This morning, I realized that I felt “pretty good.” I believe that many of us had this same feeling. I have yet one more birthday approaching. This reminds me that time is relentless — it marches on: the body continues to age. But where is the pain and suffering that I anticipated at my age when I was 18 years old? It has not yet appeared. It would be false to claim that the 69-year-old body mirrors that of a 23-year-old one: it doesn’t. However, the frustrations and anxieties associated with physical age are no longer with me.
It would be misleading to state that the body has not had its crises; it has – a break here, an accident there, a replacement piece at another time. Like any exotic car, it needs to be maintained: the oil changed, the tires replaced, and the headlights adjusted. Thus serviced, it can continue its function of carrying its passenger “hither and yon.” (1) It can go on carrying “the soul” to its ultimate destination. Why then do some of us continue to have good health well into our 90s while others sicken and die at a much younger age?
A doctor friend of mine attributes this to genetics, perhaps true. I would like to add several caveats that I am sure he would agree with: The first would be attitude. You must reject the concept of ageism. (2) The second would be a commitment to good health and exercise. The Big Five — alcohol, drugs, sex, money, and power are to be experienced (if at all) at a much earlier age and then put away. The third aspect would be a belief in something bigger than you. This resolves the dilemmas of spiritual connectivity and loneliness – the universe is your friend.
I was recently at a gathering of people, mostly my age. The conversation quickly moved away from money, which was a relief, to dotage and how one felt about the prospects of getting older. The first thing I remarked on was fear. There was a sense of trepidation in the air when this epoch was discussed. It was almost whispered – a form of silent acknowledgment that one was ever closer to that unspoken and silently feared phenomenon – death! And so it goes.
Most of us, in my estimation, face two great conundrums in life: Freedom, which appears at about 20 or so, the realization that you are, in reality, truly free to live your life in the manner that you so desire. You do not have to listen to or be influenced by the various authority figures in your life: your parents, your siblings, your classmates, or your society. You are free to choose what you want to do with your piece of life. The second is death: the inexplicable cessation of you in your present form. How do we overcome these two phenomena? This can only be achieved through belief and action.
So, the next time you wake up and feel good, get out and do something: join a community club and teach a skill you’ve taken a lifetime learning — in short, contribute! Do some good to help make this a better world. It is the responsibility of everyone, whether we are 7 or 70. The great Portuguese poet and writer, Fernando Pessoa (3), leaves us with a thought: Our problem isn’t that we’re individualists. It’s that our individualism is static rather than dynamic. We value what we think rather than what we do. We forget that we haven’t done, or been, what we thought; that the first function of life is action, just as the first property of things is motion. (Parts of this essay were first published in 2020)
A closing thought: We are all caught up in this great enigma called life. It is truly up to the individual to slow down its spinning. Much like Felix Baumgartner when he plunged from space (4), we must arrest being out of control and slowly make sense of our reality. Then, I must find my mission, however arduous the calling, and get to work – action. It is only in this way that I will live a fulfilling life. No amount of material success can supplant completing your true-life mission.
To sum up: This week we spoke about age and ageism. This is a great dilemma for most people.
To be noted: From the great comic George Burns (5) — You can’t help getting older, you don’t have to get old.
Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQX4bQ40jwI
For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ky-mKuhKgU&ab_channel=CaptureYourFlag
This week, on your peace stroll, please contemplate how you see getting older.
Every day, look for something magical and beautiful
Don’t be a wage slave – critical thinking is great!
Quote: Today, be grateful just to be alive. You can now make your life better.
Footnotes:
1) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hither%20and%20yon
2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6517915/
3) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fernando-Pessoa
4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvbN-cWe0A0&t=7s
5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycUHM7gNsww&ab_channel=ArchyA