Keeping up at 60.

I hear older people, well, people my age, all the time say that they "can't do it". They can't work a computer, they can't drive into Boston, they can't drive after dark, they can't stay up at night past 9PM, they can't move, lift or carry things, they can't use their DVD machine their kids gave them for Christmas, they can't use a remote, they can't set up their voice messaging system, they can't anything!
These people are NOT old. They have accepted being old. They have given up and don't have anyone around them to stop them from this negative thinking. I realize that as we all get older, we can't always do the physical things we used to do. We can't walk as fast, play our favorite sport activity as well, see as well and eat the way we used to. BUT "our list" still should be getting longer and we should continue to experience life. We can't give up. We can't stop learning, loving, trying, exploring, reading, living and succeeding.
I learned a long time ago from my woman friend, Gladys from Chester, NH, to keep that list of things you want to learn to do and make it grow. I have had at least 4 older women mentors. They were 45-70 when I met them. Three I met in Chester when I was between 28-32 and the last one I met where I live now about 2 years later. They didn't know and neither did I that I was learning so much from them. I learned from them by their example. I have since learned that this is the best way to "teach". Gladys was my current age when I knew her in the mid 1970's. She swam in her pool everyday, everyday..... from April to October. She canoed in her little pond w/ her grandchildren and taught them about nature while they had lunch in the canoe. She had trails around her 3 acres that she kept cleared for walking in all seasons. She ate PB&J very often. Most of all she played volleyball with us local younger women every week in her side yard. We brought our kids of all pre school ages. We never had to tell the kids to stay off the court. Gladys told them once. Firmly and with conviction and Love. We had a blast and so did the kids. Everyone was happy and the time flew by. We usually ended up inside her lovely home at the end to see what project she was working on next. There was stenciling, caning chairs, needlework, reading some great book, cooking, canning, maple syrup making, watercolor painting, planning parties, church work and on and on. She is a hard act to follow but I always keep her in mind and I try to keep up! I loved learning their stories. All of the women have great stories. Tales of hardship, life in the olden days, family problems, money situations, children and the trials they bring. Getting to hear someone's life story is a privilege. They trust you with their information. You become bound to them and them to you by this telling of words from the heart.
I think learning as you go is good but being open to learning is best. I think we all get more intuitive as we get older if we are aware of our own thoughts and feelings. We have experiences that are there for us to feel and recognize as connections to other people or feelings that we knew something before it happened.
I think many older people just accept their lives as they are. I know I have people in my world that just accept it and don't want more. That's fine. Live your life the way you want. Just be realistic about what you want compared to what you wish you could still have.
There are many ways to keep young. We don't have to compete with anyone anymore. We don't have to be the wife with the smart kids, the husband with the big job, the family with the big house that is the place where the family lives but might be pretending to either be happy or to keep up with the "Jones". We don't have to answer to anyone. We just have to know who we are and what it is that makes us happy. We have to learn confidence, be brave and push our boundaries.
If we hide, if we stay home, if we don't have the confidence in ourself, we will only make our world smaller and smaller. I have been involved with a singles group and had my own singles group and have seen woman who can't handle life and are afraid. Some learned to be brave during their time with me as the "leader" and others still just followed along like little ducklings.
Be brave, push your boundaries, try new things. No matter what your age remember "Life is not a dress rehearsal". We have to make our own happiness. Others may be there with us in our later years, or we may be alone. But if we live and not just survive the years, we will have lived well. We will be remembered with smiles.