On Getting Old

      One day we’ll look at the mirror  and  see  wrinkles forming  on  our once  gleaming  faces. We  will notice that   our   skin  sags  and that   it  has lost its  elasticity.   Our muscles   become less flexible   and   our vision fails us, so does  our  hearing. One  day,  we’ll   walk  a bit  stooped and our  muscle and joints will ache  with every movement.  We will  notice that   our  walks have grown  shorter  and  slower, our hearing becomes less audible and our energy   depleting.

      When that day comes,  we can no longer  jump as high or  worse,  cannot jump at all. We  wont  be able to run  fast or   not run at all. Then  we look  at   the mirror and  no  longer   can see    the trace  of  youth  that was once there   during  our glorious years. We realize that we can  no longer   do   the things  we    used to and that  we have limited  time to  figure  out  where  it all went.    Time   has  consumed  us   and   we have aged.  Good thing  if upon aging,  we have become  wiser… for  wisdom is, I believe, the greatest   consolation of being  old.

       One day, I will be   the  old just like the folks   I see on the streets  with cane  and grey hairs, with callous hands and  all the symptoms of being  “soon to expire.”  But  perhaps  I’ll be  happy   because  I am  going to live my life  best while  I have the   energy  to  make  things happen and   while  am at the prime of my youth. Carpe diem (seize the day!), as the saying goes.  And  when I have enjoyed  my   youth  without    apprehensions,  explored the  world  while  I can run  and walk  and travel,  wore  the clothes  that  express my mood and my  identity, expressed my  feelings  to someone  freely or  my thoughts through my  writing,   made way  for   the  things I desire to accomplish, then  growing  old   will be  graceful.  And I would embrace it  as a fulfilling retirement. Having aged   would be  a refuge  from  a once busy life  and it  wouldn’t be  so bad a thing.  It would  perhaps  be a rewarding experience to  have  lived   that  long    with the  opportunity to sit back and  reminisce  the  glorious days of long ago.

       So  those who are  young and able, live life to the fullest. Seek your    heart’s greatest desire.  Know   your dreams and attain them  because life   has    given   you the  chance to  run miles,  to walk  with a friend or special someone and share the journey, to taste pain and joy  through  many   relationships that  will spice your life,  to learn and be wise. Someday,  all these  chances  will be gone and if  you have   not  made the most  of the opportunities  laid on your path, and have  ignored the promptings of your hearts,   you  will sit  back   and  evaluate   the years that passed just like old people do…  only with one big difference –  you  have many regrets of the things you could have done  but   didn’t do.  Then you realize you no longer   have the power to conquer all of your dreams.