Sunday, May 29, 2011

Real Age

One can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things and happy in small ways.

Edith Wharton
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Hello Agra India
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Though I often read what others had to say about agedness I never really understood it until I stepped onto the gently moving carousel of soup and meatloaf, gray hair and tender feet myself.

Those of us who have passed the age of so called "usefulness" have become experts at adjustment, adaptation and courage. We learn to accept a changing world which is changing faster than it did when we first thought it was changing too fast. I get a lot of spam offering to introduce me to seniors in my area. I have no trouble meeting seniors if I want to, without any help. It's younger people I want to meet because it is they who have the energy and vision that are making the changes happen.

We may not go disco dancing, jogging in the park or bounding up a flight of stairs, but we will get to the top of the stairs in our own good time, however we have to, if what we want is up there.

We have developed the courage to deal with an uncooperative body and an uncaring world. We have made many sacrifices and have learned to make them gracefully. And we have grown to know that the most important sacrifices are not things but attitudes, beliefs and false ideas.

We can appreciate the benefits of slowing down, of exploring new ideas, of gasping in delight at the grandeur of the world and savoring the sweet melody of a single flower. And if we are fortunate to have children around us we can see that life is continuous.

My friend down the street has a daughter with three children, and her mother is still alive. On Mothers Day they all got together and went to an amusement park where they all had a lot of fun, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, three generations of mothers. How about that?

As some wise person once said "Don't complain about growing old, it's a privilege denied to many."

DB - The Vagabond
(Never give up)
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SPRING QUESTION
(This is not a contest)

Come on. 11 diverse and interesting answers so far. Where's yours?

NASA has planned to send a two man mission on an 18 month trip to the planet Mars. It would take 6 months for the astronauts to get there and after 6 months of exploration another 6 months to return.

Should they do it and why, and if not, why not?

dbdacoba@aol.com

I eagerly await your answer.

DB
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5 comments:

pacifica62 said...

You seem to have this age stuff figured out pretty well, db. When I was young (and not so young), I used to fear old age. Now that I am about to arrive I feel a sense of excitement about it in some ways. Looking forward to what life will bring me, or I will bring to life in the next few years. It certainly is a privilege denied to many.

Ken Riches said...

We can only hope we all age with such grace as you :o)

Arlene (AJ) said...

I'll always be 18 in heart and plan to make the most out of each day so that when the day ends, I have a smile on my face. It's sad to see some older folks who prefer to not enjoy each day, complain about anything and all and prefer to keep in their own world, That's not living and enjoying as far as I'm concerned. I look forward to seeing what tomorrow brings.

Big Mark 243 said...

Hey! I still jog in the park!! And as to being past the age of usefulness, I think you are selling yourself a bit short. I don't think anyone ever outlives their usefulness, particularly someone with as much to share as you!!

Geo. said...

As one who has reached the age at which we ask ourselves some rather depressing questions, I find your post quite encouraging and stabilizing. Comments over mine offer uplift too. Thanks all!