Friday, March 23, 2018

What's Old?

Hi there,
I've been wondering how old is old and I suppose it stems from the fact that my next birthday will be my 62nd. Wow, I used to think 62 was old, well, I thought 60 was old...when I was in my 20s. And here I am, anticipating my 62nd birthday and thinking, how old is old? The older I get, the further away "old" age becomes. In my 20s, I thought the 60s was old, in my 40s, well, 70s was old, and now that I'm approaching 62 and my beloved is in his early 70s, that's not old at all. Hmmmm...I am beginning to believe that old adage that one is only as old as one feels. Which means sometimes I'm still in my 20s, and then other times, feeling achy, I begin to think I'm old! Is it really simply a state of mind?
I like to say that we must keep on learning in order to stay fresh, green and growing. I ask myself, "When was the last time I did something for the first time?" Keeping a "beginner's brain" is important for me to stay engaged, growing and stimulated. If I am an expert in every aspect of my life, I'm not growing. So, I took my first curling lesson last week. Yes, curling, on ice, in the cold, throwing the stone, sweeping, the whole bit. And I was terrible at it! As I should be! It was the first time I ever tried the sport. My willingness to be awful at something, in public, with witnesses, is also a strength. It is my ability to be authentic, vulnerable, and look like a nube, a fool, at something, which is also the self confidence I have to learn in public, to be a beginner among others, in order to learn something new. I will not let the fear of appearing foolish stop me from experiencing something new. Hell, when it comes to looking foolish in public, well, that ship sailed years ago. LOL! We have all done silly things, and done them in public, so let's get over the "I don't want to embarrass myself" fear and just jump in and flounder a bit, flopping around on the ice, while we learn. Learning something new keeps us growing, keeps the brain stimulated and engaged, and keeps us forever young. So, you have to ask yourself, "How old is old?"

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