I’m at an age where I’m either going to get busy living or get busy dying, as the saying goes. I try my best to stay current with technology and trends but sometimes I grow a bit weary of the rapid pace of change. I still prefer recipes printed on paper inside books. Like Mitt Romney I keep notebooks with ideas for all kinds of projects. I fumble a bit when operating my television, but I always end up in the right place given enough patience. I think I want an electric car but I don’t want to have to break it in or have a learning curve before feeling comfortable driving it. I sometimes think that I would like to be more adventurous, but I often find myself finding excuses for avoiding situations that might feel a bit uncomfortable. Sometimes I even go so far as to sound like my really old father-in-law who is mostly unwilling to change his ways.
There is comfort in the familiar. Over the years I’ve learned how to use and navigate a computer and a smart phone. I have a graphing calculator and use Google to help me find videos that teach me how to do all kinds of things. My husband has turned our home into an Alexa dream, or maybe it’s actually a nightmare. Whatever it is, I haven’t had to flip a light switch for a couple of years. I mostly stream music and movies now as well, making my collection of CDs somewhat moot.
I understand what means to be “woke” and I like the concept. I listen to my former students and my grandchildren and agree with much of their thinking about how we should all be living. I’m even open to following most of their advice. I’ve become more and more attuned to caring for the planet and I’m always curious about learning aspects of history that I never knew.
I’ve spent a great deal of time studying religions other than my own. I find myself finding something positive in most beliefs that humans have developed, but I see problems as well. I like talking about ethics and studying philosophy. I find it both challenging and fun to keep my mind as open as possible. I’ve been willing to change my points of view when I encounter new information that seems to fill in the blanks of my knowledge.
Mostly I appreciate the joy of travel. I have found people all over the world to be quite welcoming and more like me than different. All in all we want so many of the same things, but we often get there in different and interesting ways. Travel has made me far less narrow minded than I might otherwise have been. I am quite open to the idea that there might be equally good ways of living that are nothing like my own.
All that being said, I have certain foibles or likes and dislikes that make me feel comfortable with myself. I need time alone each day or I get cranky. I dislike have an ironclad schedule that forces me to operate according to a watch or a calendar. I need to have moments of unplanned freedom in my life. Sometimes I don’t want to know where the winds will blow me when I wake up in the morning. The best part of being retired is not having to answer to a routine. It means leaving the dishes in the sink and setting out in search of adventure with no plan in mind.
I’m not at all impressed by wealth or titles but instead am in awe of people who are wise and generous. I want friends who will take me just as I am without expecting me to change or believe a certain way. I hope that they will know that I feel the same way about them. We may be at odds politically or religiously but none of that matters as much as our relationship. Friendships are as important to me as family. I never abandon a friend even if they abandon me. My door is always open, awaiting the moment when they may want to finally return.
I can’t take long hikes like I once did. I need two knee replacements but always seem too busy to schedule them. I’m too much on the go and too responsible for other people to take the time to heal from such a thing. My doctor says that it is okay to wait but that one day I will come to him when I can’t walk without intense pain anymore. I’m not there yet, so I think I’ll just keep going.
I am quite impressed with the knowledge and inventiveness of the younger generations. I do not at all believe that they are somehow inferior to me and the other Boomers. I would challenge all older folks to attempt to keep up with them in mathematics or science or political thought. These days I learn more from them than they do from me. They make me feel quite secure in the belief that they are going to save the world for us all. We would do well to listen to them and respect what they have to say.
I’ll just keep trucking as long as I am destined to do. Hopefully I can keep learning and adapting even as I grow older. The world and its people are so thrilling. There are things to discover in every single day. I plan to continue busying myself with living as long as I’m able.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 