“Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened.”
Terry Pratchett
Unlike some people, I don’t look forwards to Christmas. No personal feud with Santa mind you (even though I find Amazon more reliable) but it can be a drag.
It is just that, being a Capricorn (goat-horned), it reminds me that a few days after getting a new tie or a corkscrew, I will be officially one year older.
Do I mind getting older? No. Maybe… Yes.
It is not the age that bothers me. It is the vexing realization that I cannot anymore do what I was doing so easily a few years back.
For one thing, I am definitely not as flexible as I used to be.
Picking jellybeans off the floor now requires concentration and determination.
“If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.”
Eubie Blake
You are damn right Eubie!
People tend to forget that the human machine needs as much (if not more) maintenance as a car.
And if you want you pimpmobile to still run smoothly at 100,000 miles, you don’t start maintenance at 50,000 miles.
But that’s what most people do.
They start seeing a doctor, 50,000 miles too late, when they begin to have serious transmission problems.
You also need to run the machine regularly. If you leave it in the garage and only take it out for Sunday rides, don’t expect it to perform as smoothly as the teenager’s jalopy next door.
A fair amount of daily physical exertion is highly recommended. Just Ask Tamara.
Getting older does not mean getting bitter or ornery.
“You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.”
George Bernard Shaw
So, to forestall aging, keep on laughing. Laugh at anybody and at anything. And especially at yourself.
Not only do you need to exercise your body, you also need to keep your neurons flashing.
Remember what your mother was saying: “An idle mind is the devil’s playground.”
You don’t want to start fooling with Lucifer, do you? We already have too many gun toting disciples running around.
To remain on top of things, you also need to keep learning.
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
Henry Ford
For instance, you are never too old to learn how to use a computer. If your 6-year-old grandkid can do it, don’t you think that you could also do it? Or do you want to be laughed at by a whippersnapper?
In conclusion:
“Nature gives you the face you have at 20. It is up to you to merit the face you have at 50.”
Coco Chanel
Modesty aside, despite the advancing years I think that I totally deserve the beautiful face (belle gueule) that is now mine. Don’t you agree?
Alain
Old Men Grooving: