As I approach my 60th birthday next August and cross that milestone, I wonder what future will bring.
But even as I get closer to that 60th birthday, it is still more “I don’t believe that I am that damn old, I just don’t feel that I am.” Sorry, to disappoint you Harold you are and it is a helluva lot better than the alternative.
You know, that being dead thing.
It is on my mind more than I want to admit, because it is the great unknown and yes it is a bit scary, because you know without any doubt, that you are closer to the end of your time here.
Then when you add in statistics and experts on aging, all saying that I will struggle with more physical ailments and that my mind will not be as sharp as it is today, as I continue live past my 60th birthday, (which is definitely the plan), it does make the future seem a little bleak.
We have a Choice
However, I can either give in and die before I am gone or I can live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride for as long as I can.
It is a choice we all have to make.
I do not foresee me going quietly or gently into the last long sleep or the great goodnight. That just is not who I have become.
If my experiences over the first 59 years of this life are any indication, whatever time I have left should be interesting and more than likely I will even have some fun along the way to 60 and beyond.
Not Hiding
The other thing is I am not going to attempt to hide, cover up or not talk about how old I actually am, it just is not worth the effort.
I am what I am.
Even though I am sure that I will probably whine about some things that are directly related to aging at some point – that is just being honest.
You know the aches and pains that are part of the deal and the big ones for me are:
- how much the same amount of effort, doesn’t result in the same times as they used to
- all those little injuries that I seem to accumulate, just take so much longer to heal
- and of course CRS (Can’t Remember Shit).
Yeah, those parts really sucks.
Going Forward
It just means that I will work hard to delay some of the more nefarious effects of aging. However, it does mean that I have to accept that there will be things that I have to change and do differently, no matter how much it hurts my ego.
Now to figure some of those changes out, but I have a feeling that it probably will include less chips, ice cream, processed food, more rest and running slower, and maybe even some body weight work (I know I have kept saying that forever).
The biggest thing is that I have to accept that change is inevitable and to keep the positive attitude towards living fully.
How is aging affecting your life and what are you doing about it?
Harold's Blog 
It is interesting for me, just crossing 50 and in the best shape of my life for these last few years, feeling much younger than I have in a while … but I am not younger.
Not feeling older and not BEING older can cause quite the conflict – my three best friends on my current project range between 30 and 40, and reflect a range of life points with one having kids in middle school, another with very young kids, and the last a couple of years out of grad school and still very single. While I am in the best shape of them, and they think my running is crazy, there are occasional things that remind me that they DO see me as considerably older. Which is weird in a way.
Like you say, we have no choice or voice in whether or not we get older … but we DO get some voice in HOW we live our lives as we age. For me, eating decently and keeping active and reducing stress wherever possible are definite priorities – and is savoring moments with Lisa and the boys, and the friends I’ve made at Corning.
As I have noted in the past, I am the only one in my immediate family who made it out of my 40s without a major heart attack or heart surgery. My dad had the last rites done at 45 (he is still alive at 76), and my brother at 49 (2013) was unconscious more than24 hours after a ‘widowmaker’ heart attack where he was saved because he was at spin class with a doctor literally on the bike next to him and a defibrillator in the room.
Living our lives the best way we know how – and never giving up … we owe that to ourselves, and to those who love us.
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That is part of the issue that I am having I am in pretty damn decent shape for any age, I refuse to use the pity party line “for my age”, and don’t feel like 60 or what I expected 60 to be like from talking to so many who have crossed that threshhold.
I think you are doing the right things to keep the health issues at bay, without going overboard about things, well maybe the running to some is, but me – I am just jealous and wish that I could handle that kind of mileage, without breaking things all too often.
I totally agree with your last statement and believe that we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to do the best we can to be as healthy as possible.
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