Mind Over Matter: 'When I'm 64'

Many of us remember as if it were yesterday the Beatles song lyrics "will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm 64?"

Well, as I prepare for the 64th milestone in my life on July 13th, I clearly remember what I thought about being 64 years old, viewed through my youthful prism. It really sounded far away when the Beatles sang it. I definitely sounded "old."

Now that I'm almost there, it doesn't sound old at all, of course.

When is it that we become "old"?

Is it when we give up trying new things?  When we lose all interest in anything different from what we are used to seeing, doing or trying?  Is it when our bodies rebel and refuse what they used to be able to do or what we want them to do?

I'm not sure that I know what it is, exactly, to feel "old." I look at my four children in their late 20s and early 30s and they look very young indeed. 

I look at my three granddaughters and one grandson and they really look young.  If I compare myself with them, I'm already old, very old. 

Thankfully, I don't compare my age to my children or to my grandchildren.

I do understand what would happen if I allowed myself to "slip-slide away" into aging with no effort on my part to maintain what I have physically, mentally and spiritually.

Compared with a lot of people my age, I'm rather young.

In fact, I've settled on the self-description "middle-aged." It sounds a lot better, don't you think?

The only problem with "middle-aged" at 64 is that do I really believe that I will live to be 128? Yikes.

I've learned to yield to the reality that age does affect me and that in many ways I have to be more careful. If the stairs are steep and I'm carrying something heavy, I go one step at a time. I appreciate hand rails now too. Falls are the scourge of aging in so many ways.

I also need the "cheater glasses" to see the printed word, especially at the end of a long day or when the light is bad.  Thank God I can see distances as well as ever because I hate wearing glasses. And, of course, I have trouble with the latest technology.

I'm great with emails, I love Facebook and I understand the basics of my laptop.  Anything harder than that is out of my league. When confused on my laptop, I just ask my oldest granddaughter Bayley for help. She is 10 and she knows everything.

On the other hand, I take no medications at all except for a baby aspirin a day because my youngest daughter Alissa wants me to. I do take an assortment of vitamins and my days are always full with activity. 

I work a full time job with my own imaging business, I'm active in my events. I enjoy being a commissioner on the planning and zoning commission, I never miss attending a great worship service at the Element Church in Lake St. Louis and I spend a good portion of my time with my family and with my friends too.

One of the greatest benefits of being "almost 64" is that I don't care about a lot of things that used to bother me. 

My hair had some silver in it when I was 30, and it filled in fully with silver by the time I was 40.  In a silly effort to "appear and feel younger" I colored my hair for years. My hair is full and white now and it's fine with me. Actually, I like the white hair. Unlike some of my friends, I have plenty of hair.

For those of you who share my "middle aged status", no matter where in the spectrum you find yourself, celebrate it.  I'm much smarter than I used to be.  I can continue to grow healthier because I will listen better to the advice of my daughter to "eat green, eat smart, eat less."

I've been around the block more than a few times and there is no substitute for learning from my own mistakes.  I enjoy being a mentor and a prayer partner to a handful of great people and I always focus on the postive side of my life. 

I know that life is short and that every day needs to be special.  That is what my life is....special.

So, if it's mind over matter, I say, think young. And love the age you are.

Over these 64 years I've learned that you don't stop having fun when you get old--ou only get old when you stop having fun.

I'm going to have fun, every day! How about you?