LittleAgeOnHim

The year was 1988 and I was pretending to be a football coach at the time.  I was talking with one of my high school football players, Fred, about an older coach that we both knew.  We were comparing complimentary notes about the other coach when Fred observed, "Yeah, Coach, he's got a little age on him."

Got a little age on him...

Growing older has costs and benefits.  Both seem to become more pronounced with the advancement of age.  I suppose that suggests some sort of natural equilibrium that our existence attempts to maintain (much like the weather seeks to balance temperature through systems and like water seeks its own level).

I'm noticing more of the effects of "getting a little age on me" these days.

Some of the perceived negatives:

• I can't run as fast as I used to (but, then, I really don't need to).
• I can't jump as high as I used to (but, then, I really don't need to).
• I can't lift as much as I used to (but, then, I really don't need to).
• My reactions are not as quick as they used to be (hmmm, that's not good physically, but socially it's probably not all that bad).
• I am painfully aware of how much there is yet to learn, with not nearly enough time to learn it.

On the other hand, some of the perceived positives:

• I seem more reflective (wish I had learned that sooner).
• I work much more efficiently than I used to (both physically and intellectually).
• I savor the moment much more than I used to (call it "mindfulness" or "presence" or "carpe diem").
• I slow down to love, laugh, and engage more deeply than I used to (could have sure avoided some misery had I started doing that sooner).
• I attempt to understand the perspective of others more deliberately than I used to.
• I am painfully aware of how much there is yet to learn, with not nearly enough time to learn it.

On the whole, "getting a little age on me" might not be such a bad thing after all.