Act Your Own Age, Not Mine

Good morning!  I hope you enjoyed the best of whatever you celebrate this holiday season and are eagerly anticipating the start of what could very well be your best year ever.  You just have to want it.

Some of you have noticed a change in my approach to these messages.  Based on comments, both online and in person, I think I may be onto something.  It’s really simple.  No matter what life has thrown your way, the very fact that you’re able to read this proves one thing – you ain’t dead yet.

These words aren’t only for old folks who, like me, wake up every day with body aches and a foggy brain that remind us we’re not as young as we once were.  Okay, I really don’t need the daily reminders.  Yes, I’m old enough for Medicare.  I know that.  My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, but the bathroom mirror doesn’t lie.  Neither does the scale, but that’s another story.

Living in a 55+ community, I’ve come to realize that living your best life isn’t something we trade in for a senior discount card.  We still party.  We still dance.  And we’re known to sip an adult beverage or two.  It doesn’t matter.  In a park where most people travel by golf cart, nobody cares if you can balance on one foot as long as you can find your own driveway.  So far, I’ve only missed once.

You know what we don’t have?  People sitting around, commiserating about their gout and goiters.  I’ve seen people who are nearly crippled out there walking the streets with friends every morning.  I’ve seen them wood carving and quilting in spite of their arthritis.  And I’ve seen old men flirting with great-grandmothers.  Sometimes it even works.  I won’t lie – I’m taking notes.

Yet, living among all those old farts, I have to travel outside our gates into the “real” world to find people who are truly handicapped.  I’m not talking about the stuff that gets you a special parking spot.  Those are at least real.  I’m talking about the handicaps living in a dark place in our mind that we don’t discuss with professionals who could at least slap some sense into us. 

Let’s face it, some people are miserable simply because they choose to live that way.  They couldn’t get invited to a funeral if they were the guest of honor.  Nobody wants to be around them.  Ever heard of RBF?  It’s a clinical term for a face that scares the preacher, makes small children cry, and prevents unwanted sexual advances.  Okay, it gets in the way of the other ones, too. 

I feel bad for anybody who truly wants to enjoy a more fulfilling life and can’t.  Yet, in a way, I feel even worse for those who could do better but find an excuse not to.  Age has nothing to do with it.  I’ve been there.  It wasn’t a happy time, and I still struggle with it occasionally.  We all do.  The trick is to remind yourself it’s only a resting place, not a destination.  Dust yourself off and move on.

That’s all for now.   We’ll talk about this more in the coming weeks, but as you plan your New Year’s resolutions, here’s one we could all try – living life to its fullest.  This is my wish for each of you.  Have an awesome day!

© 2023 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved