The art of aging well
Aging is part of the process of living.
Each day we are alive, we are getting older. I remember in my 70s talking about getting older with my friends.
We were just getting older and then it happened, when I turned 80 I received a birthday card with a big 80 on it and at that moment I knew I was not getting old, I was old.
I realized that the body was beginning to wear out but I also realized that it was not over and that perhaps my best days were still in front of me. Sure there would be the aches and pains of age and the decline in my health but I was still here and I had things to do, places to go and people to visit.
Looking back over the years the aging process is so interesting.
We can’t wait until we are 16 and able to drive. Then we await 21 and able to drink although I must confess I had many a beer before 21 and learned that a trip to a nearby state had first beers at 18, and after all one could die in the service of their country but not drink or vote. Thankfully the vote age has been lowered to 18 and I have a feeling young people will be exercising their duty this time around as they too are fed up with the political process. It’s a shame that money has entered politics, money that could make life so much better for our citizens but instead gets spent on nasty ads.
Love and marriage come for many in their 20s and 30s and then the joy of children and how quickly they grow up, and we are so busy with family we get to 50 and wonder where it all went.
We put on a few pounds and a few gray hairs and wonder did we make the right choices in work and careers.
At 50 skiing was a big part of my life along with golf and running. I also decided to run my first marathon and at the halfway point I was thinking of calling it a day when a young lad stopped at the bench where I was resting and asked if I was OK. He told me we were past the halfway mark and encouraged me to finish.
I was to run and complete two additional marathons and a good doctor advised to continue to run but keep it to 5 and 10K races and recreational runs.
Good advice as the knees did not need replaced.
I always loved nature and the outdoors, and my business involved insuring outdoor adventure outfitters.
I got to raft just about all the rivers from Maine to Georgia and did three raft trips on the Grand Canyon and was able to include my sons and daughter on a memorable trip that included staying at a ranch and a helicopter descent to the river bottom where our raft awaited to complete four days on the river.
I also got to ski many of the big ones out west including Alta and Snowbird in Utah and Lake Louise in Canada.
I retired at age 60, bought a new bike and discovered the joy of riding the trails, especially the Great Allegheny Passage. Ohiopyle is one of the most beautiful places and the out-of-state license plates confirm my feeling.
After some heart issues at age 80 the cardiologist suggested I give up the ski activities and focus more on the bike, swimming and walking, which I have done. I have completed over 54,000 miles on the bike which is more than two times around the planet and while my rides are much shorter, I am still out there enjoying nature and looking for the butterfly and my friends, woody, scamper, chippy along with an occasional view of the eagle and momma bear and her little ones.
On the emotional side of aging, I enrolled in the Osher Life Long Learning classes at the University of Pittsburgh and have completed 168 classes. Most are five weeks many are on Zoom and there are no grades, tests or papers due, just the joy of learning and being with other people who love learning even at this age; lots of history, economics, science, along with classes on retirement issues and aging well.
My favorite was “How did sex become a sin?” from the religious studies department.