Keeping Young

Hi Everyone,

Remember when you were a kid and you'd act up and some adult would yell at you and say, " Act your age!"  Well, I'm telling you, "DON'T ACT YOUR AGE!" 

One of the things that keeps us from staying young is our own concept of what someone "our age" should be like.  These preconceived notions taint our actions and thinking. Sure there are always the physical effects of aging that plague us, but we can work on keeping our minds sharp and our hearts young.  A great way to stay young at heart is to keep learning new things, doing new things.

Take a class. Community colleges usually offer low cost classes for seniors. City Park and Recreation Departments usually do the same. Find something you think you might enjoy doing or learning about. It doesn't have to be "age appropriate" like basket weaving. Try anything that strikes your fancy. If you don't like it, drop the class, or take something different next time. What have you got to loose.  I took two Criminal Investigation classes at the local community college. I learned a lot, including that I could still learn a lot. I met a lot on interesting "kids" to boot including one that has become a friend of the family. 

Learn to do something that will save you money. Learn to garden, change your oil, can or dehydrate things from your garden, fix your toilet. Learn how to do anything new and you will have a feeling of accomplishment that is hard to describe. It will keep you young and help your bottom line to boot.

Laugh at yourself. As a society we seem to have forgotten how to have a sense of humor about our own human frailities and flaws. Everyone seems to get their feelings hurt or feel "uncomfortable" over the slightest thing because we can't find the humor in things anymore. Remember when you were a kid and you'd do something stupid and you'd laugh just as hard at yourself as your friends did?  Find that child in yourself again.

Tackle something you thought you couldn't. Lots of times it's fear that keeps us from tackling a project ourselves. Granted, it may take us a whole lot longer to fix whatever needs fixing, or make whatever it is we want made, but tackling something difficult, struggling through the process, and finally succeeding is, to use a pop psyche phrase, empowering. Heck, we're too dang old to bother being afraid.

Do something to help someone else.  I've found that I am  miserable when I'm thinking too much about myself. It is far too easy to get wrapped up in unimportant things and throw a pity party for myself. There is always someone out there that is worse off than you. Knowing that helps your own problems in perspective. Volunteer somewhere, the Library, local hospital, neighborhood school, your church, synagogue, or temple. If you're confined in a convalescent hospital or home, befriend someone who is suffering too. Talk to the staff. If they look like they're having a rough day, ask about it. You might be surprised to find they are struggling too.

Helping someone else keeps your mind busy and when your mind is busy, you feel better. That's part of why our aches and pains seem so much worse at night. 

Well, I could probably go on with this all day, but time to get moving. Thanks for letting me share a little in your life and I'll see you next time. Until then, keep prepping because what you do matters, and remember, "Just 'cause there's snow on the rooftop, doesn't mean there ain't a fire in the fireplace."






  
Candy