You're Not Too Old



“I’m too old,” a friend said to me when I asked her to go with me to the (gym).  “What do you mean you’re too old?” I asked.  “I’m almost 73," she said,  "and when you get to be my age, you can’t do the things you use to do.”

I’ve heard that mantra from people younger than me, “I’m old.”  They talk almost obsessively about their age.  I wonder if it’s an excuse not to try anything new.  When one says one is old, what exactly does that mean?

 “I'm old. I’d just rather sit in front of the TV, and watch the world go by, content in my suffering."  Satisfied to live vicariously?

Does it mean one is ready to give up on life, sit down and wait for death?  Have they stopped living? Not interested in exploring new areas? Close minded, stuck in the past; unable to accept changes?

Does that mean all the aches and pains remind one of ones age.  And prevents them from trying something new?

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” one friend said when I tried to get him to accompany me to a class.   Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks.  But the dog has to be interested in learning. 

 From the moment of our birth, we age. Yes, I admit that there are certain stages in our lives when significant changes take place; Going from a baby to a toddler, from preteens to teenager, from a teenager to a young adult, a young adult to an adult, middle age, elderly.  Granted, as we age we must endure new aches and pains almost daily. However, if we focus only on those aches and pains, it prevents us from being open. And being open allows us to experience life's riches.

There are many advantages to growing older.  My list includes:

1.  I don’t have to compete for attention from the opposite sex.
2.  I wear what I like, comfort takes priority over trends.
2.  I’m comfortable with myself and with my decisions.
3.  I can stop and smell the roses if I choose.
4.  I’m like a child, my mind is open to new vistas and I’m willing to explore.


Despite my age, I feel young though for the younger person, I'm considered ancient.  My body has sagged, wrinkles invade; I've got little aches and pains from time to time.  I may be invisible to the young/younger, however, I don't center (focus) on being old. I’m aware of the things I can no longer do.  But there are so many things I want to learn, places I want to go, that I don’t have time to think about age. 

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