Three elderly men sat in the doctor’s office, waiting for a memory test none of them particularly wanted to take. The doctor began with the first man: “What is three times three?” The man puffed out his chest and proudly answered, “274.” The doctor kept a polite smile, jotting down a note while wondering how on earth he arrived at that number. Turning to the second man, he asked the same question. “Tuesday,” the second replied confidently, as if math and calendars worked the same way. The doctor nodded, amused and bracing himself for the third answer.
When he posed the question to the third man, even the nurse peeking from the doorway was trying not to laugh. But after a thoughtful pause, the third man calmly answered, “Nine.” The doctor raised his eyebrows—finally, someone got it right. But then the man added proudly, “Because I used your calculator when you weren’t looking.” The room went silent before everyone burst into laughter. In that moment, the doctor realized these men were coping with age in the way many do—through humor and resilience.
