Here is the thought for today folks...
You never stop paddling becasue your grow old,
You grow old because you stop paddling.
When you are 28 years old, you don't think too much about growing old. You are in the prime of your life and you feel like you will live forever, right? There is energy and excitement about all that life has to offer and you are ready to jump right in.
Well, I am 66 years old and I have been thinking about growing old a fair amount lately. Of course, the expected comment, "Where did all the years go?", is not far from our lips. I look at my kids and realize that having two daughters that are 38 and 34 years old says something about how quickly time flies.
Applying for Social Security benefits, getting flooded with mail about Medicare supplements, and looking in the mirror all add to the awareness that we are entering a different stage of life.
I have concluded that attitude is going to be critical in the years ahead. We all talk about the fact that we don't feel any older in our minds, even though our bodies say otherwise. So, let's take that mental attitude and let it affect how we live.
The temptation is to pull back and slow down. Our dreams and goals have either been reached or else forgotten and given up on. Think about it...we are living longer than any previous generation and many of us will live into our 80's and 90.s. For me that is a possible 20 years.
You can accomplish a lot in 20 years. Granted, at a bit of a slower pace, but remember the "Tortise and the Hare"...steady as she goes.
So...break out that paddle, or those snow shoes. Get up and get out. We will all grow old, we can't stop that; but how we do it is up to us.
Thus ends my thoughts for the day...
Bert Heep
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1 comment:
I'm now 74. When projected life expectancy gets down to within maybe a half-dozen years, as does the age when your father passed away, dreams and desires begin to taste bitter, balance is less certain, and joints and endurance don't last as long as the portage. Perhaps worst of all is when you look at a new piece of paddling or camping gear, and sadness floods in, making you hesitate buying it because you fear you won't live long enough to enjoy it, let alone wear it out. Prioritize life. Living it surpasses meeting deadlines, getting a raise or promotion, or reaching retirement. Life is a game played against the clock. The objective is to live it before the final buzzer.
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