest on Brief But Spectacular.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Oh, I'm flattered.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

You know why?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Because I'm 100, or nearly?

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Well, you are close to 100 years old, which is amazing.

(LAUGHTER)

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

You know how old you are?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

No.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

You're going to be 93 this year.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

My God. If I had known I was going to live this long, I would've taken better care of myself.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

And it's fitting, because you titled this series. You came up with it. Do you know that?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

I think I remember that.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

The story that I tell is that I went to synagogue and left.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

That's correct.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Snuck out, came back in, and what did you say?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

I said you had made a brief but spectacular appearance.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

I wanted to ask you a couple of questions, not just because you're my grandfather and I love you, and I, you know, look up to you.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Can I get that in writing?

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

No.

Part of what I wanted to ask you about is that you, right now, are going through memory loss.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Change of life, yes.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

A change of life. And things that you used to do for yourself, like manage finances, drive a car, manage medicine, other people do for you.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Right.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

And I wanted to ask you if that bothers you at all.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

No. I consider the alternative.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

What is the alternative?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Being dead. So, I'm quite happy where I am.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Yes.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

If I can remember where I am.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Do you know what we're doing?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

I have no idea. But keep talking.

(LAUGHTER)

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

We're going to look at this camera here.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Right.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

And we're going to do on three a big clap.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

OK.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Right in front of your face. Ready? One, two, three.

(CLAPPING)

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Just one clap.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Just one clap.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

What does it feel like to forget? Or does it feel like anything?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Well, there are some things I would rather forget. In that case, it's a blessing. And, otherwise, I learned to live with it.

You know, people remind me, like, when to get up, when to go to bed, things like that.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Do you remember when you stopped driving?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Did I stop?

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

You stopped driving, yes.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

I didn't know that.

I don't particularly miss it. People drive me everywhere.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Tell me the role that music has played in your life.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

I grew up with a lot of music in my environment. And I took to the piano very readily. I played by ear before I ever had a music lesson. I still play, but mostly for my own amazement.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

Tell me how lucky you feel to have had to have the kind of marriage that you have, which is extraordinary and lasted more than 60 years.

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Yes, that is true. That was a test of my wife's endurance. It was a great lifelong love affair. She was a very acute assessor of other people. And she was very good to me. She recognized all my shortcomings and discussed them with just about everybody.

(LAUGHTER)

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

When she passed away, how did that change your life?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Oh, dramatically and forever. I mean, I still miss her a lot. And, in that sense, you know, something vital is gone out of my life.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

And you still think about her every day?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Pretty near every day. Every once in a while, I take a day off.

STEVE GOLDBLOOM:

What do you still take pleasure in?

RICHARD GOLDBLOOM:

Life.

My name is Richard Goldbloom, and this has been my Brief But Spectacular take.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Wow, Richard Goldbloom, the things you remember. We're so grateful for that.